Why Tire Mileage Warranty is Useless: Have you ever found yourself comparing tires for your vehicle, trying to decide between two options? Imagine Tire A and Tire B: Tire A offers a 70,000-mile warranty, while Tire B only promises 50,000 miles. It’s tempting to lean towards Tire A, right? After all, that extra 20,000 miles of warranty sounds like a better deal. Many of us have faced this scenario and let the longer mileage warranty sway our decision. But, what if I told you that these lengthy mileage warranties might not be as advantageous as they appear? In this article, we’ll explore why the allure of a high mileage warranty on tires could be misleading, and why it might not always be the best criterion for your tire purchase decision.
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History of Tire Mileage Warranty
The exact start of tire mileage warranties in the USA and Canada is a bit of a mystery, as there isn’t a lot of detailed history about it. It seems like these warranties started as a way for tire companies to show customers that their tires would last a long time and be strong. This kind of warranty is especially common in the USA and Canada. This might be because people in these countries often need tires that can handle a lot of miles, due to the way they use their cars and the distances they travel.
Why Tire Mileage Warranty is Useless
When we look at tire mileage warranties, they often seem like a great deal. But, there are several terms and conditions that can actually make it hard to claim these warranties. Let’s break them down:
- Treadwear Requirement: If your tire’s tread doesn’t wear down as the warranty expects, you might get a replacement, but only if the wear is even across the tire. The catch? The tread difference must be less than 2/32 of an inch from one side of the tire to the other. So, if your tire wears unevenly – which can happen easily with different driving styles or road conditions – you might not be able to claim the warranty.
The warranty rules imply that if your tires show uneven wear, it’s considered your responsibility, not the fault of the tire manufacturer. This assumption can sometimes feel unfair, as there are numerous factors beyond a driver’s control that can cause uneven wear. These factors include the vehicle’s weight distribution, potential issues like an uneven belt, or even flaws in the tire’s design. Yet, the warranty terms don’t typically take these factors into account, placing the burden on the consumer.
- Regular Tire Rotation: To maintain the validity of the treadwear warranty, not only do you need to rotate your tires regularly (every 6,000 to 8,000 miles or as specified by your vehicle manufacturer), but you also need to provide proof of this maintenance. If you miss saving any of the receipts from these tire rotations, you could be automatically disqualified from making a warranty claim. This requirement demands meticulous record-keeping and adds another layer of complexity for the consumer.
- Other Limitations: There are more rules, too. Things like how you store your tires, what you put in them, and even small surface damages can affect your warranty. Plus, if you have different size tires on the front and back of your car, which means you can’t rotate them as suggested, the warranty on the rear tires might only be half of what’s promised which does not make any logical sense 🙁
From a tire manufacturer’s point of view, these rules are there to make sure you use your tires to their fullest and maintain them well. But if something like uneven wear happens – which can be beyond your control – it’s seen as your fault, not the manufacturer’s. This makes it tough to actually use the warranty when you need it.
Claiming mileage warranty
If you’re one of the lucky few who manages to qualify for a tire mileage warranty claim, having maintained even tire wear, diligently kept all your rotation records with rotations every 8,000 miles or less, and ensured there’s no visible damage or signs of abnormal usage, then congratulations – you’ve just entered the exclusive ‘Claim Club,‘ a place where unfortunately, most tire owners don’t qualify!
A common misunderstanding about tire mileage warranties is that failing to meet the given mileage means you automatically get a new tire for free. In reality, it’s a pro-rated system. This means if your tires don’t last as long as the warranty promises, you don’t get a full replacement. Instead, you receive credit based on how short the tires fell of the promised mileage. And importantly, you don’t get to choose any tire for replacement; your options are limited, often to the same model or equivalent tires from the manufacturer.
Let’s consider a real-life example to understand how the pro rata replacement works under a tire mileage warranty:
Example Scenario
- Tire Model: Michelin Pilot Sport All Season 4
- Mileage Warranty: 45,000 miles
- Purchase Price for 4 Tires: $1,000
Suppose you’ve driven 30,000 miles and the tread depth reaches the threshold of 2/32 inches and you’re eligible for a warranty claim. Here’s how the pro rata replacement would work:
- Unused Mileage: The tire warranty is for 45,000 miles, but you’ve only used 30,000 miles. So, you have 15,000 miles of unused warranty.
- Pro Rata Credit: You calculate the credit based on the unused mileage. For this, divide the unused mileage (15,000 miles) by the total mileage warranty (45,000 miles) and multiply by the initial purchase price ($1,000). This gives you your pro rata credit.
Now, let’s calculate the pro rata credit and the total installation cost for this scenario.
Let’s manually calculate the pro rata credit and the total installation cost for the example:
- Pro Rata Credit Calculation:
- Unused Mileage: 45,000 miles (warranty) – 30,000 miles (driven) = 15,000 miles
- Pro Rata Credit: (15,000 miles / 45,000 miles) * $1,000 = (1/3) * $1,000 = $333
So, in this example, you would get a credit note of $333 towards the purchase of a new set of tires, but this would be at the tire manufacture’s retail price which is much often higher than your actual selling price. You would also need to pay for tire installation & balancing fee which is often much cheaper at a dedicated tire store . This demonstrates how the pro rata warranty credit doesn’t fully cover the replacement cost and how additional expenses such as installation fees can add up, reducing the overall benefit of the warranty claim.
Is it worth getting your money back?
When you use your pro rata credit under the tire mileage warranty, you are typically required to purchase the replacement tires at the suggested retail price. This means you cannot take advantage of any discounts or promotional offers that might be available. For instance, it’s not uncommon to find offers like $150 off on a set of four Michelin tires at major online retailers. However, under the warranty claim, you would miss out on such savings, effectively increasing the overall cost of the replacement tires.
Moreover, there’s a practical consideration about customer satisfaction and product performance. If the original set of tires did not meet your mileage expectations (in this case, falling short of the 45,000-mile warranty by 15,000 miles), you might question the decision to purchase the same model again. It seems counterintuitive to opt for a tire that previously underperformed in terms of longevity, especially when the warranty claim does not fully compensate for the replacement and forces you to buy at retail price without discounts.
This situation highlights a dilemma for consumers: while the warranty provides some financial credit towards new tires, the limitations and additional costs involved may lead one to reconsider the value of such warranties and whether it’s worthwhile to stick with the same tire brand or model that didn’t live up to expectations in the first place. Nonetheless its still a win situation for the tire manufacturer if a claim is done as you will still end up with their tires 🙂
Conclusion
In conclusion, when it comes to purchasing new tires, the allure of a high mileage warranty might seem like an attractive factor to consider. However, as we’ve seen, the reality of actually claiming these warranties is fraught with complexities and conditions that can make it a challenging, if not improbable, endeavor.
From the stringent requirements of even tread wear and the necessity of meticulous maintenance records to the limitations on pro rata credits and the exclusion of discounts on replacement tires, the path to successfully claiming a tire mileage warranty is narrow and often impractical. Additionally, the prospect of buying the same model again, despite it not meeting the initial mileage expectations, raises questions about the overall value and utility of these warranties.
Therefore, as a consumer, it’s crucial to approach tire warranties with a realistic perspective. While they might offer some level of assurance, the likelihood of successfully claiming and benefiting from these warranties is relatively slim. It’s more prudent to focus on factors such as tire performance, safety features, and reviews from other consumers. Remember, a tire’s quality and suitability for your specific driving needs and conditions should be the primary considerations, rather than the promised mileage warranty, which may not deliver as expected.
Make informed decisions and don’t let the mileage warranty be the deciding factor in your tire purchase. After all, the road to a good tire choice should be paved with facts and practical considerations, not just promises that may be hard to fulfill.