Michelin tires wore out rapidly

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I have Michelin defenders on a 2003 Volkswagon Jetta. P195/65/R15. I purchased them 28 months ago, at 178k miles. The car now has 218k miles, and the tires are well below 2/32". They have completely worn out in about 40k miles, short of the 90k warranty. I had them done at sears, and have not noticed any issues over the 2 years I've had them.

Does anyone know what could cause this? Aren't defenders some of the best tires out there? I paid [censored] near $800 for them 2 years ago!

I can get them replaced under warranty for about 55% off, but am kind of afraid to touch another Michelin tire again...

Any thoughts/advice?
 
Have you had your alignment checked recently? If tires are wearing out that fast the problem might not be the rubber itself.
 
No, I have not. It was done just over 2 years ago with the new tires though, and I haven't hit anything so I'd be surprised if it went out that badly that quickly.
 
Are you saying the tread thickness is somehow guaranteed to last 90k miles? Where did you see that stated?
 
How good are your shocks/struts? Are your steering parts tight? Also, what is your driving style like?
 
The defenders have 90k warranty. It's on my receipt from sears.

Driving style is smooth.

Shocks and struts are pretty bad, OEM from a 2003 model so...

I have no way of knowing if my steering parts are tight, I assume so.
 
I had a set of Defenders wear down to 5/32" remaining, in 37,500 miles.

Not as bad as the wear that you saw, but I was disappointed in this result as well.
 
I'm still not understanding how a warranty for 90k = tread should last 90k.

Your driving style, the roads you frequently drive on, the amount of weight you carry -- these all impact tread wear.

I can see the warranty covering if the tire had a manufacturing defect that caused it to explode exactly at 89,999 miles, but that's different than routine wear and tear from use. (and they'd warranty just the one tire that exploded)



Seems like if you got 40k out of them, AND Michelin is offering to prorate a new set by half the price then you're about even steven.
 
Get the new tires at 55% off. When the new tires wear out at 40,000 get another 55% off set and repeat.
 
Originally Posted By: Reddy45
I'm still not understanding how a warranty for 90k = tread should last 90k.

Your driving style, the roads you frequently drive on, the amount of weight you carry -- these all impact tread wear.

I can see the warranty covering if the tire had a manufacturing defect that caused it to explode exactly at 89,999 miles, but that's different than routine wear and tear from use. (and they'd warranty just the one tire that exploded)

Seems like if you got 40k out of them, AND Michelin is offering to prorate a new set by half the price then you're about even steven.


Hmm... I thought a tread wear warranty that says the tread should last 90k is the indication that the tread should last 90k on a properly maintained vehicle. Of course worn suspension components, and worn out front end parts could lead to premature wear. The other question would be if the ball joints, tie rods, control arms, wheel bearings etc are in good condition. A good mechanic can check those out. Those would also lead to premature wear. The OP is lucky that Sears is pro-rating them. Usually there's several exceptions where if the tires aren't rotated, they don't honor the warranty. It also excludes improper maintenance. Over/under inflation would also be another factor.

I'm leaning toward blaming the OP as he already admitted that the suspension components were worn.
 
Load rating and tire inflation are also some factors that can affect tread life.
 
Tread warranty =/= tread life.

What's the difference between $800 every 90l miles and $360 every 40k miles? To me it seems like you're still on top.
 
Originally Posted By: toneydoc
Go and get a new set at 55% off and call it your lucky day to get the new rubber under warranty


This

and then get the shocks and struts replaced right away.
However, If you did not have them rotated or the wear is very uneven, you may be denied the warranty coverage. Just a heads up.
 
Did the rears wear faster than the fronts? Those cars have issues with rear toe in which cannot be corrected without shims. I had one of these generation jettas and it ate rear tires until I got the rear end shimmed.
 
90k is optimal life driving down highways majority of life.

I am guessing alignment and worn suspension. Also do you make a lot of sharp turns(city) in your driving?
 
Originally Posted By: llmercll
I have no way of knowing if my steering parts are tight, I assume so.

If you don't know how to tell whether your steering is still tight, you've probably let something wear out in there without knowing.

This, plus the shocks and struts comment, make me think you need to take your car in for a thorough suspension overhaul. My money says it needs at least a bushing or two.

Bad suspension parts can kill tires in a hurry.
 
Is it possible that the Michelins were an OE downstream? I don't see Tire Rack listing them as such, but I do see that Tire Rack breaks the Defenders into 2 different groups - and that the size is OE on at least 2 vehicles.
 
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