Auris hybrid tyre wear

[Swwils]

Hello

I have a 2016 auris hybrid and at its first health check the driver's side front tyre was down to 2mm whilst all others were 5.5mm.

The service centre flagged the low tyre but did not offer explanation for why the uneven wear has occured.

Is the auris just heavy on its fronts?

The car is my daily commuter doing very few miles at low speeds. I can't recall any road damage that would cause this wear.

Should I get onto them to sort this when I now have to replace this tyre? (Soon!)

[furtula]

Are you the only driver of the car? If so, do you remember hitting something hard, pothole, curb or similar?

Impact like that can bend suspension components, or arm, just a bit, so that for example left wheel is straight, but your right points a bit to left/right, which will cause more wear on the tire.

I doubt replacing a tire will fix the issue, it will just wear again. 

[Catlover]

As Dean says, no point leaving the problem and fitting new tyre - just chucking money away. Problems rarely solve them selves, the front end needs checking out. Could be multiple of things.

[FROSTYBALLS]

How long ago was the first health check done?

As it is a 2016 car, the first service/health check should have been due at one year old or 10,000 miles, whichever occured first. Which highlights to me that the first service/health check should have been last year sometime (ie 2017).

[Gerg]

Our 2013 Auris Hybrid is not heavy on tyres, the front passenger side is the quickest wearing.  As part of a major service, which presumably is what your second service is (?), then the official Toyota schedule lists 'full 4 wheel alignment check' as one of the parts of the service, if this was done maybe there would be an answer as to what has caused the wear.

Locally to me, the main agent's alignment equipment has broken (a year and a half ago) and they are not planning to replace it.  So that would mean a trip (for them) to the local tyre and exhaust centre for every car that is 'full' serviced to perform that check (that is what has been explained to me, anyway).  I struggle to see how that works. 

The 'Hunter' branded alignment jig seems to be highly regarded and produces a wonderfully easy-to-understand geometry status print out, worth seeking out who has one local to you, I don't think you pay extra for it.

[Swwils]

Thanks for the replies. Sorry for the confusion I picked it up in jan 2017 on 7000 ODO and its full service with me (1year, 17100 ODO) was mid Jan 2018.

On my service report the full 4-wheel alignment check is not ticked but scribbled like it is not applicable. I will investigate with the dealer as they did give an 'advisory' for the wear on the OSF tyre.

No knocks or major potholes that I know of and my wife has only driven with me too!

I agree about just shoving money into front right tyres without knowing why, good to know it's not usually heavy on tyres - I expected as much.

 

 

[Swwils]

Car is at the dealer now, apparently full wheel alignment in a full service is an extra chargeable item so it was not inspected nor adjusted.

Hopefully they will take a good look today!

Patiently waiting to see what a dealer price for a tyre will be! 

[Gerg]

Strange, as on the Toyota GB service web page:-

https://www.toyota.co.uk/owners/service-mot-maintenance/servicing.json#/ajax/%2Fowners%2Fservice-mot-maintenance%2Ffull-service-details.json

it suggests that it is only chargeable if 'work is needed', which is the situation at most tyre service centres; it is  free to have it checked, but chargeable to have it adjusted.

I would have thought this Toyota check was a valuable 'upsell' opportunity for your dealer, I have never heard of anyone having their tracking checked (anywhere!) and not being told, actually, it needs adjusting, so chargeable.

Happy to be corrected, of course.

 

[Swwils]

Just got a call now,

"Everything seems OK"

No explanation for the premature wear on the tyre - no explanation for the uneven wear since the Jan service (0.1mm on nsf, osr, nsr, but  0.6mm on osf).

They say that the car may have had a new nsf in Nov 2016 for some reason, meaning why the nsf is low but no details of that change (car was a ex-demo at the dealer).

Been quoted £170 for a new tyre that they dont have in stock and wheel alignment that "might fix it".

Bit miffed really! 

 

 

[furtula]

Why not just buy the tire yourself and get it done at some other place? It's not a secret that authorized services are not always that great.

[FROSTYBALLS]

3 hours ago, Swwils said:

No explanation for the premature wear on the tyre - no explanation for the uneven wear since the Jan service (0.1mm on nsf, osr, nsr, but  0.6mm on osf).

Recently when I took my Aygo in to have one of the O2 sensors replaced under warranty, I had a video of the visual safety check sent to me on the Wednesday, where the NSF tyre was shown to have between 4.5 and 4.9mm across the treads (readings on the digital tyre depth gauge were shown in the video). The O2 sensor was delivered and fitted the next day (Thursday), and the paper visual safety check (done by a different technician) showed between 3.5 and 4.0mm. A difference of around 1mm in less than 24 hours.

I've checked the tyres myself and the readings were similar to those in the video.

As regards the supposed wear in your tyres since January, we're talking about 0.5mm difference in wear rates, and that is if the tread depth was measured accurately (ie without any road debris around the treads), and allowing for possible variance between instruments. 

I would invest in a tyre tread depth gauge (either analogue or digital) and check the tyres yourself  - eg 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Draper-28729-Tread-Depth-Gauge/dp/B009VYJGMO/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1523902981&sr=8-3&keywords=tyre+tread+depth+gauge or

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Pumpkin-0-25-4mm-Adjustable-Measuring-Motorbike/dp/B01229JA1G/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1523902981&sr=8-4&keywords=tyre+tread+depth+gauge

[Swwils]

I do measure myself and the tyre is the same (near enough) as what they measured.

I will be going elsewhere - after confirming with Toyota that a full wheel alignment check should have taken place at the full service like described above.

I just don't want it eating through OSF forever!

[MT7726]

Slightly off topic. I'm fairly impressed with the tyre wear on my Auris (65 reg, HSD Business Edition). Car has done 28000 miles and still on the original Continental tyres. Down to about 3 mm on fronts. I have to change the fronts though, since I have noticed a bulge on the front nearside tyre sidewall. Any recommendations? Thinking of going for Michelin Primacy (or energy savers) tyres as those have worked best on my previous cars. Would like low road noise, comfort, and best fuel efficiency.

[furtula]

I was recently buying tires, and checked out some tests. Ended up buying Hankook ventus prime 3 K125, nice tires for decent price, they were imported from South Korea.

Road noise slightly less than my old goodyear efficient grip.

[Steve Whits]

I don't need tyres for mine at the moment but when I do I'll be fitting Michelin cross climates which I had on my previous car. Brilliant in the snow and excellent in the summer as well. Black circle currently doing them at £67.79 fitted, at £170 your dealers pulling a fast one. (If you buy cross climates you'll need 2 tyres as they shouldn't be mixed on the same axle)

 

[Nicolai]

My 2013 Hybrid Touring Sports is very heavy on it's tires.

Two new fronts (Goodyear Efficient Grip Performance) were fitted one year ago when the car had merely done 28,500 and that INCLUDES swapping between summer and winter tires every season.

My dealer says I should brake more and heavier in order to remove rust from the pads. Goes to show that I am a very easy driver. Garage says I need to replace my current winter tyres for next season as they be down buy then.

Very disappointed with tyre wear considering people praise the hybrids for beeing good on tires. I would even be disappointed my this tyre wear on a non-hybrid car.

I always use Eco tyres pressure 2.6 bar front, 2.5 bar back.

[furtula]

How much thread is actually left on summer tires? Have you measured it yourself? 

[Nicolai]

Was that one for me, furtula?

[furtula]

5 minutes ago, Nicolai said:

Was that one for me, furtula?

Yes, i'm wondering  how much thread wear is acceptable according to the dealer.

[Nicolai]

Haven't measured. If you're refering to my summer tires, I NEED to new ones as one of them has had a nail go straight into them. I can try and measure the thread wear of my vinter tires

Right now I'm between Conti Premium Contact 5 or Michelin Energy Saver+ for the two new ones. Contis fare better in wet and braking but wear fast. (22,300 miles were estimated by autobild in Germany whereas the  Saver+s were estimated to 28,000).

[furtula]

Legal limit for summer tires in UK is 1.6mm, and that's plenty of driving, but i presume your dealer would want to replace them at let's say 3-4mm, because business, and yes, in the wet your braking path might be a bit longer. That's why i asked about the remaining thread, as i was interested how much you got left.

 

 

[Swwils]

As an update,

Dealer has now told toyota that the car didn't need a full wheel alignment check as part of a full service because there was no tyre wear... despite giving an advisory for tyre wear.

Probably going to switch out for the dunlop blu response as they are the newer replacement for the current fast responses on the car and ive heard good things with these and the michelin cross climates.

[Nicolai]

Any experience with Michelin Energy Saver+?

[eygo]

kwikfit use the hunter geometry system

we use it on our Auris hybrid and and the tyres wear evenly across all 4 tyres

i think i paid £120 for the alignment but this lets you have the alignment checked and 

adjusted 8 times over a 2 year period without any extra charges to you so that

equates to £15 a time.

[FROSTYBALLS]

Be aware that in Europe, the Dunlop brand is owned by Goodyear, and some Dunlop tyres are very similar in tyre ratings to their equivalent Goodyears.