Hi guys, anyone here is a tire expert that can offer some ideas?

I had a bulge on the sidewall of one of my rear tires. Took it to the dealer and they replaced it under warranty. A month later, I went in for other services, they claimed that the bulge was not a defect, it's a damage, and therefore not covered under warranty. Now they want to charge me for the tire. And they already threw away the tire, I can’t get a second opinion. I didn't take a picture of it before taking it in. I know I did not hit anything since the car was new. The rim is perfect with no scratches. The car has about 6000 miles. The bulge was small and located in the center of the sidewall. I have seen others scrape tires on a curb with no such problem. What would cause a bulge on a sidewall? Suggestions on the situation? Thank you.

 

hell na they cant charge you for that!!

 

tell them to kiss your ***. and dont go back

 

It could be manufacturer defect or it could be you hitting an object on the road. These defects usually appear pretty early in the tires life or pretty late. As for you not hitting curbs and such, it doesn't have to. If you run over a pothole or even run over stuff that are shaped strangely it could happen. You will not notice the bumps or holes that you went through, it's just how the object contacted the tire.

As for dealer asking for money, that's surprisingly rediculous. As them how they've determined that it was you damaging them. If they have pictures to support it. Of course, they can always pick up some damaged tires and take picture of them, but I doubt they would want to commit fraud against a customer.

If they do show pictures, try to identify if it's ur tire first. Also check picture of the ply fabric to see if it's damaged. If it is, it's 99% most likely maufacturer's defect.

BTW.. My bro drove his bimmer's rear passenger tire into a curb while turning left and popped his tire under 3,000 miles. Dealer told him he hit a curb, but they just replaced it for free... it really depends on the dealer.. I would definitely never go back to that dealer again...

 

WTF, if they looked at it and said yes its covered by warrenty and gave you a new one, they can't come back later and say we changed our minds now pay up... I would just ignore them...

BTW, usally bumps are caused when you bruise the sidewall by hitting something or if you hit a pothole... It would need to be replace, as its dangerous driving with a tire like that..

 

dude....you got away with a good one...since the dealership had agreed to replace the tire under warranty, you shoulda taken that and run...it's BS that they're trying to charge you for it, WHICH, technically, sidewall bubble is due to your driving, you may have hit a bump on the road or a small pothole and not feel it, and it could have caused that sidewall bubble...but sidewall bubbles are usually the fault of the driver and not the tire...especially the OEM tires that come on the Z...those tires have been around for some time, and it's gonna be VERY hard for you to prove that it was the tire's fault...but you can complain and call BS on the dealership for going back on their words

 

The dealer should and will have to eat that one. Hell, the warranty booklet that comes with every new car basically tells you that tires are covered by the tire manufacturer, not by Nissan. If they didn't know that, it's their problem, not yours.

You have the right to receive back any parts that you have to pay to have replaced. If they can't give you the defective tire back, then I wouldn't pay them.

 

No one is going to charge you for anything without you signature on a job order.

 

Thank you guys for your info. Couple thoughts on this subject:
1. From most of your replies, tire bulge is caused by hitting something while driving, and the object or pot hole can be small. What I don’t understand is that why we don’t see more of this problem. How many of you don’t hit small potholes? In fact, I have been driving for over 30 years, with 20+ years on high performance tires of the time, this is the 1st time I have this problem.
2. Sounds like we have consensus that I shouldn’t have to pay the dealer because they screwed up. On the other hand, if the problem is indeed caused by me, I feel obligated to take on at least part of the responsibility. I shall negotiate a deal with them and pick up some of the cost, and see how reasonable they are.

 

That's true, but without the old tire, you can't take it to the manufacturer's shop and get an adjustment on a new one. So while it may be your fault as far as the damaged tires goes, they are partially at fault for preventing you from getting warranty service elsewhere. Seems like you ought to pay the adjusted price and they cover the rest - which isn't a bad deal for either of you since you're dealing from the retail end and they will only pay the wholesale price.

 

+1 - the work is already done therefore the dealer has removed you option for a second opinion or to purchase your tires elsewhere. You got lucky and are in the clear!

 

Tire defect!! Early radial tires were notorious for bulges. It happens when the air seeps between the layers from the inside. Also, low profile tires have stronger sidewalls, so I doubt that a pothole caused this problem. The dealer cannot and should not expect you to pay for the tire a month after they "covered" it. That's just bad business. Tell them it's not your responsibility and you won't be paying for it.