Took delivery in Oregon in November and didn’t pay attention to tires. Turns out they are summer tires and cannot be driven on in temperatures 40F or less. Dangerous and warranty void if you do. Something about the rubber cracking. So basically the car cannot be used in winter. 20” all season should have been on car. $2000 to replace. I’ve saw somewhere that in the rush to get the 3’s out Tesla shipped sunbelt cars north. Anyone else dealt with this?
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Tires on New D3P
- Thread starter NormanSF
- Start date
Everyone who bought a model 3 performance with performance pack dealt with that. The performance pack cars come with summer tires (very very good ones, probably the best street performance tires available).
There are no 20 inch factory all seasons from tesla. Also, if you drive on snow with those tires, not only is there a chance of rubber cracking, there is the very very real likelyhood that you wont be able to stop... because they are summer tires.
I think that you are being a little extreme in your interpretation of the numbers. They are regularly used in cold temperatures.
I think OP is correct on the temperature, actually.....
https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Michelin&tireModel=Pilot+Sport+4S
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Note: Tires exposed to temperatures of 20 degrees F (-7 degrees C) or lower must be permitted to gradually return to temperatures of at least 40 degrees F (5 degrees C) for at least 24 hours before they are flexed in any manner, such as by adjusting inflation pressures, mounting them on wheels or using them to support, roll or drive a vehicle.
Flexing of the specialized rubber compounds used in Max Performance Summer tires during cold-weather use can result in irreversible compound cracking. Compound cracking is not a warrantable condition because it occurs as the result of improper use or storage, tires exhibiting compound cracking must be replaced.
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With that being said, if anyone is buying a performance car where they get real weather, they should know they have to look at what tires come with it. I never check whether the cars I am buying have summer tires or not, because I only get cold rain during the winter, not snow, and I never drive anywhere there is snow.
This is 100% on this OP for living someplace that gets snow and somehow expecting the manufacturer to automatically fit different tires on a car sold there than they put on the cars sold elsewhere (or not knowing what tires come with the 65k car they bought).
puppers
Member
It’s common for performance cars to come with summer tires. Plan appropriately, get new tires/wheels for winter.
EnigmaEV
Member
I'm expecting delivery of a M3P+ in the next couple weeks. Last week the temperatures dropped as low as -28C (-18F) and will continue to fluctuate to that range and colder until February or March. I read the same statement above from Tire Rack and already have a set of winter wheels and tires ready for when the car arrives, however, if the tires truly cannot be "flexed in any manner" below -7C, the cars should not be shipping to winter climates with these tires mounted. Flexing in the cold cannot be avoided while on the transport trailer, unloading, and getting the car to the tire shop for the swap.
I contacted Michelin directly through chat and by phone to ask about the issue. Both reps I talked to reiterated summer tires should not be used in the winter - they were more concerned about traction than damaging rubber compound - but if that is what the manufacturer is shipping the cars with, they "should be fine". Neither rep could find any information about the warranty being void if used in cold weather and the warranty documentation on the Michelin website is very basic and does not address this issue. It's not the definitive answer I was looking for from the tire manufacturer, but I have also not been able to find any information provided by Michelin to verify the Tire Rack statement.
The ideal situation would be you bring the winter tires to the delivery center, accept delivery of the car, and then have Tesla swap the tires out before you leave. You will have to ask them if they are willing to do this since their service centers are always backlogged. But it’s not your fault that the car is being delivered with tires not suitable for the current weather conditions, so hopefully they will work with you.
These are phenomenal tires (for performance) and are commonly the go to tire for One Lap of America. Having said that, they are not all season tires and even if they didn't have issues with very cold temps, you should still swap out for a winter all season/snow tire if you live in areas that commonly freeze. This is just normal stuff with performance cars (like BMW or whatever) and is not an issue particular to Tesla. In Michigan where I grew up, we commonly either parked those cars or put snow tires on them. Welcome to driving a performance car in the north.
I disagree with any posts regarding putting all season tires on this car from the showroom. It entirely defeats the purpose of spring upgrade/lowering, brake upgrade and power upgrade. BMW or whomever does not do this for M3's, etc.
You just need to buy another cheap set of wheels/tires, and keep a set of chains in the trunk just in case as well. Probably need to go an inch down in wheel size as well, I think it will still clear the calipers but shop around to confirm.
I disagree with any posts regarding putting all season tires on this car from the showroom. It entirely defeats the purpose of spring upgrade/lowering, brake upgrade and power upgrade. BMW or whomever does not do this for M3's, etc.
You just need to buy another cheap set of wheels/tires, and keep a set of chains in the trunk just in case as well. Probably need to go an inch down in wheel size as well, I think it will still clear the calipers but shop around to confirm.
Ok, thanks for the advice. I haven’t received a text or call to schedule delivery but when I do I’ll ask about swapping the wheels/tires out during delivery.
Yeah I planned on getting a M3 but since winter was coming and the Stealth comes with all seasons, I chose to wait. People need to know what they hell they are buying before buying.
No, around those temp are where summer tires perform significantly worse than other types.
Just because people use them in cold temperatures, doesn't mean they should.
In some places, it's actually illegal.
jkoya
NA2 NSX
Here is a summary from Continental about the dangers of using summer tires in the winter in colder climates:
Why you shouldn’t use summer tires during winter | Continental tires
Why you shouldn’t use summer tires during winter | Continental tires
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