Khumo issues

[lytefall]

Whats chryslers usual stance on dealing with issues with the factory tires? I have never had a tire wear so fast. With around 6 months of the year being cold here I have never got less than 45,000k out of a set of rubber. I just clicked over 30,000K and am almost down to the wear indicator. I also found 2 sections on my front driver side tire that are missing 1"x1" (example below) chunks of tread where it looks like the top 1/4" has just been peeled away (haven't struck anything on the roadway at all let alone something that could do that kind of damage) and I have been on all urban paved roads recently.

Edited August 2, 2014 by lytefall

[2late4u]

looks like time to buy some new tires for you. you realize that a tire is a wear item and with 30 k on them no way would they be covered. now if after you had bought a tire warranty from kumo then you could file a claim with them but still dont think you would get them to help you much with that milage on them......

[jkeaton]

Subject has been beat to death on this forum. OEM tires are soft, no matter who makes them. They are a different compound than you or I can buy from a tire store. You are lucky you got 30k out of them. Some get less, some get more. Kuhmo's get a bad rap because Chrysler chooses to use them as their OEM manufacturer. Other aotup makes use other brands with the same results. I have replaced the factory Kuhmo's with Kuhmo's I buyt from a store and they last way longer.

Copied from another post I made (which I got from the web)

"The tires that came with your last new car were not designed by Michelin, Goodyear, Bridgestone, Kuhmo or any other tire manufacturer. They were designed by the manufacturer of your car. If your new car came with a set of Kuhmos, Kuhmo made the tire but they made it to the specifications set by your car manufacturer. These tires are referred to as OEM (original equipment manufacturer).

Furthermore, your manufacturer does not warranty the tires on your new car even though he tells you that you have a “bumper to bumper” warranty. Even though Chrysler designed the tires on your vehicle, they have no responsibility if they are defective. The tire manufacturer bears that responsibility.

The OEM tires that came with your car can’t be replaced (which is a good thing) after they’ve worn out. And they will wear out much sooner than they should. This is because virtually all auto manufacturers specify very soft rubber which means they wear out too fast. Why would the manufacturer do that? They want that new car to have the smoothest ride possible, even at your expense of having to buy a new set of tires at half the mileage you should have to. When you test drive that brand new car and it rides very, very smoothly you’re more likely to buy it. You’ll find out how fast the tires wear out much later, and when you do you’ll blame it on the tire maker."

Don't blame the tire, blame the vehicle manufacurer.

Edited August 2, 2014 by jkeaton

[lytefall]

Thanks for you input.

While it may be true to blame the manufacturer and not the tire maker, not all OEM tires are soft. I have had nothing but brand new vehicles with OEM rubber for the last 11 years, and only demos before that for another 10yrs also with OEM rubber. These tires are the worst for wear rate I have ever seen. My wife's current vehicle (a Chrysler product) is at 62,000km with OEM tires and still good tread.

While 30,000km may be a little far out to expect any courtesy from Chrysler my dealerships service manager wants me to bring them in to look at the chunking as he states its low Kms to see something like that without hitting something that would have been obvious. He also stated that they see nothing but problems with them.

I find it kind if crazy that a company like Kumho would allow a product out the door made to "manufacturers specs" under the same name as a tire you can but retail. Seems like a horrible business practice in a sector that regularly trades on its reputation for quality.

Edited August 2, 2014 by lytefall

[larryl]

It's a shame but people keep buying them.........................

[Journey_SeXT]

It's a shame but people keep buying them.........................

The Journey or Khumo tires?

I really don't know anyone that would buy another set of Khumo tires. Everyone that has them stock on their car always comment on how crap they are.

[lytefall]

I didn't have an issue with the kumhos other than the premature wear. I found them great in wet, dry and snow (and I live in Canada so they got a workout in the winter). I guess I have just been lucky not to have an OEM tire that was this bad so far in my life.

I was looking at the Goodyear assurance CS tripletred 235/55/19 as a replacement. They are a bit better rated as an AS tire in the snow than some of the other options. Anyone have any experience with these?

http://m.tirerack.com/tires/TireDetailsServlet?tireMake=Goodyear&tireModel=Assurance+CS+TripleTred+All-Season&partnum=355VR9ACSTTAS

Edited August 3, 2014 by lytefall

[Journeyman425]

Whats chryslers usual stance on dealing with issues with the factory tires?

Quoting almost verbatim from the warranty guide - tires are the only item not covered by the New Car Limited Warranty, and are covered by the tire manufacturer themselves.

With 23,000 miles now on my Journey, the OEM Kumho Solus KH16's (225/55/19) are still every bit as smooth, quiet, and balanced as they were on day one. The car tracks straight and true with absolutely no vibration. I've rotated them twice and have never had to balance any one wheel. The current tread depth is at least 6/32" (they were 10/32" new). Barring any road hazards, I'm on track to go 40K miles on these before replacement. We'll see. I have read about all the problems people have had with them and have expected the worst, but I've been very fortunate, I guess. None of the problems I've read about have materialized thus far. I've always loved Michelins and both my 300M's wore them as OEM tires, but if these Kumhos continue to wear and perform as they have to this point, I would replace them with the same ones again, no questions asked. Very satisfied so far.

[redtomatoman]

I'm at 41,000+ miles now. While I have not measured depth, they are not to the wear bars yet. I keep thinking I'm going to get some new tires, but I think I'll stay with these as long as possible. Like Journeyman, mine are still quiet and smooth. They track slightly right but I had my DJ aligned and it was within tolerances. I certainly can't complain.

Peace.

[2late4u]

my 2011 mainstreet with 17 inch kumos had about 60 k on them when i put on some takeoffs from a tire store in my area and drove it till about 70k before i traded it for my 14 crossroad with 19 inch with kumos hope i get the same wear and ride out of these as i did my other one as i was well pleased with them... rotate and rotate them babies as with all tires.. my only concern with the 19 inch tires is the cost to replace them when the time comes..

[jkeaton]

I like Kuhmos. I've stated this in the many other threads on the subject. I run Kuhmos on my Z28, Mustang, Jorney, Eclipse and the Tiburon. I'll be putting them on my truck whenever I need new tires for it. Never had an issue.

Edited August 3, 2014 by jkeaton

[B4ZINGA]

As was stated already, factory-installed tires tend to be lower in overall quality. My Charger had the factory Goodyear RS-As on it when I bought it at 28,000 miles. By 35,000 miles they were overdue and dangerous, and were never really all that good to start with. I replaced them with Kumho Ecsta 4X, which got me to about 71,000 miles. Replace them in February after spending this terrible winter powersliding around every intersection with Toyo Proxes 4, which gripped in the snow like superglue.

So far the factory Kumho Solus on my R/T are fine, but I don't even have 4,000 miles on it yet. When this set wears out, I'm hoping to pick up a set of Grand Cherokee SRT wheels, 20x9, and fit them with a good set of Hankook tires, then fit the OEM 19" wheels with a set of Toyo Proxes 4 for winter duty. I have Hankook Ventus V12s on my 300M year-round (sits from November through April while old man winter has his way with the Great Lakes region and Detroit area) and so far I like the grip they provide, though I did notice some hydroplaning while driving through a nasty cell at 75 MPH a few weeks ago... nasty enough that other people were pulling over and I had to reduce speed to 35-40. Still didn't lose control.

[redtomatoman]

I've got 41,000ish miles on my oem kumhos. I keep wanting to put new tires on the DJ, but honestly I think I got another 5,000 miles before they are shot. Tire wear depends on your driving style, your local street surfaces, and maintenance (air pressure and rotations). Mine still roll as smooth as they day I got my DJ.

Peace.

[Greg Billings]

I had Khumos on a Kia sedona a few years back - wasn't a huge fan but they wore okay. I had the OEM tires on my ford escape 2008 before my Journey..... I had factory service and they rotated them every oil change - at 80K, still going strong, didn't have to replace them till 100K. Rediculous for an OEM tire.

If I wanted a slightly stiffer / more responsive ride without giving up too much comfort, what would be a good replacement? I could see reviews on tirerack but if anyone has any suggestions, let me know.

[Journeyman425]

. I had the OEM tires on my ford escape 2008 before my Journey..... I had factory service and they rotated them every oil change - at 80K, still going strong, didn't have to replace them till 100K. Rediculous for an OEM tire.

What make/model and size tires were they? 100K is unheard of. My first set of OEM 225/55/17 Michelin Pilot HX MXM4 lasted 70,000 miles on my 300M and still had 2/32" tread depth when I replaced them. I never expected that...and never duplicated it, either. Next set went 65K, and from then on they've never lasted longer than 50-55K miles.

[xrilander]

I`ve had sets of Kumho`s on 3 different vehicles, love them. Well made, yet inexpensive. Granted, they were Solus KR21`s, not available for the Journey, but THOSE do last 60,000 miles. Small selection of 19" replacement tires in the exact size. I only found 4, with one being Blizzack`s.