Gouge in tire sidewall

True but they may not put the tires on that one would prefer to have on the car for the next four years. Maybe they would provide an allowance or something but I’d want to pick the tires to put on myself. We’re not talking a whole lot of money in the long run.

I see a big gouge in the middle of the first letter of what looks like “CONTINE…”there is a scuff mark to the left of the gouge that runs into the gouge.

The tires are near shot anyway. They wouldn’t be tires you’d want to start the winter with in Minnesota anyway. It’s a little early but winter will be coming around again.

Thanks everyone for your input. I agree that at least the back tires are shot (4/32).

The front tires are close to 6/32 (between 5 and 6), but one looks to be plugged with one of those rope plugs.

Regarding the sidewall damage, there are two gouges. One is on the C, and the other is on the N. The outer part of the rim is also scuffed, most likely from the same incident that gouged the tire.

I have an appointment to bring in the car tomorrow. We’ll see what they say.

those kinds of “scuffs” doesn’t come from washing it too hard…

That tire has had some sort of impact, and a pretty decent one from the amount of sidewall gone. I’d be replacing it it pretty quick. and if you can get Carmax to help- then more power to you.

This is great advice if you’re purchasing a vehicle from a private seller, or from a dealer where you can (and did) negotiate the price down due to the worn-out tires. This is not good advice when you’re paying top dollar at a “no haggle” dealer, which advertises itself as the “no-hassle way to buy a car” and charges a huge price premium for that reason.

It is simply not reasonable to pay a high retail price, which assumes dealer reconditioning for a vehicle with tires that must be replaced soon. Do not think for one moment that the dealer who took the vehicle in as a trade did not low-ball the customer who traded it in due to the worn-out tires. Whether or not CarMax took this in as a trade-in directly, or whether they bought it at auction from the dealer who did, you can be sure that the price CarMax paid took the tires–and any other noticeable defects–into consideration.

Those 2 lines are NOT wear. They are strips of rubber imbedded in the tread rubber to prevent an electrical shock from static electricity.

Ya’ see, some low rolling resistance tires tend to build up static electricity due to the silica used in the tread rubber. Those 2 lines are a different rubber compound that “grounds” the casing of the tire and prevents this.

While it doesn’t look good, it’s not a safety concern - meaning the tire is not going to fail due to that gouge.

More important than the gouge, why would a dealer sell an SUV with that gouge AND tires almost worn out.

My suggestion is to NOT go back. Deal with the tires yourself. These people are not to be trusted. Hopefully the rest of the car is OK.

What did they say ?

They said the tires both “meet their standards.” Regarding the plugged tire, service records confirmed that it was patched and plugged, so we’re good there. It’s still a debate on the tire with sidewall damage (they say it’s fine), but they’re working with me towards a solution.

How much do you want to bet that if you were a customer looking to trade in a vehicle with those tires, they would say the tires are completely unacceptable and ding you big-time on the value?

1 Like

I have never ever disagreed with what Capri said and value his tire knowledge. However, that is not a tire I would want on my car. So all together, the tires are nearly worn out. One has a plug, and another has a scrape. Just put new tires on. It’s for the kids.

1 Like

That is when I would have said " Fine the vehicles is yours again " .

4 Likes

Did they put it in writing? Insist on that, or return the car for another you like on the lot.

+1…and I’d let them know that you’ll be sending pictures to the local media that shows what “tires meet their standards”…

2 Likes

+1
I had thought previously that CarMax was reputable, but after reading about this situation, I have to re-think that opinion.

2 Likes

same…hopefully this is just a bad CarMax