Dealer replacing only one tire with DIFFERANT Model

You should probably never trust the dealer's sales department nor their service department. Verify what you have been told directly with the tire manufacturer.

Yokohama.

It would be an interesting exercise to have someone else call your dealer in a few days and ask if they would replace just one tire. Please let us know the outcome.

 

Its not a good idea to replace a single tire at a time, especially if the others have some wear on them. Its better at a minimum to replace in pairs so that you have the same diameter and tread pattern on each side for consistent handling and braking.

In a way, this is false economy because when the other 3 tires are ready for replacement, you are going to be throwing away the 4th tire which has less mileage. So, you either throw it away (recycle) it now, or later when the others need to be replaced.

In your situation (which happened to me with 15k miles with a non repairable puncture) I would buy a matching tire (to make a pair) and replace the damaged tire and the worst of the remaining so that I had a pair of the same tires at each end.

 

Ditto dogfriend. When you do that, put the two new tires at the rear and the two best old tires at the front.

 

On a FWD don't you put the best tires on the front?

 

It's safer to have the less-worn tires at the rear in any car because that reduces the chances of fishtailing (oversteer). An added benefit on a front-wheel drive car is that it minimizes the need to rotate the tires: the front pair wears out first, at which time you move the less-worn pair from the rear to the front, and again put two new tires on the rear.

 

Two thoughts:

1. Its easier for most drivers to control a skid at the front of the car than the rear.

2. The tires on a FWD will wear much faster than the rear. So if you buy a pair of new tires and put them at the rear, you can then leave the older tires on the front until they wear out. Then buy a matching set so that all 4 tires are the same type and tread again.

 

Without question, the tires should have been replaced in pairs. But, if you're left holding the bag, you might try to match your other three tires. Here in SE Michigan, we have not only the chain stores selling new rims and tires to spruce up a new car/truck, but we also have some independents. I've found that the independents put the take-offs into their used inventory, and that you can match a great many different rims and tires. So, perhaps you can match your other three if the dealer leaves you in the lurch.


PS: If you can't find one locally & want me to hunt around here, just let me know.

 

In an uncontrolled slide without ABS, the tires with the best grip want to become the rear tires, regardless of where they are installed on the car. Few drivers do well when the original front is suddenly redefined as the new rear.