Bought a new 2008 Camry the had Bridgestone Turenaz EL400 on them At 8K miles found out they were worn straight across and I needed new tires. Dealer checked alignment said all was OK had to buy 4 new tires at 12K miles. I rotate, balance, align all without the guidelines- bought Pirelli P4 all weather tires now as of this date my car had 31K miles and I need a new set of tires before the winter- took it back to the dealer checked struts, camber alignment and still no answer. I have contacted CA. Toyota customer service - still not help- I need to find out what is wrong with this car. I am a mature adult and do not hot rod the car- I have it serviced every 3K miles and took it back to the dealer to look at but the issue is still not solved - why 2 sets of tires in 31K miles? Any ideas or help will be appreciated.
Thanks,
Sambaqueen
What roads do you drive on? It looks like you live in Cali by your post. Does anyone else drive the car?
On a completely different but much more interesting topic, I’m pleased that Basia has continued to sing great samba songs since she left Matt Bianco. I know, it’s been 30 years, but their songs are still fabulous.
Are you wearing out all four tires, or just two, and if just two, are they the front or rear?
If you are wearing out all four and you can’t see any pattern, then I suggest that you STOP rotating your tires. You have an alignment issue, but you are rotating too frequently to see which wheel/wheels are out and what type of pattern it would generate.
Hi Keith-
All 4 tires are worn straight across. The current tread readings are:left front -inside 5/32,center 4/32, outside 4/32, right front : inside 4/32, center 4/32/ outside 3/32,
left rear - inside 5/32, center 5/32, outside 5/32-
right rear inside 5/32, center 6/32, outside 6/32.
I have read that the alignment tolerances are too wide to ensure good tire wear - dealer will only align within specs and I am not alone in having tire wear- I need Toyota to fix the front end or something? I am trying to find a fix for this issue and obviously I know nothing about cars- that’s why I am on this site. Looking for ideas.
thanks
Just to cover basics, How often do you check your tire pressure? what do you set them at? How much weight do you typically have in your car? Does your car pull in any direction while driving?
I check tire pressure 1per month- I have the garage do it and it is at 32- I do not have any weight in the car and car is going straight it had problems pulling to the right from day one -
I would be tempted to take the car to either an independent alignment shop or a good independent tire dealer that does alignment. Independent tire dealers have a reputation to protect and often employ a good alignment specialist. These shops may be able to give you an opinion as to what the problem might be. I am betting on improper alignment.
I agree with Triedaq. A independent shop is likely to do a more precise alignment if you ask them too. Be sure to ask for a print out afterward!
My guess is Alignment, and as stated take to a independent shop for alignment, (Not a national tire chain), pay close attention to the camber. You may need a caster/camber bolt kit to make the alignment right.
Quote: “I do not have any weight in the car and car is going straight it had problems pulling to the right from day one -” Unquote
Yes, you do have weight in the car. You have you in the car. Do you have abrasive roads in your area as touched on by jtsanders?
I don’t have any extra weight such as items in the trunk of the car- just myself .The roads are major highways here in central NJ and after the winter are rough but in general I think I need someone who knows alignments and as mentioned to me a caster/camber bolt kit to make it right- anyone know a good independent alignment shop in central NJ?
SAMBAQUEEN, you missed my point. If you rotate your tires frequently, you will get even tire wear because the rotation will mask the alignment problem. You need to keep each tire in one location long enough to see a pattern develop. It can take 10k+ miles before the pattern starts to show.
Now, even if you do that, you could still get even tire wear that is excessive due to alignment. For example, if you had excessive negative camber which would cause the inside to wear, combined with excessive toe in which would cause wear on the outside, you could have even wear, but rapid wear at the same time.
This can affect only one tire, but if you keep rotating the tires all the time, you won’t be able to figure out which side is doing it.
The dealer may not be the best place to be taking the car. You should check out local shops that do alignment and find one with the best reputation and take it there. It could be money well spent.
thank you for the information.