| rrando |
My 03 Pilot EX picked up a nail in the sidewall of one of my fairly new Michelin LTX M/S. But then I have Costco's really good Road Hazard Warranty, right? Just get them to fix or replace it and be on my way...
BUT ...
Costco did not have the LTX M/S 235/70 R16 in stock, and they were unable to order it, meaning its possibly been discontinued. None were available at other local Costcos either. I have one of the now 5-year old Duelers as my full-size spare (in 20/20 hindsight, this was a mistake, I should have gotten another LTX). The Costco girl said my best alternative was to replace the damaged tire with a Cross-Terrain. I could see no better choice in the short run, so for $35 (prorated under warranty) I got a new CT to go with my 6 month old LTXs. I don't feel bad about spending this sum but am a bit concerned about the mismatch. My short drive home in city traffic was OK, but I have not had it out on the highway yet.
So now what?
TireRack has the LTX M/S with Outline White Letters (mine are blackwall) and a 104S rating (mine are 107S). From the limited selection at TireRack, it does seem like the LTX M/S might be being phased out.
I'm not performance-minded nor an aggressive driver. I drive about 70% at highway speeds (up to 85mph). By the way I really liked the LTXs and probably would be happy with CTs. BUT... I don't want to compromise on safety (Its only money, after all.)
As I see it these are my alternatives, in order from least to most $$$ and hassle
1) Do nothing, car will drive OK and be safe even with this "slight" mismatch (Costco tire persons opinion).
2) Go back to Costco and get a second CT so I have pairs of the same tires on each axle, keeping a leftover LTX as a spare?
3) Order an LTX from TireRack or elsewhere, have it mounted locally, and keep the CT as the spare?
4) Order two LTX's from TireRack or elsewhere, have it mounted locally, and sell the CT thus having an LTX as the spare?
5) Bite the green weenie ($$$) and replace the other 3 LTX tires with CTs? (selling two LTXs for a pittance and keeping one as a spare) (Dueler of course is worth nada)
6) Get 4 more CTs and sell off 3 LTXs
7) Get 5 of some other tire and sell all of the current batch.
What do you folks think?
BTW does anyone know where I might get one or 2 blackwall LTX M/S in 235/70 R16 107S? willing to consider 104S or slightly used.... |
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| xGS |
quote:
Originally posted by rrando
BTW does anyone know where I might get one or 2 blackwall LTX M/S in 235/70 R16 107S? willing to consider 104S or slightly used....
Sears lists the blackwall LTX M/S on their website, so any Sears store should be able to get it for you.
Then ask Costco for a refund or credit on the CrossTerrain. |
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| scuba steve |
| are these directional? get one from the tirerack, take a sharpie to the letters and have it mounted with the letters inward. |
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| rocky |
| LTX/Xterrain are not directional |
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| larryziegler |
| I find this horribly wrong of Costco! The tire techs at the Costcos around here are extremely finicky about tire installation here. I certainly would raise an issue with Costco management as that person did a very improper service to you. Different tread types on the same axle are a no-no.....no ifs, buts, and ands about that. I'd go replace that tire elsewhere and return that tire to Costco for a refund....you are entitled to that. |
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| rrando |
Thanks for all the advice. Here's an update:
This is a problem for any store when product lines change -- at some point replacements just aren't available. Given that an exact match cannot be found, I can't expect to replace four tires because one of them is ruined, can I? I don't have a problem with Costco, they supplied the closest match they could, a ~$150 tire for ~$35. Perhaps they might have worked harder to find the exact replacement, and maybe their advice about using these mismatched tires is not correct.
As someone suggested, I visited the Sears website and sure enough my tire is listed and on sale (save $8). I called Sears (national number) and they said that the tire is discontinued and unavailable. They suggested I check local Sears for any in the store. I doubt that I can get the tire at Sears since its been discontinued for some time.
But then I found what I believe is the correct tire (blackwall and 107S) at onlinetires.com -- cheaper than Sears, even after shipping. so I ordered it and will ask Costco to mount it for me (free or cheap) as compensation for the incorrect replacement type. But I won't push it that hard, I'm not one to quibble. I don't expect them to take back the CT and I'm willing to keep it as the spare -- basically option 3 from my original post.
The OEM Bridgestone Duelers lasted about 4 years/ 50K miles, and I figure the Michelins will last even longer. Of course I hope I won't have to go through this again. If I do, perhaps the CTs will still be available.
Advice to all: When you replace your tires, if you have a full size spare, get 5 identical tires, even though chances are you won't need the extra one. Its not money wasted since you can get additional life from your set by rotating in the spare. (Whereas, I'll probably throw out a nearly new CT in 5 years).
edit: onlinetires called and said they had it in blackwall at 102S rating or with outline white letters (same 107S load rating) so I ordered that. It came in one day -- (I think the warehouse is in my state or even city, but thats still awesome) now to see if Costco will mount it for me. Back of tire has same lettering but is all black, so I'll have them mounted backward, and use a marker to blacken the outline of white letters on the inside.
edit again: Costco said they used to be able to mount tires purchased elsewhere, but due to liability concerns, they no longer will. I didn't argue. My local Firestone dealer mounted and balanced it for under $20 including the tip. I was in and out in under an hour compared to the 3 hour wait at Costco since they are always packed. Firestone also took my unused donut spare since nobody responded after I extensively advertised to give it away free... They said it would be properly disposed of. Seems a waste, but its really the manufacturers fault for providing us with useless crap to begin with. Everyone I know is willing to pay an extra $100 or so for a full size spare.
btw onlinetires.com is an authorized Michelin dealer (and other brands) and has great prices and service. The guy I spoke with was very knowledgeable, and confirmed that you should not mix tire types (said Costco should not be doing that) but agreed that the CT could be used as a spare. |
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