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Plaid 21” rear tire woes - factory defect?
- Thread starter KOL2000
- Start date
Well you can add me to the list.
I noticed the vehicle was starting to act differently and then the TPMS went off. Took it to the shop and to our surprise, we found the driver side rear tire was showing metal.
Absolute garbage. Luckily the tire shop had new tires and they gave me a prorated credit for the originals towards the new ones and were sending these back to Michelin
I noticed the vehicle was starting to act differently and then the TPMS went off. Took it to the shop and to our surprise, we found the driver side rear tire was showing metal.
Absolute garbage. Luckily the tire shop had new tires and they gave me a prorated credit for the originals towards the new ones and were sending these back to Michelin
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Nope, that’s been SOP since at least 2013.
Plus it seems like Plaid rear tires are only available for Fremont? None appear to be available for service AFAIK.
FWIW, my T2 that replaced a leaking T1 at 11k miles started leaking itself at 4k miles. I had Tesla do a $350 alignment just prior to when the T2 tire started leaking air. Of course, their alignment printer was broken so the only feedback I got was yes, they had to make adjustments. So I don't know how much my alignment played into this but the T2 doesn't seem to be any better than the T1.
I ordered a tire from Wal Mart and a tire from Tire Rack. Just waiting to see which one will come first. Wal Mart says October 7. Tire rack is November 10. I wonder if that bluetooth chip in the tire is what is causing the delays in production. I also did a complaint with the NHTSA since I got Michelin on the phone and they were basically clueless. Thanks.
Had the same surprise recently when I started loosing air. I didn’t even notice the wear on the inside until I took the car to the shop to have the tire looked at. Still had plenty of thread on the tire otherwise. For sure a factory defect. Are both of your rear tires worn the same or one more than the other? For me was the rear right side.Perfectly good tires. So sad that they wear like this
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WilliamG
Hinge Fanatic
It’s a miracle it didn’t explode on the highway at highway speeds. I had 12k mikes on them.
Fellas i’m starting to think that the tires are the real issue. This could well be aggravated by the camber when the setting is automatically set to LOW, however, check the pics of BRAND NEW set of T1’s
The outer edge has such a thin “skin” that it will definitely wear itself out in little time.
I’ve inserted my finger from the inside and one outaide to test the depth, and it seems slim as hell. Check the pics.
You can even see the outline that was originally mistaken as a “rub” but it’s still showing there
The outer edge has such a thin “skin” that it will definitely wear itself out in little time.
I’ve inserted my finger from the inside and one outaide to test the depth, and it seems slim as hell. Check the pics.
You can even see the outline that was originally mistaken as a “rub” but it’s still showing there
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Michelin knows the vehicles these tires are going on including the weight and the horsepower. I would rather have thicker rubber on the inside of my tire instead of the foam or Bluetooth chip.
I have 9,600 miles on my 2022 Tesla Model S Plaid, and I started losing air pressure in the rear tires. I checked the tires and they looked worn, but no real issues. And then I put my hand all the way to the inner edge, and got cut on the cords sticking out. I am amazed I didn't have a blow out! I have never seen tire wear like this. The wear is on both rear tires, and there is nothing coming into contact with them.
Yes, the car is lower than stock with the N2itive lowering links (only about 3/4 inch below stock), but the tire wear is fairly even across the tread with the exception of the inner shoulder. I am glad I found this thread, as this has to be a manufacturing defect. Too much camber would wear the entire inner portion of the tread, not just the very inner edge. Hopefully there is a resolution to this issue soon, as I will need to buy new tires next summer.
Are there any good alternatives to the Pilot Sport 4S for the 21" wheel?
Yes, the car is lower than stock with the N2itive lowering links (only about 3/4 inch below stock), but the tire wear is fairly even across the tread with the exception of the inner shoulder. I am glad I found this thread, as this has to be a manufacturing defect. Too much camber would wear the entire inner portion of the tread, not just the very inner edge. Hopefully there is a resolution to this issue soon, as I will need to buy new tires next summer.
Are there any good alternatives to the Pilot Sport 4S for the 21" wheel?
Daniel454
Member
Not really, at least not that anyone has tried for enough miles to be certain. A few options though.
1. Pick up the 19" Wheels & Tires off eBay or FB marketplace (I know, not a great deal but buys time for the rest of this list to expand / mature...)
2. Get the same model but in a slightly wider 305/30/21. They are more readily available and the two I have seen who went with them claim the issue isn't happening on those BUT its still early.
3. Get the Falken Azenis. Again, a lot like #2, those who have had them have not reported premature failure but I haven't seen anyone with appreciable mileage confirm they held up long term. Also, report is, these are very loud compared to the original Michelins.
4. Get the Pirelli PZ4 Tire - They now make them with the noise reduction foam in our tire size. Down side is, you would probably want to get fronts too unless you want to run Michelin front and Pirelli rear and though they make them in our size for the front, they have a higher load rating as they were originally speced for the Lucid Air so will be heavier and may ride rougher.
5. Michelin is working on a new EV specific version of the Pilot Sport tires. They have announced they will be available in our sizes but not seeing any stock anywhere yet.... https://www.michelinman.com/auto/tires/michelin-pilot-sport-ev
6. Go back with the original Pilot Sport T2s but get new alignment hardware from one of the after market companies and dial out as much camber as you can. I agree, this isn't really a camber issue, however, a lot like the 19" option above, dialing out all you can will buy a little more time until maybe a better tire option exists....
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Hayseed_MS
Spreader of "Endless Non Sequitur"
I am thinking about going number 2 - anyone have good/bad experience with the 305's?
305s are what Tesla should have used from the start. I'm sure there was a reason they went with 295, and I'd love to hear what it was but I doubt that it was a good reason. 295 ends up with a tire that is a little shorter in the back than the front while 305 is almost a perfect match. Generally with AWD cars you want to keep the height as close as possible between front and back. I'm sure Tesla can correct in software but why create a mismatch when it's unnecessary? For reference, the 19" Cardenio wheels have a perfectly matched height.
I went with 305/35/20 for the rears on my replacement wheels. Some have even used 315s but that does require changing the offset to move the wheels more to the outside of the car since clearance is a little tight on the 21" Arachnids.
I think the main benefit of moving to the 305s though is that it only comes in the non-acoustic foam version of the tire. Michelin advertises the foam version of the 295/30/21s to be 28.9 lbs while the non-foam version is advertised at 30.0 lbs. The foam doesn't have negative weight so Michelin had to remove rubber from somewhere...
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