Worn out rear tires at 13000 miles?

[timk225]

My 3 RWD LR hit 13000 miles today, and while I was at the Tesla Service Center getting the left side headlight changed, they said my tires were 5/32 for the fronts and 1/32 for the rears. Those numbers are a bit low, for the scare-the-customer-into-buying-now effect. They didn't know who they were talking to, or my extreme amount of auto repair experience on my own cars for 25+ years. The fronts have good tread, but the rears are smooth with the tops of the wear bars in the treads.

In the old 1970's Chrysler cars I drove for many many years, tires weren't "worn out" until I could see the second layer of steel belts. Back in those days, paying for a set of 4 new tires was something that could only happen at tax refund time! But I won't do that in my Tesla.

My driving is a mix of highway and stop-n-go city, and it was claimed that the forces of the regen helps wear the tires out, but even so, 13000 miles and the rears are beat? I'll need a good set of 235-45-18 winter tires for the rear, but I'm not putting them on until December, no sense wearing down their treads until they are needed.

I'm sure my frequent 0-60, 0-80, and sometimes 0-100 runs aren't helping the rear tire life either.

 

[ebmcs03]

Wow! That’s low!

 

[C141medic]

Shouldn’t you be able to get these replaced under warranty?
https://m.tirerack.com/tires/Warran...odel+3&autoModClar=Dual+Motor+All-Wheel+Drive

 

[chronopc]

My 3 RWD LR hit 13000 miles today, and while I was at the Tesla Service Center getting the left side headlight changed, they said my tires were 5/32 for the fronts and 1/32 for the rears. Those numbers are a bit low, for the scare-the-customer-into-buying-now effect. They didn't know who they were talking to, or my extreme amount of auto repair experience on my own cars for 25+ years. The fronts have good tread, but the rears are smooth with the tops of the wear bars in the treads.

In the old 1970's Chrysler cars I drove for many many years, tires weren't "worn out" until I could see the second layer of steel belts. Back in those days, paying for a set of 4 new tires was something that could only happen at tax refund time! But I won't do that in my Tesla.

My driving is a mix of highway and stop-n-go city, and it was claimed that the forces of the regen helps wear the tires out, but even so, 13000 miles and the rears are beat? I'll need a good set of 235-45-18 winter tires for the rear, but I'm not putting them on until December, no sense wearing down their treads until they are needed.

I'm sure my frequent 0-60, 0-80, and sometimes 0-100 runs aren't helping the rear tire life either.

Did you rotate your tires ever 6,000 miles?

 

[ebmcs03]

Shouldn’t you be able to get these replaced under warranty?
https://m.tirerack.com/tires/Warran...odel+3&autoModClar=Dual+Motor+All-Wheel+Drive

So does that mean I can buy new tires go do some donuts and then get them replaced under warranty?

 

[ngogas]

Lol. Donuts and warranty. Everyone wants everything done under warranty. Haha

 

[EVSteve]

The regen argument for increased wear is just silly. Regen is just braking done by a different method. All cars have brakes.

 

[Shoal007]

I have 6800 miles on my LR m3 red and am at wear bars in the rear too... Will be switching to pilot sports in the summer and xice in the winter and hoping for better wear.

 

[ngogas]

Oem crappy tires?!

 

[Shoal007]

If you call primacy mx tires crappy at $276 a piece...

 

[cwerdna]

Shouldn’t you be able to get these replaced under warranty?
https://m.tirerack.com/tires/Warran...odel+3&autoModClar=Dual+Motor+All-Wheel+Drive

I've never heard of OEM tires having any sort of mileage warranty. It's likely part of the contract to get the tires cheaper.

From my '13 Leaf warranty booklet in the tire section in the Bridgestone Firestone tire warranty section it says "Rapid tread wear or wear-out. Original equipment tires have no mileage warranty."

https://www.tesla.com/sites/default/files/downloads/Model_3_New_Vehicle_Limited_Warranty_NA_en.pdf doesn't really address it other than saying

Certain individual items associated with the vehicle, including, but not limited to: the tires,
Mobile Connector, Wall Connector, any future connectors, and any related charging adapters,
which have separate warranties subject to their own terms and conditions

 

[banned-66611]

Speaking of the Leaf, some had abnormally high tyre wear on the rears due to misalignment. Maybe something similar here?

 

[timk225]

Did you rotate your tires ever 6,000 miles?

Never rotated the tires, that's why the fronts are still good. The Model 3 has its traction control, so it has not done any burnouts ever. It seems the electric motor just torques the tread off the tires.

My wife has a Hyundai, and her tires were shot at less than 20,000 miles, and she never beat on it at all. It doesn't even have enough power to stress its tires.

What the hell good are all these claims of 50,000+ mile tread life if the tires don't even last a third of that? Those claims should have an asterisk footnote saying that is only if you drive like a little old lady and never go over 35 mph and only drive in the rain so the water helps lubricate the tire treads.

 

[C141medic]

I've never heard of OEM tires having any sort of mileage warranty. It's likely part of the contract to get the tires cheaper.

From my '13 Leaf warranty booklet in the tire section in the Bridgestone Firestone tire warranty section it says "Rapid tread wear or wear-out. Original equipment tires have no mileage warranty."

https://www.tesla.com/sites/default/files/downloads/Model_3_New_Vehicle_Limited_Warranty_NA_en.pdf doesn't really address it other than saying

Exactly. The tires are not warrantied by Tesla. However, they should be warrantied by the manufacturer of the tire which is Michelin. All new vehicles I’ve purchased in the past have come with tire warranties which are warrantied by the tire manufacturer.

 

[C141medic]

So does that mean I can buy new tires go do some donuts and then get them replaced under warranty?

Yeah, good luck with that.

 

[ecarfan]

Never rotated the tires, that's why the fronts are still good.

When tires are equal size front and rear, my understanding is that tire rotation is recommended. I am unclear as to why you did not rotate.

That said, I am surprised that your rear tires are down to the wear bars at 13,000 miles. I would continue to press Tesla for free replacements.

What the hell good are all these claims of 50,000+ mile tread life

Are you saying that is what Michelin claims the tire life is?

 

[SigNC]

The regen argument for increased wear is just silly. Regen is just braking done by a different method. All cars have brakes.

It will cause increase wear on a RWD car. On a normal RWD car the rear wheels do all of the driving of the car but the front ones do most of the stopping. In a RWD elecrtic car the rears do all of the driving and most of the stopping. It shouldn't cause greater overall wear total but it does mean you need to be diligent about tire rotation.

 

[EVSteve]

It will cause increase wear on a RWD car. On a normal RWD car the rear wheels do all of the driving of the car but the front ones do most of the stopping. In a RWD elecrtic car the rears do all of the driving and most of the stopping. It shouldn't cause greater overall wear total but it does mean you need to be diligent about tire rotation.

Yes but the fronts do all of the turning and during friction braking most of the force is to the front. Point is that with only 13,000 miles the difference shouldn’t be to that severity merely due to rwd regenerative braking.

My previous vehicle a Chevrolet Volt was front wheel drive, brake bias forward and still wore tires fairly evenly vs the rear tires. Removing the turning requirements should make the difference even less.

 

[Tomski]

Also noticing heavy wear in the rear. Uniform but heavy. Not really pushing the car hard so am surprised. Interested if anyone talks to Tesla on the outcome.

 

[SigNC]

Yes but the fronts do all of the turning and during friction braking most of the force is to the front. Point is that with only 13,000 miles the difference shouldn’t be to that severity merely due to rwd regenerative braking.

My previous vehicle a Chevrolet Volt was front wheel drive, brake bias forward and still wore tires fairly evenly vs the rear tires. Removing the turning requirements should make the difference even less.

I'm not sure how most people drive but I very rarely touch the friction brakes above 5mph.