OEM tires on clarity

We’re at 34,000 miles and the tires are showing no indication of needing replacement. It wouldn’t be surprising to have 60,000 miles on the ticket before tread wear necessities new tires. Given our current driving routine, that number could be reached in about 5 years.

 

Replace my oem tires at about 25 k. 2 tires were due for replacement so replaced all 4. My mileage was mostly easy highway miles in Southern California.

 

My OEM set of Michelin Energy Saver A/S lasted barely over 20k. The second set is at 25k and probably can run another 5k, but I'll change them out before that. Last time I drove it in the rain, I could feel that the tires are pretty worn. Unlike some here, I do like the Michelin Energy Saver tires, so I will keep using them.

 

Think I replaced around 45k miles give or take.

 

I need a replacement soon at 35k.

 

I have not replaced OEM tires yet (~38K miles).

I am curious to hear other's criteria for replacement. Some have cited a feeling in the rain.
Personally, I don't feel like my feelers are very dependable and I measure tread depth when rotating the tires.

The last time I rotated (36K) I measured an average depth (all 4 tires, outer, inner, and middle) of 5.2/32nds.
But, the worst reading was 4/32 and the best was 5.8/32.

Is the old school philosophy of 3/32 still a thing? What criteria do others apply to this?

 

The old standard still applies. The tires have built-in thread wear indicator. If you look at the threads, you will find a little rubber threads that go across the the 2 columns of thread. check this pic. https://blogmedia.dealerfire.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/656/2018/11/Finger-Pointing-At-Tire-Treadwear-indicator_b.jpg
If your thread are worn down to that height then you need to replace them.

 

I'm a little more cautious than wearing all the way tread-wear indicator. Usually I change them when there is a very slight amount of tire left over the tread-wear indicator, not much, maybe 1/32 to 1/16.

 

The wear indicator is the lowest you want to go down to. You know when to change when you start hydroplaning in the rain.

 

I know you're partly kidding. You can hydroplane with brand new tires.
Since hydroplaning is insidious and can sneak up on you, it is not a great 'tool' to gauge tire condition !

I have a Ford Ranger that is horrific when it is wet (not hydroplaning, but just very slick). It has very aggressive tread that is nowhere near the wear bars, but I wonder if the tire compound has hardened due to age since it doesn't get used very much. I feel a little silly buying new tires when the old ones 'look' perfectly fine, but it really seems a little dangerous and I have to be very careful with wet roads. Of course pickups are not great anyway because they are very light in the back.

 

At my last rotation at 32k miles the tread ranged from 4-5.5/32. Based on the wear rate, I expect to get at least 40k out of the OEM tires, and then replace them with the same. I'm still using the original battery too (2018 base model).

 

Absolutely possible, hard to say if truck or tires but old tires can kill (Paul Walker is likely the most famous example)

 

Was a tire failure determined to be the cause of the crash? If so, was tire age determined to be the cause of the failure?

 

@MrFixit Remember the crash that killed Paul Walker a few years back. They said the cause of the accident was old tires on the Porsche, which lost traction and the car wrapped around a tree. It does look kinda stupid to replace tires when they looked new but they do expires like everything else.

 

Paul Walker's 100+ mph speed in a 45-mph zone may have exacerbated the problem with the tires. That and the inconveniently placed tree.

 

Who is “they”? The vehicle was a 2005 Porsche CGT. The crash occurred in 2013. In theory that would make the tires 8 years old. The car has a legendary reputation for being extremely challenging to drive.

There is some history available on the vehicle. It had 6 owners. Records indicate that the non-OEM black wheels that were on the car at the time of the crash were installed after the car was sold in 2011. It isn’t clear if those wheels were fitted with new rubber and it would be presumptuous to conclude that a person spending $300K on a used car would splurge for both wheels and tires at the same time. It’s certainly possible that the tires were about 2 years old.

I would also question a forensic report that claims to have accurately determined the age of the tires based on the residue from the fiery crash.

 

Well, I had no idea who Paul Walker was...
I had to google him - Different generation than me.