Cut on sidewall wall

2019 Tundra SR5 TRD 4WD DC
Stage 9 Icon full RTX Leaf
315/70/17 Falken wild peaks
17" Icon Rebound wheels

I noticed a cut on my driver's side front tire on the side wall. Took it to America's Tire where I got them, and they said it was cosmetic and nothing to worry about. Left. Called them about 10 more times making sure it was okay to drive.

Didn't want to be in the middle of nowhere and the tire blows. (I have a spare but want to be proactive and not have to change it out on some rocky logging road that's wide enough for one truck.)

Contacted Falken and sent pictures. They said it was compromised and said it needed to be changed. Told me to take it back and have America's Tire call Falken and they'll explain how to check to see the thread size and see if it's under warranty. If it is, it'll be 100% covered.

Took it back a 2nd time and America's Tire said it was cosmetic. Had two other guys come by and said it was also.

My tires are under warranty through America's Tire since I spent extra for it. I figure just change it out.

What do you think?





Thanks!

 

That tear is in the sidwall, not in the tread, do not think they can patch that.

 

Definitely not repairable. That should be covered by Discount/Americas tire. Take your communication with Falken that says it's toast.

Falken is probably saying it is toast for liability, imo.

All the same, if the manufacturer says it needs replacement...what can discount really say? They know better? I'd ask for the manager then ask if he/she is telling you they are more qualified than the manufacturer to make that call.

 

Sounds like it’s cosmetic, I’ve got a deeper gash(twss) on some bfgs and been rolling like that for at least 2 years now.

 

I agree it looks cosmetic, but the manufacturer of the tire is saying it is compromised. I would keep pushing Discount on the issue. If they push back, start calling corporate.

 

They might call that cosmetic now, but what happens when you air it down and it tears open more...I would take the email from Falken to them and have them debate it with the Mfg. Or ask America's Tire to print you out something showing they inspected the tire and called it safe to drive on w/o any concerns. Tell them you want to have that documented in case it blows on the highway and causes an accident.

 

Take it back and tell them you want it in noted on a RO that they say it is cosmetic and they assume liability for all damages/injury/death if it fails.

 

Speak to a manager at America’s tire too, not some lackey who dropped out of high school last week. Yeah, I know it’s summer break.

The fact that the sidewall “tread” block is no longer aligned on either side of the cut tells me that it is more than cosmetic even IF there are no exposed sidewall plies.

 

No way in hell I would drive on that, especially with other people in the truck with you. You can't tell how deep it is, but a sidewall flexes. Think about how that opens up when you're doing 65 or 70 mph. If Falken says it's compromised, I would take that to another Falken dealer and get it replaced under warranty. A good tire shop should not let you drive on that. Sidewalls are not repairable as its a safety concern. I'm betting that a state vehicle inspector would fail a tire like that.

 

That's what I was thinking. Driving on the freeway in Calif with a thousand other people and it blows. Good luck to me.

That picture was aired down to 35psi. That's why you can see it better. At 45psi where i usually have it, it looks more "cosmetic ". That's why I aired down to see what it would look like if I was out off reading.

I may go back again and ask for that letter.

 

Funny you mention nail in the sidewall. I had to replace another tire a couple of months ago for that reason. They couldn't repair it.

 

LOL. That's how I stay rich. Be cheap.

 

So do you have a matching spare tire? Can you swap that one in and run the “cosmetically damaged” one as a spare?

 

That was another idea I had. I do have a full spare of the same tire. But I went in figuring they were going to see I had that warranty and just change it out. Why chance it? But they didn't. That may be the last thing I do if they don't budge. Thanks!

 

Take it back and have them replace it under warranty. I had the same issue and said I don’t feel comfortable driving my family around with a cut in the sidewall. Got a free tire. Not worth the risk.

 

I wouldn't even keep that as a spare. If they tell you that there is nothing wrong with it, and you have proof that they said it, they will be held liable. But, don't put the safety of yourself and others at risk. Be polite, but be forceful and get them to replace it. Heck, drive to the McDonald's across the street and air it down to spec psi for stock tires. When you get there, make sure the cut is on the bulge. Then talk to the manager and ask if he would be willing to have his daughter drive cross country at highway speed with that.

 

Chris, is a blowout on a trailer tire the same feeling or different? Know you’ve had a couple and I’ve never had one so kinda curious..

Edit: (assuming single axle trailer)

 

Letter or no letter (of liability/responsibility), sometimes you've just got to do the right thing and get it replaced (even at your own expense for now). Replacing that tire will give you peace of mind and eliminate any chance of any partial liability falling on you if something goes wrong.

Try to argue your case again through both Falken and America's again... But, in the end, regardless of what either party is willing to cover/replace you are obviously not comfortable running it as is (otherwise you just would have taken America's word for it and went about your business), so worse case scenario... replace it and then try to get reimbursed on the back end.

Good luck

 

Called another America's Tire and explained what was going. The manager there said he would change it out if the customer wasn't comfortable with the cut. Told me to call original store back and explain that. He was cool. I was thinking of just driving the hour to go to his store but don't have the time. Took his advice.

Finally called original store and they ordered a new tire. Guess I just needed to explain I wanted a new tire instead of asking for advice on the cut.

 

It's all good. This forum has your back!

 

Yeah. Thanks everyone for the advice!

 

Discount Tire has never screwed me over and has given me a steal on a new set of tires more than once because something went wrong with my old ones.

A few years ago, I had a set of Michelin AT2s on the family SUV. The city contractor screwed up the consistency of their patch tar and my AT2s became totally clogged up with tar. I took it to discount thinking they might help clean them out and rebalance. Instead, they used my certificates to replace all 4 tires. On a side note, I went with Yokohamas at that point....I wish I could remember why.

More recently, I had a set of tires on the Sienna that I bought from discount that wore out in about 30,000 miles. They gave me a huge mileage credit that allowed me to get new premium tires back on the Sienna for sub $400. They stand behind their stuff.

Another side note, Siennas burn through tires quick.

Sorry for the ramble, I'm home sick with Covid for the first time and I am bored.

 

I've got Big O Bigfoot ATs. 3yr/60k tires that I have had in for a little over a year and haven't hit 10k on them yet. No chance in hell they make 3yr, I doubt they will be safe to drive on come winter. I'll find out how well Big O handles their warranty.
1 tire has a patch from a branch punching through, 1 tire has one from a hypodermic needle and two from rocks that went straight through the middle of the tread.

 

I agree. America's Tire is usually pretty good with taking care of the tires and customer service. That was just the first time I had any issues.

I'm not sure my tires will last what manufacturer suggests. I've had then for about 1.5 years and they seem good.

I had a flat in the middle of nowhere and my factory jack wasn't working because of the uneven ground. I couldn't get the truck high enough. Found a cinder block and used that to get it higher. After that I got a better jack, better tires, and more recovery gear. I don't want to be on gravel trying to change a tire again. Lol

 

Tell them to swap it. You paid extra for coverage which was likely already in place in the instance of a defect, at no fault of your own. They accepted your money, now they owe you service, at the very least, a non defective tire. This is a safety concern at this point and if you wiped someone else out because you had a blowout, you can bet your butt they would be coming after you. Again, you paid for coverage, this isn't an entitlement issue, you paid for it.