Model 3 LR AWD bald rear tires @ 4200 miles

[AlanSubie4Life]

BTW, the rear tires have plenty of wear left (they are not even to the wear bar); you live in Los Angeles! Rotate them to the front and continue driving! Watch for cord; when you see cord (or when the tread actually disappears), they of course need to be replaced immediately. Also keep an eye on the weather forecast; when rain is predicted, get new tires in advance, for safety.

There is really not a major safety issue in wearing tires below the legal limit, if conditions are dry. Is it legal? No. Is it safe? Yes, in good conditions. Is it environmentally responsible? Yes, it's probably the right choice for the environment since overall cost is lower.

Based on your current wear rates, you should at least be able to stretch those rears (placed on the front) safely until November or whenever the rains come. Keep an eye on them and replace them when safety dictates you should.

Also get your alignment (rear toe) checked right away! Toe is angling of the tires inwards (or outwards), so that they are continuously scrubbing against the pavement as they roll (they are not pointed exactly in the direction of travel).

 

[ngogas]

Looks a about right. I’m close to 10k and the rear is getting there.

 

[Snow Drift]

My MXM4 have 4,241 miles (I swap them off in winter and they should have been rotated). 47 PSI. I almost never use the brakes besides a complete stop, only regen.

Brand new they are 8/32nd (per TR), and today they are basically still 8/32nd.

LF 8/32

RR 8/32

 

[AlanSubie4Life]

The excess toe and scrubbing could also be hurting your efficiency - it may not be only your heavy foot. You should baseline a common drive you do before and after alignment if you're curious about the effect.

But, still, definitely avoid using regen and braking. That will help your tire wear.

 

[KenC]

Thanks for putting up the pics. Still doesn't seem to explain why the rears wore out so much faster than the fronts.

Having said that, without tread measurements, Rear 1 looks even, but a tiny fraction more worn in the middle, maybe pressures high. Rear 2 also looks fairly even, but a hint of feathering on the outer edge. Front 1, maybe it's the shadow, but it seems to have a more worn tread block on the inner shoulder, like 2/32nds lower than the block next to it, needing a toe adjustment. Front 2 looks good and even.

I'd take it to a good tire shop and have them look at the tires and tell you what they think. Put it up on the alignment jig and have it measured to see if the toe/camber/caster specs look right.

Do you have to accelerate hard to get onto the freeways? Do the valets race your Model 3 when you're not looking?

 

[Jedi2155]

Definitely sounds like a Toe-In/Out issue. Might even be a warranty issue if it turns out to be an alignment issue.

I'm At 16,400 miles and still have at least one tire on the original set lol...
Reported my tire life here

 

[SoundBySully]

Definitely sounds like a Toe-In/Out issue. Might even be a warranty issue if it turns out to be an alignment issue.

I'm At 16,400 miles and still have at least one tire on the original set lol...
Reported my tire life here

Toe out of spec on a 2019 car with 4200 miles! Awesome Tesla! Just awesome

The excess toe and scrubbing could also be hurting your efficiency - it may not be only your heavy foot. You should baseline a common drive you do before and after alignment if you're curious about the effect.

But, still, definitely avoid using regen and braking. That will help your tire wear.

So dont ever stop? and dont used the car how it was designed?

Thanks for putting up the pics. Still doesn't seem to explain why the rears wore out so much faster than the fronts.

Having said that, without tread measurements, Rear 1 looks even, but a tiny fraction more worn in the middle, maybe pressures high. Rear 2 also looks fairly even, but a hint of feathering on the outer edge. Front 1, maybe it's the shadow, but it seems to have a more worn tread block on the inner shoulder, like 2/32nds lower than the block next to it, needing a toe adjustment. Front 2 looks good and even.

I'd take it to a good tire shop and have them look at the tires and tell you what they think. Put it up on the alignment jig and have it measured to see if the toe/camber/caster specs look right.

Do you have to accelerate hard to get onto the freeways? Do the valets race your Model 3 when you're not looking?

all 4 tire pressures were at 45 warm every day, never over or under inflated. I will never claim i have never drove the car hard when it comes to accelerating, but getting a 1/10th of the rated miles out of the rear tires is pathetic, especially since the traction control is so good, ive never heard or felt the tires breaking loose. Plus its been hot in LA since i've owned the car, always good traction, no spinning/slipping of any tires. I really think its because the torque is so instant from a dead stop, instead of a gradual build like an ICE car its just tearing the tires apart, what i dont understand is why did i buy a Dual Motor car to have the rear motor do all the work?

 

[AlanSubie4Life]

So dont ever stop? and dont used the car how it was designed?

Car will coast to a stop. That’s the idea, to minimize tire wear. Also maximizes efficiency.

 

[mswlogo]

Toe out of spec on a 2019 car with 4200 miles! Awesome Tesla! Just awesome



So dont ever stop? and dont used the car how it was designed?



all 4 tire pressures were at 45 warm every day, never over or under inflated. I will never claim i have never drove the car hard when it comes to accelerating, but getting a 1/10th of the rated miles out of the rear tires is pathetic, especially since the traction control is so good, ive never heard or felt the tires breaking loose. Plus its been hot in LA since i've owned the car, always good traction, no spinning/slipping of any tires. I really think its because the torque is so instant from a dead stop, instead of a gradual build like an ICE car its just tearing the tires apart, what i dont understand is why did i buy a Dual Motor car to have the rear motor do all the work?

The Model 3 AWD is very RWD biased. Look up Videos on YouTube. These test videos are in the case of gentle acceleration in slippery conditions though. What has not been shown is how RWD biased is it under hard acceleration (in grippy conditions). To get the 0-60 times AWD gets I can’t imagine it can be very RWD biased under hard starts on dry pavement. I believe the RWD bias is for efficiency because the rear motor is more efficient and only one motor is normally needed.

Everyone’s “gauge” of what they think is driving the car “hard” is different. Folks at the track can burn up a set of street tires in a day. That goes for any spirited vehicle.

Like you said driving fast can raise your wh/mi to where it is, without driving it hard or eating up tires.

It sounds like you need to get some checking done (alignment check). At a regular shop or Tesla SC.

I think the suggestions of braking “less” is crazy. Especially where the bulk of braking is in the Front. Your not complaining about efficiency, your complaining about abnormal tire wear (in the rear). Not sure how RWD biased regen is.

I’ve heard many stories about folks burning up tires on Teslas and the reason why I keep my car in chill 99% of the time. There is zero reason to jack rabbit every start or entrance to highway. It is plenty fast even in chill.

 

[CyberShy]

OP appears to be running his tires a bit under inflated. 2-3 psi more should help along with a lighter foot.

You won’t likely get another 4200 if you don’t rotate them now.

 

[mswlogo]

OP appears to be running his tires a bit under inflated. 2-3 psi more should help along with a lighter foot.

You won’t likely get another 4200 if you don’t rotate them now.

His tire pressure is fine. Door tag on AWD Aero’s is 42 psi cold.

Even if he was 2-3 lbs low it would not cause that kind of wear.

At the rate he is using up rubber he’d have to rotate every 1000 miles for “even wear” between front and rear. Which is ridiculous.

 

[tomas]

Toe out of spec on a 2019 car with 4200 miles! Awesome Tesla! Just awesome



So dont ever stop? and dont used the car how it was designed?



all 4 tire pressures were at 45 warm every day, never over or under inflated. I will never claim i have never drove the car hard when it comes to accelerating, but getting a 1/10th of the rated miles out of the rear tires is pathetic, especially since the traction control is so good, ive never heard or felt the tires breaking loose. Plus its been hot in LA since i've owned the car, always good traction, no spinning/slipping of any tires. I really think its because the torque is so instant from a dead stop, instead of a gradual build like an ICE car its just tearing the tires apart, what i dont understand is why did i buy a Dual Motor car to have the rear motor do all the work?

Was wondering why you posted here. For help/input or to howl at the moon and slam Tesla. True colors now. Take the input you got here and have Tesla run alignment test. Insist on getting alignment report. Post that. Until then this is just more noise.

 

[Mrcarcrazy]

Background: I used to align cars back in college.

For those irritated at Tesla about toe possibly being out of spec on a new car, this isn’t all that rare on new cars. Many Chevy pickups and suburbans of the early 2000’s were out of proper spec from the factory. Demolished the front tires in short order.

Dodge pickups of same era had suspension parts (ball joints usually) failing at less than 10k miles left and right. Causing all sorts of issues.

OP, I’d have the alignment checked at an outside alignment shop, (given my history I prefer the small locally owned shops over chains). It’s fairly cheap and you’ll know where the alignment is and can rule in/out that as your cause.

My brother is experiencing the same issue on his wife’s new Toyota minivan...and it’s FWD. Burning through rear tires at 10k miles.

 

[tomas]

Background: I used to align cars back in college.

For those irritated at Tesla about toe possibly being out of spec on a new car, this isn’t all that rare on new cars. Many Chevy pickups and suburbans of the early 2000’s were out of proper spec from the factory. Demolished the front tires in short order.

Dodge pickups of same era had suspension parts (ball joints usually) failing at less than 10k miles left and right. Causing all sorts of issues.

OP, I’d have the alignment checked at an outside alignment shop, (given my history I prefer the small locally owned shops over chains). It’s fairly cheap and you’ll know where the alignment is and can rule in/out that as your cause.

My brother is experiencing the same issue on his wife’s new Toyota minivan...and it’s FWD. Burning through rear tires at 10k miles.

Agree, not uncommon. Also not uncommon is alignment getting knocked out by an event, and events don’t know mileage . Why not have it checked for free at Tesla first?

 

[KenC]

So, I just had my alignment adjusted, the front toe was way out of spec, 6000 miles, LR-AWD. I had just rotated my tires, and lo and behold, the fronts showed strong feathering on the inner tread block. Otherwise the wear was quite even.

Since I live over 3hrs from a SC, and I don't want a mobile ranger to do an in-field alignment I just took it to my local tire shop and had it put up on their jig and the tech and I did the alignment together, since it was his first Model 3. Yeah, it cost me $90. I sent the info in to Tesla service's email, and haven't heard back from them.

It'd be nice if they comp'd me, but I don't expect them to. Paying the $90 now, is far better than having to schedule an appt with Tesla and drive it over 3hrs away to get it done by Tesla, and maybe get new fronts after alot of whining. Some people may do it, but it's not my cup of tea. Maybe it's because I don't particularly care for the OEM tires to begin with, and had been planning to replace them when Winter came around. I almost didn't rotate them since I was going to take them off soon, but definitely get your alignment checked, since you won't want to ruin your next set of tires.

My left front Toe: 0.85deg
Right front Toe: -1.15deg
Spec: -0.2 to 0.1deg

As you can see, toe is way out of spec on both front tires. Everything else was good.

 

[chinnam3]

42 psi cold for 18” AWD is correct. Apparently for 18” RWD it’s 45 psi.

My summer time wh/mi is 230 with 42 psi, AWD on 19” OEM wheels, not OEM tires. I cruise at 65 mph.

If I ran 45 psi, my wh/mi would probably drop to 210 wh/mi. I had 18” come with the car and the car felt like riding on basket balls at 45 psi.

LR RWD is also same 42 PSI cold, atleast after 16k VIN.

But I run at 39 Cold to keep it little quieter and for comfortable ride.

 

[mswlogo]

LR RWD is also same 42 PSI cold, atleast after 16k VIN.

But I run at 39 Cold to keep it little quieter and for comfortable ride.

I had though all Model 3 were now 42 psi, but apparently there are still folks with recent builds showing 45 psi.

But we agree, 39 to 45 (or even 47) is more a matter personal preference and not a cause for burning out rears in 4400 miles.
I think, as you go more towards the lower profile tires that range might be a little narrower.

Also how much delta you have in tire temp from garage to hot weather highway varies for some folks.
I run 42 psi on OEM 19" and they can climb up to about 47 psi. I personally don't like seeing them start to approach 50 psi.

I'm sticking with 42 psi as a compromise between efficiency and ride.
Normally ICE cars of this weight would probably run these tires closer to 38 psi these days. But Tesla pushes it for efficiency sake.

 

[FastGTR]

Does Tesla service center not perform a PDI before delivery that involves alignment, pressures, etc.? Every $45k+ car I have every bough this was pretty standard. Concerning, might have to ask them for this as a condition of my future purchase.

 

[mswlogo]

Does Tesla service center not perform a PDI before delivery that involves alignment, pressures, etc.? Every $45k+ car I have every bough this was pretty standard. Concerning, might have to ask them for this as a condition of my future purchase.

Not for me. Nor has any vehicle I've bought in 40 years ever had a factory alignment issue.

 

[AlanSubie4Life]

I think the suggestions of braking “less” is crazy. Especially where the bulk of braking is in the Front. You're not complaining about efficiency, you're complaining about abnormal tire wear (in the rear). Not sure how RWD biased regen is.

To be clear, the OP pretty clearly has an alignment problem, that should be checked as the first order of business. But as a general rule for efficiency and tire wear, roaring away from every stop and doing full regen to every traffic light is not a great recipe for good efficiency and low wear. There is likely significant regen from both front and rear when doing it - it's not like the regen in the RWD vehicles is weak.

The OPs efficiency is also pretty poor, as you've mentioned. That's probably partially due to alignment but mostly due to driving style.