# Wrong set of front tires **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Created:** [November 17, 2013, 12:33am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/wrong-set-of-front-tires/82266 "2013-11-17T00:33:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![supat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7ab992/32.png) [@supat](https://community.cartalk.com/u/supat)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2013, 12:33am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/wrong-set-of-front-tires/82266/1 "2013-11-17T00:33:53Z")
Hi, I have a mazda cx-9 grand touring the manufaturer recomended tire size is 245/50 R20 I had all the 4 tires installed new yesterday I have found out that the tires installed in the front are not the same as the ones in the back. The front installed ones are 235/55 r20 and the rear ones are 245/50 r 20 I am not even sure weather it is safe to drive back to the dealership please advice. Thanks Supat ---
**Author:** ![Triedaq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/65b543/32.png) [@Triedaq](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Triedaq)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2013, 1:43am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/wrong-set-of-front-tires/82266/2 "2013-11-17T01:43:14Z")
You should be o.k. driving back to the dealer, but do make the dealer replace the tires with the correct size. ---
**Author:** ![jtsanders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@jtsanders](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jtsanders)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2013, 2:05am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/wrong-set-of-front-tires/82266/3 "2013-11-17T02:05:11Z")
Take it back and have the proper size installed if that’s what you want. The front tires are 235-mm wide; 10 mm narrower than Mazda recommends. The 50 or 55 is the height of the sidewall as a percentage of the tread width. In this case, the new tires are about a quarter inch taller. Neither is likely to be a problem, but if you are more comfortable with the Mazda recommended size, make them replace the tires. Do it soon so high at they can’t complain that you waited a month or more. ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2013, 2:21am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/wrong-set-of-front-tires/82266/4 "2013-11-17T02:21:44Z")
Is your CX-9 all-wheel drive (AWD)? If it is, I’d have the dealer tow it back, just to make sure it doesn’t damage the AWD mechanism. ---
**Author:** ![db4690](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/db4690/32/2583_2.png) [@db4690](https://community.cartalk.com/u/db4690)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2013, 2:56am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/wrong-set-of-front-tires/82266/5 "2013-11-17T02:56:18Z")
The dealer clearly made a mistake, and I’m very confident that they will install the correct front tires. However, I’m not so confident they’ll pay for a tow bill. ---
**Author:** ![supat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7ab992/32.png) [@supat](https://community.cartalk.com/u/supat)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2013, 3:05am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/wrong-set-of-front-tires/82266/6 "2013-11-17T03:05:15Z")
Yeah it is an awd ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2013, 3:27am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/wrong-set-of-front-tires/82266/7 "2013-11-17T03:27:10Z")
I’d tell them to either come get it, or give you a guarantee in writing regarding the drive train. See if that works. ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2013, 3:55am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/wrong-set-of-front-tires/82266/8 "2013-11-17T03:55:32Z")
Depending on how the tire dealer chooses to treat you in the wake of their screw-up may help you to decide whether to ever patronize that shop again. A sincere apology, coupled with an offer to flat-bed your vehicle (towing is **not** recommended for AWD vehicles) to their shop, coupled with something like a hefty discount coupon with no time limit, would be appropriate, and if I was treated in this manner, I would consider returning to the shop when I next needed tires. On the other hand, if someone says (or implies) that you are making a big deal over, “nothing”, or if they are grudging in their treatment of you, I would suggest that you make your second visit to this shop your last visit to the shop. ---
**Author:** ![ok4450](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ok4450](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ok4450)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2013, 7:12am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/wrong-set-of-front-tires/82266/9 "2013-11-17T07:12:16Z")
Considering the AWD aspect of this and how blatant the problem is, you should politely ask the dealer to correct the problem by sending a flat bed tow truck to get it and installing the size of tire the vehicle came with. If polite doesn’t work, then you get nasty if necessary. This was either a very egregious mistake or someone was trying to clear out some orphan tires in the hope that you wouldn’t notice. ---
**Author:** ![dagosa](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/dagosa/32/9837_2.png) [@dagosa](https://community.cartalk.com/u/dagosa)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2013, 9:46am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/wrong-set-of-front-tires/82266/10 "2013-11-17T09:46:53Z")
Definitely get the dealer to take them back and replace tires. If the dealer is close by, there should be little problem. But, I would not drive on the interstate or drive very fast, or very far. It DOES increase wear with different tire diameters. Personally, I would add a few lbs of air to the lower tire… Funny, but that tells you that a tire specialist may be a safer bet to buy tires. They are over priced and now you know the dealer is incompetent. This is a bad combination. ---
**Author:** ![supat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7ab992/32.png) [@supat](https://community.cartalk.com/u/supat)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2013, 2:17am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/wrong-set-of-front-tires/82266/11 "2013-11-20T02:17:40Z")
Talked to the dealer and he ordered the 2 correct tires. Gave a loaner till then. Thanks every one ---
**Author:** ![oldtimer-11](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e79b87/32.png) [@oldtimer-11](https://community.cartalk.com/u/oldtimer-11)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2013, 3:13am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/wrong-set-of-front-tires/82266/12 "2013-11-20T03:13:16Z")
Some of you are being obsessive about tire size differences, it won’t hurt the car a bit to drive the car across town to the dealer. You will put more strain on the differentials going around a traffic circle. ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2013, 3:20am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/wrong-set-of-front-tires/82266/13 "2013-11-20T03:20:43Z")
Maybe, but why should OP take that risk, when it was the dealer’s fault? ---
**Author:** ![oldtimer-11](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e79b87/32.png) [@oldtimer-11](https://community.cartalk.com/u/oldtimer-11)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2013, 3:27am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/wrong-set-of-front-tires/82266/14 "2013-11-20T03:27:08Z")
I think there is a lot more risk getting winched up onto a flatbed than there is driving this car to the dealer.