Tyre wear and replacement Mk 4

[Spiral82]

Hello!

I've just had my two year service done on my Design Mk 4 at a mileage of almost exactly 20,000.

They advised me of tyre wear to three of the four original tyres and classed it as 'amber' - so attention required 'in the near future'. The wear readings are as follows:

N/S front: 3.8, 4.1, 3.7mm (outer, middle, inner). N/S rear: 3.0, 3.9, 3.2mm. O/S rear: 3.6, 4.3, 4.0mm

My main question: is this typical tyre wear for the Mk 4 in your experience? Also, do you think it's odd that the fronts seem to be wearing if anything better than the rears? Indeed, the O/S front didn't get a mention so assume its tread wear is fine (they didn't show me what it was on the health check report I've quoted the readings for above). I keep the tyre pressures as per the handbook and check them manually regularly even though of course it has the TPMS system.

Also, they quoted £85 per new tyre supplied and fitted with prices based on Nexen tyres. Would that be a 'good deal' in your view and would these be decent tyres? I've not heard of them: my car has the original fit Continentals on.   

Finally, if I went to a third party tyre shop when the time comes can they cope with the tyre pressure sensors and is there any warranty issue using a third party?

Thanks for your help!

 

 

 

[jthspace]

Have a look at Black Circles - you dont have to buy there (I do) but they will give a list of tyres and you can look at price, ratings, etc etc.

BLACK CIRCLES TYRES

 

CLICK TO ENLARGE IMAGE

KUMHO tyres have a good rep, as do Toyo.  I've used both on my MX5's.

[Mojo1010]

Haven't checked mine, had it almost a year, though it has done low miles. Outer wears more means under inflation. Usually have mine at least 3psi above handbook on this and last MK3 hybrid. 

Tyres check Halfords, f1 and the likes for offers. 

[Mooly]

2 hours ago, Spiral82 said:

I've just had my two year service done on my Design Mk 4 at a mileage of almost exactly 20,000.

They advised me of tyre wear to three of the four original tyres and classed it as 'amber' - so attention required 'in the near future'. The wear readings are as follows:

N/S front: 3.8, 4.1, 3.7mm (outer, middle, inner). N/S rear: 3.0, 3.9, 3.2mm. O/S rear: 3.6, 4.3, 4.0mm

Go and measure them yourself would be my advice. Do they look worn and getting near the depth wear indicators. In the past I've had Toyota flag things as 'yellow' and then a year later they are somehow 'green' again. I stopped using a main dealer quite a few years ago now as they always tried upselling stuff that wasn't really needed. 

https://www.toyotaownersclub.com/forums/topic/218222-a-bit-of-a-spend-it-was-decision-time-does-it-stay-or-go/#elControls_1755027_menu

From the above regarding Nexen (not sure what your tyre size is):

Quote

And there was more on the wish list... four new tyres were fitted as well. The Dunlop Blue Response Sports have covered over 50k and been very good but they were getting a bit thin. The independent I used offered to get similar but also suggested I consider Nexen which I have used on our old Corolla and been very impressed with. So I opted for the Nexen's (N Blue HD+ I think they are) which came in at £65 each. They ride beautifully and seem really soft and supple and grippy on the road and are very noticeably quieter in the cabin. Very good indeed so far.

 

[TonyHSD]

Agreed with Mooly, do your own checks and compare to the dealer quote for tyre wear. These days dealers and all other business are quieter than ever as current uk economy is in its worst state and everyone is looking for extra business. 
Nexen tyres are really good one, as good as Hankook, Goodyear or Michelin. 
From Toyo, Yokohama, Kumho and Nexen I will pick Nexen, these are also fitted as oem on some car brands including vw.
Price per tyre £85 is good, you can do slightly cheaper at other places, most of which will deal with your tpms valves without problem. 
https://www.atseuromaster.co.uk These guys sells tyres and often run offers on Michelin or Goodyear. 👌🛞

[forkingabout]

Those odd tyre wear reading seem more like the apprentice needs to get more training on a tyre depth gauge or needs an eye test.

A tyre depth gauge is cheap enough to buy online & keep in your tool kit. 

Or a decent tyre place should check them without a hard sell - I know Hi Q head office do mystery shopping checks of the Hi Q service centres to check the technicians use the tyre depth gauge correctly & not trying to generate unnecessary work / tyre sales. 

[Chas G]

I was quoted £110/tyre supplied and fitted for Nexen 205/65/16 to fit my Yaris Cross by main dealer.

[Cyker]

17 minutes ago, forkingabout said:

Those odd tyre wear reading seem more like the apprentice needs to get more training on a tyre depth gauge or needs an eye test.

A tyre depth gauge is cheap enough to buy online & keep in your tool kit. 

Or a decent tyre place should check them without a hard sell - I know Hi Q head office do mystery shopping checks of the Hi Q service centres to check the technicians use the tyre depth gauge correctly & not trying to generate unnecessary work / tyre sales. 

What's scary is a lot of places have these fancy laser scanners to check tread depth and tyre condition and yet they still somehow mess it up  

[Parts-King]

2 hours ago, TonyHSD said:

 These days dealers and all other business are quieter than ever as current uk economy is in its worst state and everyone is looking for extra business. 
 

Honestly, it's not everywhere, our workshops are rammed for the next few weeks, techs are working overtime every day to fulfil jobs 

[ColinB]

Our local Toyota dealer used to give an amber warning on my wife's Aygo, we used to pop to a local tyre place where we knew the manager and he would say OK for another year as she doesn't do many miles or warn that they will need changing in the next 6 months or so. 

With her Toyota IQ she had to change the tyres due to their age, rather than wear, but the Toyota dealer quoted a reasonable price for Bridgestone tyres fitted, so went with them. 

[Rhymes with Paris]

47 minutes ago, Cyker said:

What's scary is a lot of places have these fancy laser scanners to check tread depth and tyre condition and yet they still somehow mess it up  

And the pressures, and the directional tyres put on the wrong way round, and the tracking, and the wheel nuts not torqued up correctly, and losing the locking wheel nuts, and forgetting or can't be bothered to replace valve caps, and ruining my friend's tyre and the wheel during a wheel refurb.

Professionals, 🤔 

 

[Cyker]

45 minutes ago, Parts-King said:

Honestly, it's not everywhere, our workshops are rammed for the next few weeks, techs are working overtime every day to fulfil jobs 

That's because your dealership is actually good!  

I bet if the forum still had the old dealer ranking page it'd still be top.

I still haven't forgotten you were the only person who could find that part number despite (I assume) all the franchises having access to the same parts catalogue!

[Benzowner]

2 hours ago, Chas G said:

I was quoted £110/tyre supplied and fitted for Nexen 205/65/16 to fit my Yaris Cross by main dealer.

Why would you even consider buying tyres from a car dealer? They sell cars not tyres, tried a tyre dealer to buy a car? Many, if not most car dealers employ mobile tyre dealers to change the tyres, have yet to see a tyre removal machine in a car dealers workshop.

[Chas G]

1 hour ago, Benzowner said:

Why would you even consider buying tyres from a car dealer? They sell cars not tyres, tried a tyre dealer to buy a car? Many, if not most car dealers employ mobile tyre dealers to change the tyres, have yet to see a tyre removal machine in a car dealers workshop.

I can book it in then go and have lunch or do my shopping. Pick up the car when I am ready. All very convenient and I couldnt give a stuff if the 2 tyres cost me more than I would pay at a tyre fitter.

Ps your sarcasm is wasted on me. I laugh at MB owners 🤪

[bathtub tom]

So you've had the car for two years and 20K miles and have around 4mm of tread left (from 6mm original?). I reckon that gives you around another two years and 20K miles before you're down to 2mm tread depth. Ample time.

[Parts-King]

15 hours ago, Benzowner said:

Why would you even consider buying tyres from a car dealer? They sell cars not tyres, tried a tyre dealer to buy a car? Many, if not most car dealers employ mobile tyre dealers to change the tyres, have yet to see a tyre removal machine in a car dealers workshop.

Most dealers will have a deal with the major tyre warehouses, we sell in excess of 400 tyres a month and are very competitive with prices, people are not daft, they won't pay any old price, you have to be competitive 

[Parts-King]

15 hours ago, Cyker said:

That's because your dealership is actually good!  

I bet if the forum still had the old dealer ranking page it'd still be top.

I still haven't forgotten you were the only person who could find that part number despite (I assume) all the franchises having access to the same parts catalogue!

Yep, we do try our best 😎

Don't know why that dealer rating fell off, we were always at or near the top 👍

[Red_Corolla]

I don't think it's bad for overall wear rate. I do see that every tyre has less wear in the middle than at the inboard or outboard edges, which is usually a sign of under-inflation. Make sure the tyre pressures are correct and check them regularly.

[Spiral82]

Thanks everyone for your responses.

Red_Corolla: I do check pressures frequently and the dash tyre pressure readings are also accurate, but you're likely correct in that I should run them with a bit more air in. The dealer has actually topped them up a bit more I notice.

Mooly - thanks for your link to your thread about repairs and replacements to your car. You said "I stopped using a main dealer quite a few years ago now as they always tried upselling stuff that wasn't really needed." Well, yes understood but my car is still under warranty and this gets extended added so long as I maintain a Toyota service record - and I have the service plan).

I'm fully aware about up-selling too: they also recommended I have an air con service (they flagged this up as 'red' so apparently urgent). I declined: I've had cars with air con since about 2006 and never yet had an air con service done (and they want £200 for the privilege!)

To all who suggested 'shopping around' for tyres: yes, thanks - I did a quick check on tyre prices out of interest and the dealer's option isn't bad. No one else quotes Nexen at present, but F1 have tyres by 'names' such as Toyo and Kumho at around the £80-ish per tyre the dealer is quoting me.

Another question if I may: those who have a Mk 4 and have had tyres replaced: what sort of mileage interval was your replacement at please?

[jthspace]

Interestingly, "new" tyres at a supplier (dealer or tyre place) can be anything up to 5 years old and still be sold as "new".  Once fitted, it is recommended that they should be replaced after 5 to 7 years as UV and road damage may weaken the tyre - it isn't necessarily when the tyre wear mark shows that they should be replaced.

You can check when your tyres were made by the 4 digit code on the sidewall.  If it's a 3 digit code, change them as soon as possible as they are pre 2000 in manufacture.

In the box above, 4718 means it was made in week 47 of 2018

[ToyotaFanDriver]

First thing I'd say like everyone else is to double check the readings to make sure. I would also say the wear is driving style dependent. I would also avoid Continentals, they seem great when new but wear quickly (seen this on 3 different cars over time)

Then onto the main point....you CAN get the tyres fittied cheaper elsewhere BUT as I found out if they happen to snap the TPMS sensor they will screw you over, either pretend it didnt happen, order the wrong type of tpms or be unable to code it to the car. You'll end up at a dealer to fix this mess anyway.

Whilst I am of the mind you get ripped off at the dealer, whenever I change my RAV4 tyres I'll ring around various dealers for prices because if something goes wrong its actually on them to fix and not fob you off (like these other cheaper 3rd party fitters and garages might do!)

[TonyHSD]

3-5 years for a tyres replacement in uk on average.
The biggest impact on tyre life’s except mileage is the salt from the winter grits. This is the main reason why we have so poor road surfaces in England and why tyres can’t last long. If you dive during winters when gritters  are out and about you will be very lucky if your tyres can last longer than 4 years without developing a side wall cracks.
Whoever created the idea of using salt on the roads is not a smart person at all. 

[Benzowner]

19 hours ago, Chas G said:

I can book it in then go and have lunch or do my shopping. Pick up the car when I am ready. All very convenient and I couldnt give a stuff if the 2 tyres cost me more than I would pay at a tyre fitter.

Ps your sarcasm is wasted on me. I laugh at MB owners 🤪

No sarcasm intended, and I have not owned a Mercedes for several years, just kept the handle

[Chas G]

34 minutes ago, Benzowner said:

No sarcasm intended, and I have not owned a Mercedes for several years, just kept the handle

I got fed up with the frighteningly wallet emptying bills every time I put my Mercs in for a service, poor reliability and horrendous fuel consumption. The seats though were incredibly comfortable. 

Someone at work asked me why I kept buying unreliable Mercs and suggested I buy a Toyota and I haven't looked back 😁

[Mooly]

4 hours ago, Spiral82 said:

You said "I stopped using a main dealer quite a few years ago now as they always tried upselling stuff that wasn't really needed." Well, yes understood but my car is still under warranty and this gets extended added so long as I maintain a Toyota service record - and I have the service plan).

I fully understand that. I was on a service plan for 7 years, the 8th service I paid for at Toyota and then went  'independent'. It always seems to be brakes that they wanted to 'upsell'. On the Auris and on our ancient Corolla they were always wanting to skim the discs for some reason.

 

1 hour ago, Chas G said:

I got fed up with the frighteningly wallet emptying bills every time I put my Mercs in for a service, poor reliability and horrendous fuel consumption. The seats though were incredibly comfortable. 

Someone at work asked me why I kept buying unreliable Mercs and suggested I buy a Toyota and I haven't looked back 

I could substitute the word Merc for Audi, certainly for reliability. Curiously the service costs were surprisingly reasonable back in the 90's. My second Audi only lasted 3 weeks before catastrophic engine failure, so back to Toyota. I vowed never to buy another German car of any make after that.

https://www.toyotaownersclub.com/forums/topic/102760-toyota-reliabilitythe-theory-of/#elControls_934792_menu