My tire exploded... sort of
#1
05-10-2008, 09:53 PM
My tire exploded... sort of
What: I was driving on the freeway, when I hit a pothole that was pretty bad and that I couldn't avoid because the traffic in front of me blocked my view of it. It felt bad, but the tire seemed to hold up, I so I continued to drive for about a mile when I felt the tire start to buckle and smelled rubber. I quickly pulled off to the right in the shoulder and right when I stopped, I saw the rubber of the tire, minus the rim, roll forward off the hill on the side.
I got out to find that my front right tire was gone. The rim looked okay, and some rubber was on the paint immediately behind the tire in front of the passenger door, but otherwise there seemed to be no real damage. I snapped a pic, busted out the jack, and had the spare on in less than 20 minutes.
I then called AAA and waited for a long time on the phone and reported it. Unfortunately, Audi is closed and I have to wait until Monday to setup an appointment to have it looked at to ensure there's no rim damage and that there wasn't any immediate damage to the axle or anything else. It'll also need an alignment, new tire, and a 15,000 mile service.
Where: Milpitas, CA on 880 South, right off McCarthy Blvd.
These were the P6 tires that came with the car stock. Is there any chance I can claim these under warranty, or am I screwed into buying a new tire?
[IMG]local://upfiles/38004/99DEEAE17F254C018B3E22CFDC749BBE.jpg[/IMG]
I got out to find that my front right tire was gone. The rim looked okay, and some rubber was on the paint immediately behind the tire in front of the passenger door, but otherwise there seemed to be no real damage. I snapped a pic, busted out the jack, and had the spare on in less than 20 minutes.
I then called AAA and waited for a long time on the phone and reported it. Unfortunately, Audi is closed and I have to wait until Monday to setup an appointment to have it looked at to ensure there's no rim damage and that there wasn't any immediate damage to the axle or anything else. It'll also need an alignment, new tire, and a 15,000 mile service.
Where: Milpitas, CA on 880 South, right off McCarthy Blvd.
These were the P6 tires that came with the car stock. Is there any chance I can claim these under warranty, or am I screwed into buying a new tire?
[IMG]local://upfiles/38004/99DEEAE17F254C018B3E22CFDC749BBE.jpg[/IMG]
#2
05-10-2008, 10:36 PM
RE: My tire exploded... sort of
New tires....not a warranty issue.
Good job you weren't hurt could have been much worse!! Must have been a crazy pothole!
Bright side is you can get better tires....15k on p6s isn't that bad actually!! My Pzeros that came stock lasted only 12K KM!!
Good job you weren't hurt could have been much worse!! Must have been a crazy pothole!
Bright side is you can get better tires....15k on p6s isn't that bad actually!! My Pzeros that came stock lasted only 12K KM!!
#3
05-11-2008, 12:32 AM
RE: My tire exploded... sort of
You maybe able to get new ones off of warranty. I have cracking on mine but the aren't the P6. If your other 3 tires show a good enough amount of tread left that they don't say they are past the life you may be able to even get 4 new ones because it then becomes a safety issue which they have to fix. But with dealers you never know. Gives us an update once you go in on monday.
#4
05-11-2008, 10:10 AM
RE: My tire exploded... sort of
Glad to hear you and the rest of the car are okay.
If i were you though, I would take this opportunity to get rid of the other 3 P6's =P
Maybe you can try to ask the dealership to swap on a set of ContiProContacts instead.
TireRack is your best friend.
If i were you though, I would take this opportunity to get rid of the other 3 P6's =P
Maybe you can try to ask the dealership to swap on a set of ContiProContacts instead.
TireRack is your best friend.
#5
05-11-2008, 10:59 AM
RE: My tire exploded... sort of
Jeratain;
I just noticed something from your picture. Is that the remains of the sidewall on the rim? That's really interesting the way that looks. It's as if the portion with the majority of the steel belts and the thread came off as one piece and completely seperated from the sidewall. Sort of reminds me of the Firestone - tread seperation issue with the Explorers. You didn't retrieve the other portion of the tire did you? Definitely please keep us in the loop about this outcome. My P6's are a hair shy of 20K and I'd really be concerned to know that there was a pending recall. Especially since I'm planning on getting rid of them by 25K.
Good luck.
I just noticed something from your picture. Is that the remains of the sidewall on the rim? That's really interesting the way that looks. It's as if the portion with the majority of the steel belts and the thread came off as one piece and completely seperated from the sidewall. Sort of reminds me of the Firestone - tread seperation issue with the Explorers. You didn't retrieve the other portion of the tire did you? Definitely please keep us in the loop about this outcome. My P6's are a hair shy of 20K and I'd really be concerned to know that there was a pending recall. Especially since I'm planning on getting rid of them by 25K.
Good luck.
#6
05-11-2008, 04:43 PM
RE: My tire exploded... sort of
Thanks for the support and well wishes everyone. Yes, thankfully the rest of the car is fine. I had no trouble keeping control of the car and safely pulling over, which is a testament to how awesome this car is.
I'll look into getting new tires, assuming it wont break my bank, but I may just opt for a single new tire for the time being.
L7, yes, the sidewall is still there. I didn't go down and grab the rest of the tire, though I think I know where it is and may be able to go scoop it up off the side of the freeway. Do you think it will help me to prove this should fall under warranty somehow?
I'll look into getting new tires, assuming it wont break my bank, but I may just opt for a single new tire for the time being.
L7, yes, the sidewall is still there. I didn't go down and grab the rest of the tire, though I think I know where it is and may be able to go scoop it up off the side of the freeway. Do you think it will help me to prove this should fall under warranty somehow?
#9
05-13-2008, 08:18 AM
RE: My tire exploded... sort of
It's pretty well known the the Pirelli P6's that come on most A3's are about the worst car/tyre combination available - Audi's margin gain in certain component areas like this one are high. { to offset specific skilled labour assemblies }
In this case - because you hit a physical object prior to the tread separation { if indeed that's what happened } I highly doubt you'll have any luck with warranty { unless you specifically have road hazard insurance }. It's hard to say without retrieving the separated tread - which IS alarming non-the-less.
Has anybody had any tread seperation issues not precipitated by physical damage?
* Because there's nothing like the sniff of a class action lawsuit to get these tyres off our cars.
In this case - because you hit a physical object prior to the tread separation { if indeed that's what happened } I highly doubt you'll have any luck with warranty { unless you specifically have road hazard insurance }. It's hard to say without retrieving the separated tread - which IS alarming non-the-less.
Has anybody had any tread seperation issues not precipitated by physical damage?
* Because there's nothing like the sniff of a class action lawsuit to get these tyres off our cars.
#10
05-13-2008, 12:34 PM
RE: My tire exploded... sort of
ORIGINAL: trentune_f
* Because there's nothing like the sniff of a class action lawsuit to get these tyres off our cars.
* Because there's nothing like the sniff of a class action lawsuit to get these tyres off our cars.
Hmmm..either that or go to a tire company and get some decent tires when the P6s have had their fill! I had Pzeroes on mine, only lasted 12000km. Knew they sucked when I bought the car. But I loved the car, so I can't sue myself for my profligate ways!