Acura MDX Tires and Sensors

stever

Got tire pressure sensor questions? Getting M+S tires for winter? Talk tires here.

sbcooke

I have an '02 MDX with just about 40k on it. My crossterrains are getting close to needing replacement.

In general I have been extremely happy with these tires. Has anyone put on a better general purpose all weather SUV tire on their MDX?

I have had regular bridgestone duelers on another SUV and don't think they are any better than the michelins.

upstatedoc

Have an '04 w/ 40k+ that we just replaced the tires on. IMO, the michelins are superb tires. Found a great deal on them on samsclub.com, have to be a member though.

wmquan

A lot of MDX owners on another forum have replaced their Michelin Cross Terrain tires with Goodyear Fortera Silent Armor tires. They claim the Fortera's are a significant improvement on their Cross Terrains.

sbcooke

I did a quick search at tirerack.com and the Yokohama Geolanders came up also. They are supposed to be good too. They are much more affordable, however I am not going to sweat an extra $100 either way vs. getting good tires.

I will have to research the Goodyears, I hadn't thought of those as an option. I have been extremely happy with the Michelin's, however a tire upgrade is an easy change to a vehicle and I have the opportunity with a replacement coming up.

The tread wear on the crossterrain's seems more than I would have expected. Going into winter I am not sure if I want to try to get an extra 10k out of them. Summer, I would probably keep them.

guyf

I've installed Nokian WR's on my XC90 and like them a lot. No hydroplaning in a downpour and while a 4 season, they have the winter tire rating. Since my lease is over next June, I bought these rather than a winter tire to go trough winter and spring. We've had some snow so far and the traction is very good for a 4 season.

wmquan

If you're researching on Tirerack.com, check out the customer ratings of the Goodyear Fortera SilentArmor. Very positive feedback, and higher scores than the Cross Terrains.

I have seen a number of positive posts on the Geolanders. I understand there are several models of Geolanders out there, so you have to be careful with which one you get.

From postings and reviews I've read, Nokian WR's are the best thing you can buy close to a winter tire, without actually getting a winter tire. Great if you live in climates where it snows enough to worry about it, but not enough to go with dedicated winter tires. There's no free lunch though. The WR's aren't quite as good as true winter tires, and have some compromises for normal driving.

mformdx

I got a quote at a local store for Bridgestone with uni-t aq II 235/65R17 $500 for all 4 tires. Said Michelin usually lasts around 40K but this new Bridgestone will last till 60K. Not sure if its true or could be just a sales gimmick.

mformdx

For all who switched from the recommended Michelin crossterrain to other tires, did you notice any drop in mileage per gallon ? I believe if the tires are heavier than the crossterrain then you may see a drop. Just curious.

senate

Just replaced original Michelins with 37K on them. I have an 04 also. America's Tire store called Michelin while I waited and got me a partial warranty credit of $44 per tire. The tires are supposed to go to 65K. So, with sales tax also credited, I saved about $200 on these expensive tires.

upstatedoc

Doh!!!!!!
Sorry for the Simpsons reference, I wish I would have known that when I replaced mine w/ only 40K and change on them. I still have the receipt, maybe I still have a chance.

sbcooke

I had a vacation day and I did some tire research. I called around to get prices on cross terrains, called michelin regarding the warranty and then visited the local tire place.

General price is about $200 tax/installed per tire. I think I can do about $190 with shipping and the extra charge for installing non shop tires if I order online.

Michelin said that they typically didn't provide warranty on OEM tires...as the consumer doesn't "pick" them, but they rather just come with the car? I negiotiated slightly and got the woman to agree to "see what she could do". If honored, I would get about 50% back on the cost per tire, as long as the wear is even. My part is that I have to get a shop willing to ship the tires back for inspection, etc. (like they inpsect thousands of tires being returns each day/week...).

So I drove the local shop. They would order the tires, but the would not process the warranty claim. They also told me that they think the tread wear warranties were created by the marketing department and no SUV tires really make it past 40K. Also that it is very difficult to get warranty coverage...which in my opinion is partly because OEM are not covered (which makes no sense to me)...and then when you get a used car, as people flip cars sub 80k these days...no one actually collects.

While there I asked them to measure my current tread depth. My front treads are 6/32" and rears are 4/32 outer and 5/32" inner. They guy at the shop said they are at the legal limit in the back, but fine and should last through the spring...I should probably get new ones when it is time for my next rotation.

He recommended the Bridgestone Dueler Alenza. I have to see what a Michelin dealer can do.

sbcooke

So after all my research, checking with Michelin, driving out to Sears last weekend to line up the deal and warranty claim ahead of time, I got new tires.

I went with the Michelin Cross Terrains again. 35K miles on the OEM, they gave me 35% credit which worked out to about $64 per tire.

I learned or was at least told that the OEM tires are typically softer than the tires that are sold off the shelf, so that was another factor in the tread wear warranty not being honored on factory installed tires.

Either way, with some effort I was able to get new shoes with a good credit. I opted out of the $18 per tire "road hazard protection plan". The whole thing worked out to be $620 out the door. Down from price quotes of ~$850-1000. The guy at Sears was extremely helpful and even gave me a Michelin Man Bobble-Head he had left over from a promotion a while back.

mecheng1

Sounds like you got a good deal.

Goodyears came OEM on my 01 MDX and I switched to Cross Terrains after 45k miles. In the 15k since, I have lost one (possibly two) of these expensive babys to sidewall bubbles caused by "impact fractures". First of all, I always refuse to buy the road hazard insurance, and I am way ahead in $$ over the years (maybe I've been lucky). I have purchased over 40 Michelins over the years and the corporate office was quick to get back to me when I complained about the first "bubble". They insisted that the bubble was caused by an "impact fracture" (implying that I hit a pothole too hard) and offered no assistance with replacing the tire.

Are these all terrain tires as they are marketed? Do they really belong on SUVs if they cannot take hits from potholes? (If I had hit a hole that had bent the wheel - that would be another matter) Are they pushing us to buy the $18 per tire insurance?

I like the performance of the Cross Terrains and ordinarily would not look beyond Michelins - but I don't think the Cross Terrains are up to challenge of the MDX. [However, I still have them on my vehicle]

gordongordo

I bought recently a 2006 certified Acura MDX, low mileage, excellent handling, very handsome and loaded SUV. One problem though: the road noise. It is terrible on the freeways at any speed. A google search found that others have noticed the noise too.

A query: if you have encountered the noise and replaced the Michelin Cross-Terrain 17 inch tires with much quieter ones, kindly indicate what they are.

Thank you, Michael

upstatedoc

Really? I think the cross terrains on my '04 are super quiet. In fact, at 40k miles I replaced them with the same exact tire. How many miles on them, any uneven wear? :confuse:

gordongordo

Upstate:

The MDX I bought (2006, certified) had 22,500 miles on it in November this last year when I bought it. Now about 24,000. The tires (Cross Terrain Michelins) seem in excellent shape. Yesterday, checking the pressure when they were cold, I found that the Acura/Honda service had inflated them a couple of weeks ago to 35 psi, so I reduced it to the OEM recommended 32 psi, and they do seem a little quieter.
I think I'll run them for a few days to see if the tread wears a little differently and reduces the road noise farther. Otherwise, TireRack and Consumer Reports posters suggest a Bridgestone Dueler H/T Alanza --- around $155 each at Firestone stores. Firestone, by the way, and Sears will install new tires for a 30 - 60 day trial and let you return them for other tires or your money if you don't like them. Seems a pretty good deal.

Michael

gtrot

We recently got a flat tire on our 2008 MDX (large nail puncture). I am conserned on wether or not we should take the tire to the dealer and have them fix the flat, or can I take it to my local firestone station and have them fix it. Just want to make sure the TPM System wont be affected if I go outside of the dealer. Any thoughts?

upstatedoc

So you're not looking to replace the tire, right? Did you get the "road hazard protection" when you bought the vehicle? If not, I wouldn't have a problem taking my '07 to a local tire shop to have the whole "plugged". The hole is in the tread not the side wall?

gtrot

Thanks for the response. Turns out the sensor is an RF sensor so there was no problem taking it to the local firestone station. Only cost 15.00 to patch.

upstatedoc

Have about 23k on the '07 and there is not alot of tread left on the Michelin Latitudes. Can't blame it on aggressive driving, the wife confiscated the car over a year ago. Has anyone replaced these tires yet? What kind of mileage do you have on them? Thanks.

ssminton

I just recently replaced my OEM Michelin's on my '07 MDX with the Nokian WR G2 (45K mi). Although I had about 6/32 left on the tread, I was not interested on riding the Michelin's through another Northeast winter. I found the OEM tires to be just OK in winter driving last season. I decided to replace the OEM tire with a Nokian all season "snow" tire, the WR G2. I have run the Nokian WR on previous vehicles and am finding that the updated model again delivers a superb outcome... great handling in all conditions and a comfortable ride. Since the OEM's wore rather quickly, I expect to get at least the same mileage out of the Nokian's

For those not familiar with the Nokian tires, here is a bit of background... Nokian is a Finish tire company that is known for their snow tires. The WR tire model is a year-round all season tire that also caries the severe service emblem for snow similar to a traditional winter only snow tire. The advantage with the WR series is that you get great winter traction and good handling through the other seasons as well. The tire is a bit softer than a traditional all season so it may wear faster; however, I have not found this to be the case through the years. The WR G2 is an updated model to the WR family, and I personally feel that it outperforms the WR original.

On my MDX this fall and early winter, I have found the new Nokian WR G2 to perform flawlessly in all conditions. The deep unplowed snow and slush that the OEM's struggled in, the WR handles effortlessly. With the old tires, I often had to turn off VSA to keep the tires from spinning in deep conditions. Thus far, I haven't experienced any slippage with the WR G2... not bad considering we have had every imaginal form of winter precip here in the Northeast during the past month. If you are looking for a replacement for the OEM Michelin and care for winter driving performance, I highly recommend the Nokian WR G2. Also, the Nokian is reasonably priced, about 30% less than the OEM Michelin tire.

Happy winter driving!

chrisbathvgr

I am the original owner of an 08 MDX with OEM Michelin Latitudes P255/R18. At 39K km (24k miles) my Acura dealer told me to replace the tires before we embarked on a 10K trip,I didn't!!! Now at 49K km (30k miles) I am almost at the tread bar. My 02 MDX lasted 80K (48k miles) until there was a need to change tires. My driving habits haven't changed, as a matter of fact most of my driving is on the highway as opposed to 50/50 city/highway driving with my 02.

I am interested if others are concerned. Is this normal?

10sfan

My 05 MDX with original Michelins at 39K have 6/32 thread left, not sure how long they will last. Dealer made no mention of replacing them last week? Hope to get another 10K

upstatedoc

Sounds normal for a more high performance tire, we got less than that on our originals. Switched to Bridgestones, won't go back to the Mich's.(Latitudes)

upstatedoc

We got 40k out of the OEM's on our 2004 MDX. I considered that pretty good since the majority of the miles were mine and I have a little more aggressive style than the wifey. Replaced those w/ the same, great tire as far as i am concerned.

mdx12

Hello,

I recenty bought a pre-owned 2008 MDX with 30k miles on it. I was quite happy with my purchase until yesterday when I took the MDX to the dealership. I noticed that the hood on the MDX vibrates than normal on highway speeds, so I took it to the dealer who said it's a known issue and fixed the problem. But the problem is with something else that came up at the dealership.

The service manager noted that the chrome wheels on the car are done by some kind of chrome plating and the tires are small 225-55/R18 which is very unusual. He told me that I may be spending more on gas because of the tires and need to be careful not to bump the wheels on curbs etc. My wife also noted earlier that the drive is bumpy that normal. Now I feel like a complete idiot, going through all that pain to convince my wife for buying the car. How big of a problem is this? Should I just let the tires wear out and buy good ones after that or should I replace them immediately? Does this cause any problem to the suspension or any other mechanical part? If it's only the bumpy ride and the gas mileage, I think I can wait.

Thanks,
bob

upstatedoc

OK, so the previous owner cheaped out and bought smaller tires, the originals should be 255/55/18. Is your's the sport model? Are the rims not the original? The sport came with different rims than the base. What to do would depend on whether you have the factory rims or aftermarket and if it's the later, where are the original rims???

mdx12

Mine is the tech+ent pkg. The rims are 18" and look original because they have the Acura logo on them, the service manager said the previous owner probably had them chrome plated. Is there any way to know for certain? I don't who the previous owner is because I bought the car from an Audi dealership. what are my options in either case?

Thanks,
Bob

upstatedoc

Were the tires brand new when you bought them? If so it may have been the dealer that cheaped out, the OEM tires are expensive, especially the Mich Latitudes Anyway, I woud not run that size tire on my MDX, it's made for 255's.

chucko3

http://www.dunloptires.com/care/widthRatio.html

mdx12

thanks for all your replies, I will see if I can trade them in

jlwalker

My 2004 MDX has 63,000 miles on the cross-terrains. Still good tread, but don't want to trust them for the summer heavy driving. Considering replacing them now.
They have been good tires.

skibum

I have a 2008 MDX with OEM Mich Latitudes and about 42k miles. Looking for suggestions on whether I should simply replace with same tire or if there are others that are as good but maybe cheaper. Tire rack notes Continental's ExtremeContact DWS as a best seller MDX replacement tire (and about $100 cheaper per tire than the Mich Lats) and reviews seem good but I don't see any reviews of this Conti tire on an MDX. Mich Latitudes seem quite pricey at $250-$300 tire installed. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

willy88

Skibum, just put the Conti DWS on my 07 MDX after 3 years of misery with the original Michelins and then a set of Conti Sport Contacts. The car has the optional 19" wheels with 275/45 ZR19 tires. It has ALWAYS drifted left and wandered with the road crown but these tires made it ride like a whole different car! Though about buying a spare set so I'd never have to be without them! Highly recommend the DWS.

saramaddie

I am in the same situation except mine is a 2007 and I have about 27k on the latitudes. I spoke with one tire salesman who said that the latitudes are a high performance tire and therefore will wear out faster. He suggested Michelin LTX MS2 but they will be about 10mm narrower. I know the LTX MS2 are highly rated but wondered about putting them on an MDX. I will need to replace before winter but haven't decided what to replace with. The choice of tires seems to be fairly limited for this particular size.

mdx2004

had a screw in my left rear tire after noticing the warning on dash panel. tire shop said the monitor on tire was not installed properly and I would have to take to Acura dealership to fix problem. How can I resolve as I use the vehicle and cannot drop to have work done at dealership. Another tire shop was able to put in plug after removing screw and said the same thing about the sensor. i.e. it was not possible to
take off tire as the whole system needed to be replaced.

upstatedoc

Doesn't your Acura dealer have loaners? Mine does. :confuse:

my1stmdx

I have had a 2007 MDX Sport with 2 sets of Michellin Lattiudes for 3 yrs and have always had tire vibration as if they are unbalanced. I had the tires balanced several times at the dealer over the years and at a local tire shop. I have even had them precision balanced on a Hunter Road Force balancer. Most days the vibration is mild but sometimes it is horrible. It seems worse on hotter days. It starts at about 65 mph but is at it's worst around 70-72 mph. Has anyone else experienced this?

capriracer

The most likely reason you can't fix the vibration is that it is probably not the tires and the wheels. The fact that 2 sets of tires and a Hunter Road Force didn't fix it is proof.

You need to look elsewhere for the problem.

aztec1sun

Same here: 2007 MDX starts vibrating at 65 mph, new set of tires didn't help. Definitely coming from the front, I assume it's the suspension and not the wheels. The very helpfull Acura service rep dismissed the problem by stating - Oh, we can't recreate the problem because we can't drive at that speed for fear of getting a ticket! And that's after dropping 1K for a new set of tires, at $45k a pop I'd expect a near damn perfection. Can't imagine a BMW dealer insulting his customer like this...

jensad

I would suggest to you that make your next vehicle a BMW and avoid Acuras from now on.

Good luck to all and stay safe - even if you speed and get a ticket.

jensad

my1stmdx

I took my MDX to another dealer with a Hunter Road Force to see if they had any ideas. I complained about the Michelins but they said that they are really good tires. Long story short, after an alignment and another attempt with the road force, the vibration is still there but now starts at about 68 mph. Unfortunately I had to go to Taiwan on a business trip the next day so I won't be able to take the car back until next Monday. This will be my last attempt and then I will call the Acura 800 number but I am not hopeful that they will help. I still have not heard anything from the Acura district service manager here in the San Fran. North Bay area.

jaybird20

I bought a CPO 07 MDX w 37K miles in August. Vibration starts ~72mph. I have had it back 4 times. The dealer has swapped rims and tires, balanced tires and installed new front wheel bearings. The vibration is still there. Dealer's service manager told me there is nothing they can do and that "they all do that" (all MDXs vibrate).

upstatedoc

Have them check the front struts. My left one was bad and was replaced gratis.

jaybird20

I had asked if it could be the struts but the service manager said they weren't leaking. I have contacted the dealers GM and Acura Headquarters. Waiting on responses. Thanks for the suggestion.

aclover

I have an 07 Mdx that I recently purchased with 36k miles, the oem tires are 255/55/18 Michelins, I dont believe the prev owner rotated the tires since it was a lease and now the front tires are in need of replacement. my rear tires are in good shape and i priced GoodYear Eagle LS 2's, since the tire dealer told me they are a similiar tread pattern to the Mich. After reading up on AWD vehicles, is it wise to just purchase two and different Mfg's? or just pay the money for a set of four and keep the rear as backups. Also does anyone have a tire recommendation, this being our first SUV.

Thanks

kyfdx

I don't think it would be wise to mix tires, even if it wasn't AWD... Not only that, for the best stability, it's always safest to have your best tires on the rear... which isn't optimal for a vehicle that puts the power to the front wheels, most of the time.

We have a pretty good discussion about tires, here:
Tires, tires, tires

regards,
kyfdx

capgee

I had the issue, and eventually the bolt that holds the drive shaft popped off. I had to replace the whole drive shaft, but it solved the problem. Check that bolt.

goomba1

My '08 MDX original Latitudes (now with 55k miles) had barely enough tread depth for last winter, were fine for the summer, but are not sufficient for the coming winter (getting close to the wear bar). I considered getting a 2nd winter set from Tire Rack, but now I'm planning to replace with another set of Latitudes -- the new ones have a warranty of 55k, for what that's worth. After reading through the helpful comments in this forum I'll say I have been satisfied with the handling (summer, rain, and snow), and road noise has been fine -- but not as quiet as a Lexus. Probably that is the noise insulation in the vehicle rather than the tires themselves though

badgerm

looking at getting snow tires for '12 MDX. Northern Michigan winter along Lake Michigan.
any experience with downsizing wheels and getting 17 inch snows versus standard 18?