Tire damage on leased car - what to do?

[tmarcc]

My recently leased MS P90DL is at the service center, when I was notified that they recommend that the front tires be replaced due to sidewall damage. Pics of the damage are attached. What are my options? Incidentally, I was one of the folks that leased a pre-refresh showroom MS during the fall of last year. That's why it had 5700 miles when I picked it up.

Specifically, service wrote:

"The front left tire has a bubble in the sidewall and a small gash as well. The front right tire has a large gash in the sidewall. Due to the possibly compromised integrity of the sidewalls of these tires, the technician does recommend replacing both at this time. The tires are Michelin Pilot Sports and are $486 each, so $972 for both."

I'd love some advice from fellow TMCers.

1. Should the tires be replaced? I'm guessing yes - the bubble is particularly concerning.
2. The tire cuts are commensurate with rim rash and not surprising. The bubble was surprising to me though (see photos C and D). I don't recall hitting major potholes. Could I successfully argue that it's a tire defect? I didn't see bruising or cuts on tire around the bubble itself. The car had 5700 miles when I leased it, and now it has 10,000 miles.
3. Should I go to a third party like Costco to replace the tires? I'm guessing that Tesla doesn't match Costo's tire warranty.
4. Would having my tires replaced by Costco violate my lease terms or affect the vehicle warranty during the term of the 2 year lease?

Thanks all...

 

[Max*]

1. Bubbles happen on any car, best to get it replaced.

2. Most manufacturer warranties don't cover bubbles on the sidewall, trust me, I tried Some have defect warranties, but that generally only applies to the parts you drive on.

3. Check prices on tire rack, and see how they compare to Tesla. Ask Tesla to price match, couldn't hurt.
Looks like the OE Michelin tires are about $278+$15 shipping = $293.

Does the $486 include installation? Even then ~$200 for install seems a bit outrageous.

4. I have no idea about lease terms. But no, it doesn't void the warranty.

 

[ElectricTundra]

A couple of things to think about; do you want some kid at Costco driving your car?, how well will they balance the tires?

On balancing, there's a huge difference in ride quality and tire longevity between a knowledgable person using a Hunter 9500 and anyone using a lessor machine.

 

[virtualsmack]

your lease agreement will tell you which tires you should replace with but I haven't seen a lease agreement that cares who does the work, just so long as it's done properly.

on my 550i, I was required to replace with exact same tires. on my prius, they did not care which ones as long as they had good tread life.

 

[CLLACAB]

Go for Tirerack and have the tires delivered to a local shop. Look on the Tirerack site for local installers and ask them if they have the Hunter Roadforce system for balancing tires. It's about the best one out there.

 

[tmarcc]

Thanks for all the input folks. I took this guidance and engaged in back and forth calls/emails with the SC. I indicated that I had read on reddit that 1) Tesla will price match on tires, and 2) sent a screenshot of the Costco price of USD $260.99 for the Michelin - Pilot Sport PS2 245/35ZR21 (it was slightly less than TireTack today).

Their service advisor put me in touch with the manager, who indicated that he was sure the bubble was caused by a pothole. He agreed to price match Costco for the tire - even though he indicated that Tesla doesn't price match tires anymore. They couldn't price match the installation ($50 vs Costco's $15). I went ahead and asked them to do the tire replacement. Granted, I don't get the Costco warranty and I pay more for installation, but at least it's less hassle, and presumably the tires will be balanced, etc. The total price for the tires will be $668.00 vs. the $972 they originally quoted me.

Incidentally, I looked at the lease agreement and didn't see much about the tires. The only clause I found was the following:

25. Excess Wear. The charge for excess wear will be our estimated or actual cost of repairing wear beyond that reasonably expected with ordinary, everyday use and maintenance according to this lease. It includes: (i) parts, accessories and vehicle specifications present in or on the vehicle or provided at delivery being incomplete, modified or replaced with items of inferior quality or design; (ii) any tire with less than 1/8 inch of tread or not part of a matching set of four; (iii) dents, scratches, gouges or cracks in the vehicle’s external parts or glass; (iv) torn or burned interior parts or upholstery; (v) inoperative mechanical or electrical components; and (vi) any damage or neglect resulting from your failure to follow any maintenance schedules or recall advisories we or our affiliate may notify you of.

The "matching set of four" requirement is interesting, considering that my particular MS P90DL came with different front and rear tire sizes. I guess they still consider that matching.

 

[brkaus]

Sounds like the right choice!

 

[TexLaw]

I'd say you did right. Bad luck on the tire damage, but it happens. If something goes wrong with the installation, you shut Tesla's mouth for $35.

 

[Gizmotoy]

The "matching set of four" requirement is interesting, considering that my particular MS P90DL came with different front and rear tire sizes. I guess they still consider that matching.

They do. They mainly mean Brand/Model, and not necessarily size (assuming the car uses two different sizes). They're mainly trying to protect their resale: if you turn the lease in, they have to sell the car. Mismatched tires are a major red flag for buyers. It means the tires have been replaced (why?) and that the owner probably put whatever was cheapest on there. They can also be dangerous in winter climates if the two tires perform differently in snowy conditions. So you end up with a mandate on matching tires.

 

[CHG-ON]

I have been very happy with Hankook Ventus V12's. They are half the price and last maybe 10% more. The Michi's are great. But I don't think the difference in performance, which is minimal for my mountain sport driving, is worth the price. I can get 4 installed, 21 staggered for 1,158. Just did on Monday. They price matched Tire Rack and spin balanced on a Hunter, as I had some vibration over 80 with my last set. Smooth as silk now. Did a fantastic job. WheelWorks.