Tire Wear Out Because of Roundabouts?
 

I have a 2009 Mercedes ML SUV. When it had 105,000 miles on it I bought it new Michelin Premiere LTX tires. Not run flats, regular tires. It now has 129,000 miles on it. Yesterday I stopped at Sumter tire, because I had a low tire warning signal. A nice lady there aired up all my tires, then shocked me by saying the front tires were worn down to something that told her I needed new tires. I said there's hardly any miles on these tires, then she asked if I go around the roundabouts a lot. My other car, for years is an F-350 crew cab 4x4..... it gets new Michelins around every 100,000 miles. Needing new tires in 24,000 miles makes no sense to me, and if the roundabouts cause it, what about the back tires, they go around them too. Does this make any sense to anybody?

Slow down…..

No, but that analogy helps sell tires.:crap2:

https://www.talkofthevillages.com/fo...03/index3.html

Troublesome Roundabout Tyre Wear in Milton Keynes Mobile Tyre Fitting!

I rotate tires every 5,000 miles my last set rated for 60,000 miles, changed at 75,000 my son now has the car with 125,000 tires/tread still good

Totally agree along with alignment and tire rotation. Have over 40k on tires on two cars with 80% miles in the villages. Still have plenty of tread.

Me again, the OP..... According to Google.... seems the Michelin Premiere LTX is the worst tire ever for wearing out prematurely. I'll take them back where I bought them and see if they will prorate the price toward new tires.

I use Tire Rack for info on tires, wear, noise, traction, etc. they have never failed on their ratings. So when to get your rebate for the early failure of these tires, I would go to Wildwood Tire and ask them to install the tires you have chosen, unless they have a better recommendation. Our family has been using them since 2013, and are very pleased with their service.

I bought the tires at Wildwood Tire. I like them too.

Just had to replace tires on my 2019 Acura at 30,000/3yrs. Very disappointed. I only go around the circles counter clockwise so perhaps that's the problem. Replaced them with tires that have a much longer tread wear claim. I'll reply back in 4 to 5 yrs and let you know how it goes. In the mean time I'll be looking for circles to go around clockwise to balance the wear better > Don't blow your horn at me if you see me >:pray:I'm very sensitive.

Bring car to UK for a few months a year.
Not only good for your tires, but you will learn how to navigate roundabouts correctly, then you could hold roundabout navigation classes on TOTV! :icon_wink:

This is a scam to sell more tires. - the Nissan dealership tried that one on me also - I rejected his theory and am still on original tires with plenty of tread left after 34,000 miles - don’t fall for it!!

Jolly good show
 

england drives on the left because their forefathers favored their right hand sword 🗡️ drawing to those they met on the road
wot! Wot!

Thank you for bringing a smile to my face….. love the Roundabout analogy .. they are still laughing in the shop

Tire Wear on Front Tires
 

Sounds like the first thing mentioned was "after she added air to my tires". Guess what, low air pressure is the worst thing for tire wear. I check my tires at least monthly and more when temperatures are changing from hot to cold and cold to hot! Try it, I am certain tires will last longer. Cannot rely on tire pressure unit in wheels.

BOBNYCE , you are spot on ! Low tire pressure

It's very easy to check your tire tread yourself. I'm glad you didn't get baited.

Seriously, don’t you turn clockwise when entering and exiting a roundabout, thus equaling the tire wear? OP, check your alignment. Bad alignment eats tires and gas mileage.

Many factors can lead to premature tire wear, but I doubt the roundabouts played much of a role. Worn out suspension, front end alignment, wheel balance, failure to rotate, and improper inflation can all lead to early wear. A combination of those factors can multiply the wear. Have you checked the actual tread depth? What about the wear pattern? A tire worn more toward the edges as opposed to the center would indicate underinflation. A tech who knows hoe to "read" the wear pattern can tell you a lot about the underlying reasons.

Also some tires have a softer rubber compound which is great for handling but terrible for wear.

What does it yellow light mean? Jim Ignatowski, Taxi!. Slooow Doown.

Tire wear
 

Tire wear on front tires is usually due to inflation issues. More flex and scrubbing with lower pressures. I have not had the wear issues since I learned the hard way.

Having owned several European sedans, I have an opinion based on my experience. The tires that Mercedes, BMW, etc. recommend for their vehicles are very “soft” tires that tend to wear out quicker than tires on other vehicles (such as an SUV). The tires are quiet, perform well, etc. but they dont seem to last very long or at least as long as I think they should. They also seem to be more expensive.

Tell 'em you want a NASCAR service. Gas and right-side tires.

Road conditions do make a difference.
 

I lived and drove in West Virginia and the Pittsburgh areas with the constant curves and up and down hills. It absolutely factors in early tire and brake wear.
It's important to always check tire inflation. Low pressure wears the tires out faster.

You should check your tires yourself to verify. Take a penny and if Lincoln’s head is visible there good

I have a tire warning system, I suspect they were low because of the freezing weather, I don't usually run them low.

My daughter wore out her rear tires 1st on her X7 BMW. I wonder why!

No, it makes no sense that a guy goes to an auto mechanic just to have air put into his tires.

Tire wear
 

Yes roundabouts wear tires as do any corners. But if your low tire light came on it means you were driving on under inflated tires for awhile, also you have put about 25000 miles on your car sooooo those tires should have been rotated at least 4 times. Your problem is caused by lack of due diligence on your part. Check the air pressure monthly rotate every 6000 and your tire will last longer and wear evenly. Also don't forget to have the alignment checked. Happy motoring

Tire age
 

Tread may be good but I'll bet they are past their expiration date, have dry rot and the rubber has hardened so they are very slippery in wet weather. It is time for him to replace the tires for his and his passengers safety.

Do you verify that the tires were indeed worn to the extent Sumter Tire indicated?

Not likely
 

You stated it's front tire wear only, you drove them under inflated as the wear will indicate, and you didn't rotate. Not a tire defect and owner maintenance defect

Tire wear
 

I doubt the roundabouts are the reason for accelerated wear. Many years in the auto repair industry leads me to this statement. Check tire pressure, low press is most likely the guilty culpret. Next check the alinement.If worn on either side there is a problem. Maybe slow down. Doubt that is a problem in an ML. BTW, I would carry 5lbs more air than recommended. They recommend a bit lower to improve the ride quality Rotation, ALL the does is make you replace all the tires at once. If a tire wears abnormally fix the problem,dont put another tire on there to do the same.

These Michelin XLT tires are known for wearing out because of the materials used to make these tires and have many complaints. Not because of roundabouts.

Yes, roundabouts, which here anyway are all counterclockwise, can put uneven wear on tires (one side will be worn down more than the other--something you can easily check yourself) but the higher the speed in a roundabout the more stress you put on that side of the tire.

Agree with many of the other posts: regular rotation (5,000 mile interval) and proper air in the tires will help them wear evenly.

We've had our Rav4 serviced by Sumter Tire and Auto since we moved here. Honest folks who have NEVER tried to sell us something we don't need.

Front End Alignment
 

Sounds like you need a front end alignment. Were the tires worn more on the inside? That would require a camber adjustment. Fairly common as the suspension bushings begin to age.

I take roundabouts at about 20 mph, and I use a lot of them. Yes, that will definitely cause a lot more tire wear than driving on good straight roads. On the other hand, potholes are rare in The Villages, compared to roads outside The Villages, so that helps a bit. I lived for decades in the mountains of Pennsylvania, and driving on twisty mountain roads was very hard on front tires. Rotating them helped. An SUV tends to be top heavy and have a lot of lean, so roundabouts will have even more of an effect on your tire wear.

You state that your vehicle has 120,000 miles on it, how many times have you had an alignment done on it? I don't buy the idea that occasional driving through round abouts would cause that much wear. You should have a recommended service schedule in your owners manual, have you read it and followed the recommendations? With proper mechanical maintenance most modern cars can last as much as 300,000 miles, some brands even more.

I bought a new Lincoln MKX with the same Michelin Premier tires. I only got 24000 miles on them before I had to replace the entire set. We are only here in The Villages 5-6 months/yr. so while round abouts don’t help it’s not the total problem. I then replaced them with Michelin Latitude and they were still on the car when I traded it in with 65K.