Any Advice - Tire Wear!

chrisengland · 01-11-2007

I have an '04 V8, air susp, with 19" rims. Had new Michelins on at 22K. Completely bald on the inside at 29K. Dealer did realignment and Replaced with Contis and now all 4 are bald on the OUTSIDE and I'm only at 35K. 2 sets of tires for only 13K? I'm steaming. Any suggestions? Tire Warranty? Dealer negotiation?

leetouareg · 01-12-2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by chrisengland

I have an '04 V8, air susp, with 19" rims. Had new Michelins on at 22K. Completely bald on the inside at 29K. Dealer did realignment and Replaced with Contis and now all 4 are bald on the OUTSIDE and I'm only at 35K. 2 sets of tires for only 13K? I'm steaming. Any suggestions? Tire Warranty? Dealer negotiation?

You could buy these

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/4-Tyres-275-45...QQcmdZViewItem

tonykara · 01-21-2007

I too am upset regarding the crappy tire wear on my '05 Touareg. I have 15k miles and the tires are bald!! VW says the TR is hard on those OEM Conti's, but this is BS! No tire should wear out that fast. It seems I'm not alone with this issue and unless VW makes some accomodations, I'm seriously considering a class action law suit.

chrisengland · 01-22-2007

Just got a call back from VW Rep. They will cover NOTHING. They gave me the run around, said I had an accident that as the problem, even though VW did the repair. I will be contacting BBB, VW, State Consumer group. Wanna join me?

tonykara · 01-22-2007

Yes I do. I'm in Northern California, and would like to be part of whatever you decide to do in regards to this problem.

**Vegas Matt** · 01-23-2007

Alignments are only as good as the shop doing them. If the shop does shoddy work, your alignment probably will not be correct, leading to these situations.

One problem with alignments is if you hit a severe enough pothole, or a curb, or bash a roch or something, it can knock your alignment out, causing tire wear, poor drivability, etc. Fr this reason, I think you've got an uphill battle with your dealer,because you cannot prove 100% that it was thier alignment and nothing you did to cause the alignment to go out. The only thing you may have is if it's stiputaled in a contract that your alignment is covered for xxx amount of time or miles, then there probbly is no recourse you have.

And, as far as tires wearing out quickly due to non-alignment issues, what kinds of driving do you do? The Touareg is made to handle very well, and as such, spirited driving can spontaneously occur. The problem is controlling 5000+ pounds of mass on tires made for gripping the road. Sure, you could put the hardest tires around on there and get better life, but they would probably slide/squirm all over the place and make the driving experience suck.

Do a search on here, there are some people that have had tire issues in the past, and some that haven't. I'm in the latter category, with the stock Dunlops about 3/4 used up at 23,500 miles. Other than some minor tread chunking from some light off-roading, no big deal. The dealer did my alignment at 2,000 miles, and I'll have another one done when I get new tires. I don't consider myself easy on a car, and prescribe to the spirited driving style more often than not. This, along with being in-town, explains why I need brakes now

My advice: Don't be part of lawsuit-happy America. Suck it up, revel in the fact that you have an exceptional SUV that will out-handle about any other on the road, and throw some new shoes on it with a treadlife warranty. And, if your alignment is an issue, go to another dealer (or independent shop) that's got a better service/alignment deppartment, get it fixed, and enjoy the ride. Life's too short and complicated as it is, why make it even more stressful.

PS-I don't work for VW, which I know will be coming.

Good luck,
Matt

chrisengland · 01-25-2007

Appreciate the reply - just can't spend $2200 every year replacing 2 sets of tires. COULD YOU?

Chris

**Vegas Matt** · 01-25-2007

That's why I said get an alignment done at a reputable place, where you know it's in check. This is very important, as tires worn because of bad alignment more than likely will not be covered by a tire mileage warranty. As long as the tires don't wear because of the alignment being out, your new tires, if they come with a mileage warranty, will at least pro-rate your replacement tires if it is within the mileage warranty.

You may want to also swap down to the 18" wheels, or even go up to 20's, as you have many more tire options than for the 19's. If I recall, the 19" size is pretty slim pickings for replacement tires.

Regardless, get an alignment by a shop that knows what the hell they are doing, as it's obvious the one you're going to doesn't have a clue. Some have reported having better luck going to a Porsche dealer to have the alignment done.

Overall, my recommendations to you would be:
1. Replace your tires
2. Make sure the tires are road-force balanced on a Hunter machine
3. Immediately get an alignment at a reputable shop.
4. Check tire pressures weekly, even more so if the weather changes. Don't trust the TPMS, get out and check it.
5. Rotate the tires at no more than 5,000 miles. This will even out the front-to-rear wear.

Take my advice if you wish, but it should help to make your tires last a bit longer. The main thing is alignment. If it is out of whack, your tires simply will not last.

Good luck,
Matt

abcdefg · 01-25-2007

My 06 V8 came with stock 19" Athoe's wrapped in Pirelli, Only got 19k out of them. No alingment issues. I personally feel they the engineers screwed up and installed to soft of a rubber compound for the weight of the SUV. It's not a Ferrari, it's not meant to take corners at 20 over posted speed limit. VW should at least offer to pay half of what it would cost to pay for a set set of 275/45/19. What is VWoA number?

PS my brothers shop did a check on the alingment at 16k every thing was in limits.

**Vegas Matt** · 01-26-2007

Question: On the 19" tires you guys are using, what are the UTQG ratings? (Traction, Temp, and Treadwear)

I'm sure they are soft, as they are more meant to hold the road than to last a long time. Don't forget, the 19" wheels are an option, not standard. Not that this is saying anything, as they are still VW's wheels and tire choice that you buy, but they are most certainly a performance option geared towards roadholding. If you're not concerned about ultimate roadholding and such, I'd suggest dropping back to a firmer compound, perhaps on 18" or 17" wheels. I will tell you from personal experience, however, that a V8 with the 19's and Continental tires grips and holds a good bit better than my 17's with the Dunlops. The taller sidewall on the 17's allows a bit of sway/squirm before they take a set. The Continental-shod 19's don't have that movement, they simply take a set and hold it, no squirm.

Now, it's time to weigh the options: Longer tread life with less roadholding, or better grip at the expense of longevity? These are just a couple options. Throw in aesthetics, costs, and size availability, and you can see how the engineers/product planners have a difficult time picking what works best. Don't forget, these are (more than likely) German engineers with a high passion for driving and a great driving experience, as opposed to the American automobile-as-an-appliance mentality. What works for those engineers doesn't always work for others.

Also, as far as the Touareg not being "meant to take corners at 20 over posted speed limit" I disagree. This is where the Touareg shines, and just about any other SUV (certainly any other I've driven) falls flat. It doesn't have the poor handling characteristics of most others, especially in the twisties. One thing to remember though: there's no one saying you must take corners at high speed and eat up your tires, that's a personal choice. If you do (like I enjoy doing) you will eat up tires and brakes. 5,000+ pounds of momentum plays hell on any contact patch, and an aggressively driven Touareg on soft tires will chew them up quickly.

Matt