Poll: Have you had a Westlake tire fail?

[Leon T]

What is the warranty on the Westlakes? Two years?

On edit - I went to their website and it looks like 4 years. I didn't get the Westlake tire carcass from Discount when I got the new tires so I guess I'm SOL.

[BigGuy82]

What is the warranty on the Westlakes? Two years?

On edit - I went to their website and it looks like 4 years. I didn't get the Westlake tire carcass from Discount when I got the new tires so I guess I'm SOL.

Ever see the movie "Tommy Boy"? The scene where Tommy lectures the potential client on the "value" of a warranty is just perfect. GD promised me a full 3 year "Warranty" on Westlakes after my brand new, very expensive Solitude was damaged by a blown Westlake right out of the factory - less than 500 miles on it. I explained to them how I view a tire "warranty" as I was telling them hell would freeze before I accepted delivery on this rig while it still had Westlakes on it. See, here's how I view it.

When you blow a tire, the manufacturer of that tire will send you at most a new tire (worth < $150 at Westlake prices). They may also "pro rate" that depending on the age of the tire (which is what they may have done in your case since you replaced the tires). Point is that you will get at most a $150 replacement or a check for much less, and that's after YOU pay the shipping to get the carcasses of the bad tires back to them. After you sent the old ones back at your expense, how big do you think the check would have been? What about the damage to the coach (the rim, the fender skirt, the suspension, the coach body)? What about the danger to your family from a blowout at 65 mph or from being stranded on the side of an Interstate as the world whizzes by at 75 mph (all it takes is one fool checking a text and not watching the road)? What about ruining your vacation while you search for a replacement skin? What about the sheer aggravation that you would not have had to endure if you didn't have a tire failure.

You have done yourself a great service by removing those things from your coach and replacing them with good rubber. Don't worry - be happy!

[Leon T]

Ever see the movie "Tommy Boy"? The scene where Tommy lectures the potential client on the "value" of a warranty is just perfect. GD promised me a full 3 year "Warranty" on Westlakes after my brand new, very expensive Solitude was damaged by a blown Westlake right out of the factory - less than 500 miles on it. I explained to them how I view a tire "warranty" as I was telling them hell would freeze before I accepted delivery on this rig while it still had Westlakes on it. See, here's how I view it.

When you blow a tire, the manufacturer of that tire will send you at most a new tire (worth < $150 at Westlake prices). They may also "pro rate" that depending on the age of the tire (which is what they may have done in your case since you replaced the tires). Point is that you will get at most a $150 replacement or a check for much less, and that's after YOU pay the shipping to get the carcasses of the bad tires back to them. After you sent the old ones back at your expense, how big do you think the check would have been? What about the damage to the coach (the rim, the fender skirt, the suspension, the coach body)? What about the danger to your family from a blowout at 65 mph or from being stranded on the side of an Interstate as the world whizzes by at 75 mph (all it takes is one fool checking a text and not watching the road)? What about ruining your vacation while you search for a replacement skin? What about the sheer aggravation that you would not have had to endure if you didn't have a tire failure.

You have done yourself a great service by removing those things from your coach and replacing them with good rubber. Don't worry - be happy!

I've never seen the movie, but I don't disagree with what you're saying. I would have taken anything I could have gotten. I never buy tire warranties from Discount Tire any more. I think like you do and I believe them to be worthless. I can afford to self insure a tire. The one and only time I had a tire warranty was on a set of Green Dot tires from Discount years ago on a flatbed trailer. I checked the air pressure like I always do, hooked up the trailer and left (it was empty). I didn't get too far out of town on Interstate 10 when boom, there went the tire. Pulled over, unwrapped it from the axle (the steel belts are a joy without gloves), put the spare on and drove to the nearest Discount Tire in Casa Grande. They replaced the tire for free. I asked about my fender which had been destroyed and they said they'd make a claim with Green Dot. A few weeks later I get a letter from Green Dot saying they had x-rayed the tire and found that it was not faulty. How they determined this from the few shreds that were left I have no idea. Needless to say, I had to pay to get my fender replaced. I never bought another tire warranty after that for the exact reasons you state.

And I know who benefits from the Discount road hazard warranties. It's the few folks that purposely destroy their tires to get them replaced for free. I knew a guy who did this over and over again. He would slash his own tires and take them in to be replaced under the warranty right before the warranty expired. I'll just leave that one at that.

[WhittleBurner]

That's the kind of thing that made costco stop their good return policy.

[Leon T]

That's the kind of thing that made costco stop their good return policy.

Yep. I used to watch people who had bought huge televisions right before the Super Bowl take them back to Costco for refunds afterwards saying they weren't happy with them.

I have no doubt that Discount makes huge profits on their road hazard warranties. They always try to put it on every set of tires I buy, and I always tell them to remove it. It's just another markup for profit, but that doesn't make a dishonest man cheating the system an honest man either. I always used to laugh when people would steal stuff and then use the excuse "Well they have more than they need."

[WhittleBurner]

When working in the shops people would come by selling stuff cheap. I would tell the employee's do not buy it. If you do you are as guilty of stealing it as they are. If no one buys the stuff they will stop stealing it.

[BigGuy82]

We're getting way off topic here ...

[RobertS377]

Not long ago I voted “No” failure. Looks like I need to change my vote

We had 14K miles on our 2 year old Westlakes, and they looked perfectly fine. I check PSI every time we hit the road, setting them at 80psi. We have load range E, ST225/75/R15. I never, ever go over 62mph and the RV is very lightly loaded

Today we were making a short run of 177 miles from near Orlando to Sanibel Island. We were on Rt 17 most of the way, much of which is urban with traffic lights

We’d driven 87 miles when our failure occurred. We had been doing about 35mph for quite a while, and came to a stop a light. The car beside me motioned frantically to my tires. I immediately pulled into a parking lot & found the front, driver side tire had completely lost its tread and wrapped itself around the axle. I’d say we were just minutes from a total blowout. I should add, my EEZ tpms did not alert me to anything unusual since there had not yet been air loss. All for tires were running within normal range at around 89/90 psi and temps of 90-95.

So I changed the tire, and drove white knuckled the remaining 90 miles, fully expecting one of the remaining 3 tires to come apart. My wife found a nearby dealer who can install 4 Goodyear Endurance tires tomorrow. Very lucky

Anyway, tires fail, I get that. But a 2 year old tire with only 14k miles on it should never do this. Absolutely shameful they are being installed on any vehicle I used to think all the “China Bomb” stories were from people who neglected their tires. Not so. Do yourself a favor and replace them.

Here are the pics, hope it works.

[BigGuy82]

Anyway, tires fail, I get that. But a 2 year old tire with only 14k miles on it should never do this. Absolutely shameful they are being installed on any vehicle I used to think all the “China Bomb” stories were from people who neglected their tires. Not so. Do yourself a favor and replace them.

Here are the pics, hope it works.

Westlakes .... 'nuff said. Why bother to continue that conversation? I'm sure you will be happy with your Goodyears, but just wanted to point out that all Chinese products are not junk. By the way, where is the Endurance line manufactured?

[Chiefblueman]

The Endurance tires are made in the U.S.A.