Need help with tires and I'm a woman!!!

[lawoman301]

I have a 2009 Pontiac Vibe GT model ...bought brand new...have 38,000 miles on it and tire wear seems good so far. Really have no one to ask that's why I'm here on the forums because I feel that sometimes women get ripped off going to have work done on their cars so please be nice when you respond!!haha!!
I don't see the tread wear indicators showing and even though I know I don't have to I have had my tires rotated and balanced every 3,000 miles since I bought it. And, yes although the original factory tires are quite noisy and rough I kind of expected that since they are low profile tires. I actually have not had any real problems with the original factory tires and live in Ohio and found in the winter they handled exceptionally well surprisingly so I want to purchase the same tires if need be but don't have the original sticker telling me the exact tire model it was. I know that they are Goodyear tires and I know how to read the tire size and so forth on the side wall but does anyone know the exact model that came from the factory because I liked them???? And just for conversation sake I had Goodyear GT's on a previous car and absolutely HATED them in the rain and snow...worst tires I ever had but it also could have been the make/model of that car!!!
I have an appointment this Sat (10-13-2012) for the dealer to just check my tires and brakes and to rotate/balance the tires but I want to be prepared if they tell me that I could possibly need new tires!!! How many miles should I really look at getting on the factory tires anyhow??? Like I said, I have no one else to ask...so...please be gentle and informative with your answers and thanks in advance for answering!!

[star_deceiver]

Well, as I recall, The tire you hate came stock on the Vibe GT. IF you've driven the tires gently then they should still be good for another 12000 miles or more, but if they're at the wearbars I'm sure that the dealer will insist you get new tires.

Personally, I have no love or time for Goodyear. There are many better tires to choose from!

Have you thought about using seperate winter tires for when the snow flies?

[jake75]

Re need for snow tires in Ohio - maybe in the Cleveland area of the state - probably not so much here in Columbus and south. I drive "gently" and have never had any tire that I wanted to use after 40,000 miles. In the last 15 years that has not been an issue as I have always bought something new by 35,000 miles anyway. Only at 19,000 on my '09 Vibe so won't be facing tire replacement for another 3 or 4 years. [Would still be driving my '03 if not for a deal I couldn't pass up on the '09.]

[gimmegimme]

The 09 GT came with Goodyear Eagle F1 A/S-C tires.

[09vGT]

I got around 55,000 miles out of the factories. I pushed them to the limit. I then put GoodYear Eagle GT's on them. I like those and I haven't had any problems except with this third set. They are always out of balance. My grandparents liked them so much that they bought a set for their Cadillac CTS.

[lawoman301]

Thanx everyone for responding!! I will take all of your advice and wish me luck at the dealer tomorrow!

[jake75]

Thanx everyone for responding!! I will take all of your advice and wish me luck at the dealer tomorrow!

One final thought - if and when I buy new tires one thing I am going to look for is "quiet" tires. You might want to check the Tire Tack website, and Consumer Reports.

[Flip-Side]

Personally, I have no love or time for Goodyear. There are many better tires to choose from!

I completely agree. Also, I do not see any reason to rotate your tires so frequently. Every 6000 miles is standard, and anything sooner is money wasted in my opinion. I rarely stick with OEM tires, and honestly there is no reason to stick with the same models unless you really like the current ones. I am not a fan of goodyear, kuhmo, hankook, or continental tires.

My favorite all season tires on wagons by far are the BF Goodrich T/A (good performance/dollar)
Michelin in any all season variety is my prefered brand for long life, quiet ride, and best traction, but they are pricey. The wifey's car gets these.

Your tire size should be 215/45-18 and it is always best to know how much the tire costs online before you go in the shop. Price them out and then add $15-$25 dollars per tire for mounting/balancing/and road hazard warranty. If they are a lot higher than this, you should shop around. Discount tire is my favorite place because you can have them credit you for your old tires if they still have tread, and then talk them down on a new set as well. If you dislike haggling, Sams Club is the BEST place to go for simplicity and good pricing on premium tires.

[vibenvy]

The 09 GT came with Goodyear Eagle F1 A/S-C tires.

Your tire size should be 215/45-18

There is all the info you need about the factory tires .

We haven't had any issues with the factory Goodyears on either one of our 2009 Vibe GTs, but I definitely don't think I'd get them again because they are pretty noisy which can be really annoying at times. We switch to 16" steel wheels and all season tires for the winter months to preserve the factory 18" wheels, so it should be some time yet before we need new tires for the 18s. I did have to have one of the factory Goodyears replaced on my Vibe a couple years ago after a freak incident left one of the tires and wheels completely decimated. At that time, a new 215/45/18 Goodyear Eagle F1 A/S-C tire was around $185.00 give or take a few dollars.

I rotate our tires every 5000 miles. I do agree that every 3000 miles is a little overzealous. It's obviously better than not rotating them at all like so many people do, but since you're paying someone else to do it, it's kind of a waste of money. The wheels also shouldn't need to be balanced every time. Typically wheels only need to be balanced if a weight comes off or if the tires are removed and re-installed for any reason.

As others have suggested, check out Tire Rack for reviews, pricing, etc. on tires before you go buying anything from the dealer.

Oh, and don't ever let anyone intimidate you when it comes to automotive stuff just because you're a woman. Do your research and go in there knowing exactly what you're talking about and they will respect you for it. I know this from personal experience !

[lawoman301]

Well, I went to the dealership this morning and they told me that all of my tires looked great except for one since it was dry-rotted and has a crack along the back sidewall. They suggested that I replace all (4) since that is what the owners manual states
And yes, it probably is a little overzealous to get my tires rotated and balanced every 3,000 miles but I have done this on every car I have ever owned because the dealership(s) around here include that in the price of your oil change. I pay $26.95 currently for an oil change which includes the rotation and balance, a 26-point inspection, topping off all my fluids, lube and they wash my car to boot!!! So as long as I don't have to pay for it and if it's going to save me some money in the long-run why not?? This is actually the 1st time I have had to get tires sooner than the estimated mileage you should get out of tires and I attribute that to the low profile tires on this vehicle since they already have less tread!
To the poster that stated that I should not let dealerships intimidate me because I am a woman...trust me I don't intimidate easily...I always go in there prepared with all the info I need from the internet...what I should have stated instead is that sometimes I feel women get taken advantage of just because they might not be as well-versed as men when it comes to cars.
Anyways, they also told me that I need brakes all around which I think is ridiculous given the 38,000 miles only and I'm not a heavy braker!! My brakes have never felt quite right since buying it brand new and I still think the Vibe should have also been included in the "Brake part" of the last recall alike all the other cars and not just the accelerator/car mat part. But, oh well. They gave me a quote of like $1,275 without labor!!! Ouch!! And they also informed me of yet another recall which I'm sure you have all heard about...the power window motor..but were unable to complete that until I receive the paper copy of the recall in the mail!!! Great day off!! haha!!
Thanx again to all of you that helped me out!

[vibenvy]

And they also informed me of yet another recall which I'm sure you have all heard about...the power window motor..but were unable to complete that until I receive the paper copy of the recall in the mail!!!

I guess that confirms that GM is indeed going to issue a recall for this eventually .

[trb]

Well, I went to the dealership this morning and they told me that all of my tires looked great except for one since it was dry-rotted and has a crack along the back sidewall. They suggested that I replace all (4) since that is what the owners manual states
And yes, it probably is a little overzealous to get my tires rotated and balanced every 3,000 miles but I have done this on every car I have ever owned because the dealership(s) around here include that in the price of your oil change. I pay $26.95 currently for an oil change which includes the rotation and balance, a 26-point inspection, topping off all my fluids, lube and they wash my car to boot!!! So as long as I don't have to pay for it and if it's going to save me some money in the long-run why not?? This is actually the 1st time I have had to get tires sooner than the estimated mileage you should get out of tires and I attribute that to the low profile tires on this vehicle since they already have less tread!
To the poster that stated that I should not let dealerships intimidate me because I am a woman...trust me I don't intimidate easily...I always go in there prepared with all the info I need from the internet...what I should have stated instead is that sometimes I feel women get taken advantage of just because they might not be as well-versed as men when it comes to cars.
Anyways, they also told me that I need brakes all around which I think is ridiculous given the 38,000 miles only and I'm not a heavy braker!! My brakes have never felt quite right since buying it brand new and I still think the Vibe should have also been included in the "Brake part" of the last recall alike all the other cars and not just the accelerator/car mat part. But, oh well. They gave me a quote of like $1,275 without labor!!! Ouch!! And they also informed me of yet another recall which I'm sure you have all heard about...the power window motor..but were unable to complete that until I receive the paper copy of the recall in the mail!!! Great day off!! haha!!
Thanx again to all of you that helped me out!

3,000 miles is a bit much even for the oil changes, as GM only recommends to change it every 5,000 miles unless it is being used under "extreme " conditions. If you are truly getting the tires balanced too, that is a steal of a price as my local dealer charges more than $27 regular price for just the oil change and tire rotation and inspections. Balancing is about $30 extra.

No way that a brake job at 38,000 miles should cost anywhere near $1,275. That is robbery. I could see that much if you used factory GM parts and had to get all new rotors and new calipers because you drove it too long after totally wearing the pads down to metal and damaged beyond repair all the calipers which is basically impossible, especially on a 3 yr old car. My dealer charges $99.99 per axle (less a $25 rebate for a net of $75) for a brake job that is just replacing the pads and turning the rotors. I have 51K on my 2010 and the brake pads are nowhere near needing replacement.

[tpollauf]

Welcome to this great forum As another Ohioan I can speak for all of us when we'd like to know your exact location here in Ohio. Update your profile showing this. If your in the Cincinnati area then your winters are not bad. Up along Lake Erie then watch out. I'll assume that ridiculous quote you got was for Tires & brakes .. and that was for parts only? OUCH !!! Hold off on the tires and I'd probably hold off on the brakes also. Your mileage is too low to justify spending that kind of money just yet. Post pics soon and fill us in on the history of your Vibe

[Flip-Side]

I'll assume that ridiculous quote you got was for Tires & brakes .. and that was for parts only? OUCH !!! Hold off on the tires and I'd probably hold off on the brakes also. Your mileage is too low to justify spending that kind of money just yet.

Yes, please do not buy in to their BS. Honestly,any brake shop chain will beat the pants off their price...labor included. The only parts that should be replaced at that mileage is your front brake pads, which cost a whopping total of $50 for premium pads or $25 for autozone cheapos. Add a bit of labor in and it should be around or under $150 for the fronts, total, at a shop. Toss in rotor resurfacing (turning) and it should still be around $200.

Those tires should not be dry rotted so early in life. Clearly defective and should be replaced and pro-rated. Is your car under warranty? If it is, and these are the original tires, the defective one should be replaced with an identical tire and you pay the difference for the miles you already drove on the original. No issues should arise if the new tire is matched (brand and model) to the remaining tires on your vehicle. They still make these exact tires...no reason to replace them all.

[lannvouivre]

$1275 is...wow. That's a little excessive.

[Kincaid]

I also agree that it is doubtful that the tire has any problem from dry rot. The tire is too young.

Also doubt that the car needs a brake job at 38k miles. I recently had to replace the OEM rear brakes of our Honda accord (bought new in 2001) at just over 88k miles. No way the rears on your Vibe need to be replaced.

Shame you don't live near me - I'd replace the front and rear pads for you for free, just to spite that shop. I doubt there is any needs for rotors to be turned or surfaced either. The rotors have just undergone 38k miles of sanding with a hard brake pad any now they try to tell you they need to be scraped some more?