There may be a requirement that applies to your make/model/year that all 4 tire’s diameter must match to within a certain distance limit. Otherwise the car’s handling, steering, and traction may suffer and possibly be unsafe. When Tesla changed just the one tire, perhaps the other tires were nearly new as well, so the diameters of all 4 still matched ok. You are correct that a Tesla Dealership is where to ask.
All cars have strict tires requirements, every owner’s manual states that all tires should match in brand, and tread type, tread depth should be nearly the same on all four tires.
People don’t follow these guidelines: half of the vehicles that pass through the shop each day have had one damaged tire replaced, tread depth is often 3/32" to 4/32" greater on the replacement tire.
One of the bullet points above: “Do not use tires that have been on another vehicle”. Can we be assured the tire dealer won’t sell the used Tesla tires to another customer? Does everyone follow these guidelines?
Discount tire will fix flats for free. If tire is <5yrs old. And is not at wear bars.
the 9 months is only relevant if you have not driven much in the last 9 months. If you have put on 30,000 of the vehicles 32,000 miles in the last month, then it is conceivable that the tire is worn.
If you have only put 500 miles on in the last 9 months, then the tire shop is likely lying to you.
We don’t have eyes on the tires, so this is a call you need to make. You can always have it towed elsewhere for a second opinion.
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I know most Tesla vehicles do not come with spare tires. There are a few reasons behind Tesla’s decision to leave out the spare tire, such as practicality, weight, lack of use, free roadside assistance, and inefficient labor. Instead, they have a “tire repair kit” that includes a can of tire inflator and a compressor. Was the tire too badly damaged to use the repair kit and compressor, or you saying, “What, a tire repair kit, where, in the trunk, I did not know…”
Both, I think. The tire must have had a fairly bad hole.
We ended up replacing all four tires due to no clear alternative options. This may or may not have been the right thing. Tesla’s advice would have helped us but we did not, to the best of my knowledge, receive the follow-up that we were told we would receive.
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A Tesla representative will only read from the manual and when in doubt tell you to replace 4 tires. Only you and the tire store can inspect the tires and make the judgement if you can complete your trip with one new tire. Your new tire store only sells 4 at a time.
I’m not an expert, but I can tell you that there is only one respectable tire shop near me I know of that is willing to mix new and old tires, especially if the vehicle has AWD, but for the most part, in any case.
The tire shop that does happens to be the best respected tire shop. What they do is “shave” the new tire to the tread depth of the old ones. I’m not sure the other shops even have the equipment to shave tires.
(BTW, even they won’t mix tires of different types, though I’m not sure if that applies to certain sports cars that use different size tires front and rear - whose owners do very much seem to prefer that shop. The only tire stores that do that seem rather disreputable, and often sell retreads.)
Perhaps it matters how you use your vehicle. If you are seriously using it as an SUV, meaning you go into snow or mud (BTW, dirt roads can turn to mud in the rain) (I’m not sure about dry sand, but suspect it is similar), and you don’t drive very, very carefully, a deeper tread tends to get more traction on those surfaces. Some people claim that really good all weather or all terrain tires, with deep treads, make more difference than AWD or 4WD does. That has been consistent with my own experience - when I had a 4WD truck, really good tires did make more difference than using 4WD in the snow or mud - though using both did even better, especially if I added traction mats - and I’ve not found any tires that work well on sheer ice or ice coated grass (my state doesn’t allow studded snow tires, or chains, except in emergencies).
On dry pavement, maybe you can get by for a while with the old 3, if you can find a shop that can shave tires? Obviously you would have to pay for the tow - but for the cost of 3 really good tires, maybe it’s worth it. You may also find a really good honest shop would be willing to repair your old tire, especially if the damage isn’t in the sidewall.
Your shop is not mixing new and old tires, they are basically taking the new tire and making it old by shaving it down to match the other tires current tread depth…
That is the same thing as not mixing tires of different tread depths, they just shave them down to match the other tires tread depth…
I mentioned that the local Subaru does that as well…
But that takes time that a lot of customers don’t have…
That is why the tire shops recommend all 4 tires on certain AWD vehicles… I think only one place in Nashville can shave tires, so it is not feasible to make a customer wait however long to send out one tire to be shaved…
Plus most customers don’t understand that they are paying full price for a tire, then having to pay to have 1/2 the tread shaved off and that that 80K mile warranty no longer remains…
I always pushed Road Hazard on AWD vehicles, BUT I would prorate ALL 4 (or 2 if allowed) Tires out according to use, not just the one damaged tire…
But I also repaired the tire as long as it was within the limits of a proper flat repair…
With such little time left on lease….
Tell them you want the ONE tire replaced or your next stop is Better Business Bureau and your state’s consumer affairs bureau.
Insane!
Ever dealt with the local bbb? I’m sure the lease agreement has a minimum tread depth on turn in so pay me now or later.
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Unfortunate. You get new tires now and turn car in soon. Should have got new tires last year. At least get some use.
Quite bluntly, I’d tell you to take your car and get the hell out of my shop and never return.
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And I would be happy to leave. And have.
I didn’t read the lease agreement, so I’ll take your word for it.
Years ago, I asked a service writer why none of the customers with Lexus lease vehicles will buy new tires when near the end of their lease, some will drive for months with 2/32" tread.
I was told that the lease agreement allows the lessee to return the vehicle with worn tires. The reason: lease return vehicles will in most cases get new tires (and brakes) to meet CPO standards before being retailed. If one tire measures less than 6/32", the vehicle gets a complete set of tires.
Maybe he lied to me, people on the internet say CPO means nothing.
Read your lease agreement, you might be giving the recipient of the lease vehicle a gift, free tires.
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