Tire warranty

The warranty is of course if the tire was defective not if you have damaged the tire. If the tire was defective you should not be charged for the tire itself, you may be charged for putting the tire on the rim and balancing the tire. I'm not sure what the dealer would have to do with it, it should be taken care of by the tire manufacture.

Tires wearing out quickly

Speaking of tire problems... I just found out after a visit to the dealer that the two front tires on my Clarity PEHV are down to 4/32" of tread and need to be replaced. Since I've only put 8,500 miles on the car, this was an unhappy surprise.

The dealer contacted Michelin, who refused to replace the tires for free, but offered a pro-rated amount, which ended up with me buying 2 new tires for $80/each. Their regular retail price for the tire was around $230/each.

My salesman hinted that car companies (ie, Honda) deliberately put soft tires on new cars to give them a better ride, not caring about how quickly the tread wears off afterwards. Sounds plausible.

Any suggestions for good aftermarket tires for the Clarity? I obviously won't be buying any more Michelins.

I believe the tires on the Clarity are low resistance tires. I would think that low resistance would mean less friction and thus less wear. You can go with better handling tires but your mileage might suffer. What tires are on your car (sidewall designation)?

Tim

Tim66 said:

I believe the tires on the Clarity are low resistance tires. I would think that low resistance would mean less friction and thus less wear. You can go with better handling tires but your mileage might suffer. What tires are on your car (sidewall designation)?

Tim

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Yes this is correct. LRR tires are known as low rolling resistance tires and will wear much faster than standard/conventional tires.
What you need to do is rotate them front to rear so that the FWD axle which chews up the treads more, is rotated evenly - every 5,000 miles.

BTW: If you are changing them out, make sure all 4 are changed out - do not mix LRR and standard tires.

Tim66 said:

My Clarity (PHEV Touring) Developed a slow leak in the RF tire soon after I took delivery. According to the manual the tire manufacturer is responsible for the warranty on the tires. It also says the Dealer will help you contact the manufacturer to arrange for a warranty claim. My Honda dealer contacted me and never mentioned a tire warranty just that they could get me a new tire and install it. I mentioned the tire manufacture warranty and the service rep didn't seem to know about it. I'm picking up the car today and just wanted to know if anyone else has had any experience with tire warranty.

Tim

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The manufacturer replacement is pro-rated and says so on your tire brochure that is mixed with your owner's manual.

I have had many cars for years and have to say that I always get tire protection when I get a new car.
Immediately upon getting the new car, I would drive to America's / Discount tire and get them registered with the serial numbers and buy their certificates for about $15 each tire.
If I change out the tires with a new set, I always get the optional Road Hazard Replacement certificates for the life of the tire - it pays for itself with the first tire that gets replaced.
Not to mention free air, tire rotations and wheel balancing is included.

This time for the Clarity, I paid $435 for Honda care which takes care of tire replacements, repairs and oil changes by the dealer - up to 3 years.
Peace of mind and no surprises.

4sallypat said:

...This time for the Clarity, I paid $435 for Honda care which takes care of tire replacements, repairs and oil changes by the dealer - up to 3 years.
Peace of mind and no surprises.

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It appears that tire replacement is not covered by Honda care.

From the Honda care brochure: "Exclusions include, but are not limited to, body parts, tires, maintenance items, glass,
upholstery, trim, carpeting and ornamentation. Claims cannot exceed the cash value
of the vehicle."

Could you tell me what coverage you purchased that covers tires? Thanks.

Tim

At the dealer, I paid $435 for Honda Care Sentinel 3/36 which covers the tire replacements at no cost as well as all oil changes.

I checked with Honda Care on the phone @ (800) 999-5901 and got the terms & conditions which states tires are replaced at no cost during the 3 year/ 36k miles - road hazard or manufacturer defect.

Figure that if a single tire needs replacement and the frequent oil changes this car seems to need - it will pay for itself...

Ok, I called them and got the information I was looking for. It sounds like the tire replacement is covered under the Roadside Assistance Package. I assume it only covers tire replacement if the original tire is non repairable due to a flat. Wouldn't manufacturing defects be the responsibility of the manufacturer? I'll check with the dealer next week when I go in. Thanks for the information.

Tim