Is oem tires different than same model at tire store?

[Sj08]

2023 Honda Cr-v did not have a spare, so bought a factory full size rim and matching tire and do a 5 tire rotation, rather than have a donut spare.

Hankook Kinergy gt 235/60 r 18

Did the first rotation at 5000 miles, currently have 7300. The tire I bought is wearing much faster than the originals. Only has 2300 miles and is down to 7/32 in the center, and 6/32 on the edges. The other 3 tires that have 7300 miles on them have 8/32 in the center, and 7/32 on the edges.

Curious if its common to have the same brand and model tire wear noticeably faster than factory tires? Or did an alignment issue suddenly pop up... The tire I bought that is wearing faster was put on the passenger rear. I check pressure weekly and set it at 2 psi higher than recommended.

Thanks

 

[loneryder]

Name brand factory tires usually wear out faster than the same tire in the aftermarket. Factories spec a lower cost tire.

 

[SHOZ]

Center wear is too high of pressure. Edge wear is too low of pressure. If alignment is OK

 

[hrv]

Name brand factory tires usually wear out faster than the same tire in the aftermarket. Factories spec a lower cost tire.

can you show some proof of that statement....I got over 70000 miles from the OEM Michelins on my Accord...installed the same tire as it came with and got around the same....

 

[ecotourist]

I used to wonder the same thing. But realistically do you think they'd make a lower priced tire that looked identical and had the same specifications as aftermarket tires just for the car factories?

I don't think so. It could be done but going to all that work would cost more than they could possibly save. And to what end?

 

[97prizm]

I used to wonder the same thing. But realistically do you think they'd make a lower priced tire that looked identical and had the same specifications as aftermarket tires just for the car factories?

I don't think so. It could be done but going to all that work would cost more than they could possibly save. And to what end?

I've read many many articles that have stated that oem tires short of stuff thrown on exotics or sports cars in many cases don't last as long. Some oem tires from my understanding are designed to last long at the expense of traction.

 

[Superflan]

I saw everything.

Factory tires on a car (Fiat) were Bridgestone B250 Ecopia, the same B250 Ecopia didn't have the same part number (4 digits) and the same environmental ratings than the factory one, and behaved differently especially when wet

Michelin factory tires which were the same and had the same handling and durability than their store replacement, on a Renault

Motorcycle factory tires which wears generally faster than their replacements, due to reduced initial thread depth.

 

[Blueshound]

Tires are like snowflakes. No two exactly alike.

 

[Vercingetorix]

Major differences sometimes.

Should I Fit OE Tyres - Tyre Reviews and Tests

Michelin and BMW spent over 2.5 years making the perfect tyre for the new G80 BMW M3 and G82 BMW M4. Here's all the work and changes that went into the project!

www.tyrereviews.com

 

[Rmay635703]

Center wear is too high of pressure. Edge wear is too low of pressure. If alignment is OK

In 1990 maybe, every FWD car I’ve encountered in the last 25 years has excessive edge wear even at 50psi when brand new.

That said I’ve gotten 50,000-75,000 miles out of the tires that came OEM on a brand new car.

My experience is that is unusual and that manufacturers generally use special tires to meet fuel economy standards regardless of traction or wear characteristics.

I saw everything.

Factory tires on a car (Fiat) were Bridgestone B250 Ecopia, the same B250 Ecopia didn't have the same part number (4 digits) and the same environmental ratings than the factory one, and behaved differently especially when wet

OEM FIAT tires are generally Eurozone spec which need to meet European fuel economy ratings, seemingly “identical “ brand/model/spec tires found in different parts of the world usually behave completely differently despite similar labeling .

 

[CKN]

I used to wonder the same thing. But realistically do you think they'd make a lower priced tire that looked identical and had the same specifications as aftermarket tires just for the car factories?

I don't think so. It could be done but going to all that work would cost more than they could possibly save. And to what end?

They will name the tires the same for OEM and then have a different tire for retail. Capri Racer (our tire guy on this forum) has posted all about this. Yes they do make thousand of tires for OEM specifications. To what end? To have the vehicle meet mpg claims and to have ride characteristics the manufacturer wants when you buy it new off the lot.

 

[oldhp]

My tire guy told me the factory tires are softer rubber for a better ride and grip. He's been in the tire business for over 40 years. I believe anything he says about tires.

 

[Sj08]

Thanks for the replies.

I took a closer look at the tires and discovered that the factory tires are all stamped made in USA, and the tire I bought says made in Korea. So hopefully its just a softer grade of rubber on that tire and not an alignment issue.

 

[PandaBear]

Factory tires want CAFE efficiency, assuming all else being the same they have to trade off somewhere. Since they need good handling to sell the car they typically trade off in durability. I think CapriceRacer here mentioned it in the past.

Have a friend who worn out OEM Camry tires at 15-20k and the replacement identical lasted 30k, but with less mpg (i.e. like 1-1.5mpg loss).

 

[loneryder]

I had a new Pontiac that came with Goodyear Eagle GTs. At about 20k miles all 4 tires had belts go out of round. I went to a Goodyear company store. They replaced them with the same tires. I questioned them if these tires were going to do the same thing. They explained that auto manufacturers specify different (cheaper) specifications than what the company sells to the public. They replaced them for free.

 

[CapriRacer]

I'm a little late to the party, but here goes:

Yes, the tires that come on new cars from the factory (called OE tires) are different than the tires at the corner tire shop (called replacement or aftermarket tires). Car manufacturers order so many tires, they can dictate the performance of the tires - and they have different goals - mostly fuel economy. And they get that by sacrificing wear resistance and traction, especially wet traction.

But it's even more complex than that!

Every car manufacturer has its own ideas as to what a tire is supposed to do - and even internally there is no consistency. That means that EVERY OE tire is unique, even if they have the same exact name. Worse, there sometimes are multiple tires being supplied in the same make/model/size. The company I worked for supplied 5 different tires that the only way to distinguish then was the SKU.

Now for an exception. The tire supplied to the car manufacturer is usually available at the corner tire shop. but to complicate matters further, there is sometimes a tire BEFORE the OE tire is produced that remains in tire shops, and then after the OE tire ceases production, the specs revert back to replacement market specs.

The OP has found a difference, but I think they haven't found the issue. The tire obtained from the tire shop should be wearing better - not worse! But I don't have an answer.

And lastly, OE tires aren't made cheaply - as in poor performing ingredients. Yes, it's true that car manufacturers don't pay as much as you or I do, but the reason is that they buy 10's of thousands tires, and they want tires in a steady, predicable stream to a location of a regular basis. It's easy to set up an assembly line for those conditions.

Further, it makes no sense to produce different components for the carcass - too much complexity for very little cost savings.

The tread is a different story. Using less of the tread compound helps fuel economy, but it does hurt tread wear. Plus, the tread can be made to consume less energy as it rolls - albeit at the expense of wear and traction.