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Mazda 3 Tire & Wheel Questions

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Comments

  • mazda_sux1mazda_sux1 Member Posts: 3
    I bought what I thought was a decent little car, and in many ways it has lived up to its promise. I have to say however that I started having tire problems with this car at 5500 miles (oscillation noise from rear tires) and it started to freak me out because I had owned an original 350Z, and went through two tire swaps with that car inside of 25K miles (at least Nissan had the decency of assisting me with the tire issue). I returned to my dealership after the initial visit of 5500 miles to complain once more of a now unbearable noise from the rear tires, again 'no trouble found' just rotate the tires (Anderson Mazda of Crystal Lake, their service SUCKS) So I went to a tire shop where they rotated the tires for me front to bk and across (for FREE Anderson!!!). The problem became worse. Went to another tire place again at 16.5k miles and they not only found that the rear tires were cupped but the front tires were practically 80% worn. Now here I sit after months of dealing with this with a car that's under 29k miles, with completely worn out Yokohama tires, and no help from Mazda (they basically told me to f-off) and absolutely no help from the dealer or from Yokohama tires. I will NEVER EVER even consider buying another Mazda product, or Yokohama for that matter and I will certainly NEVER go to another Anderson owned dealership. I'd rather bike 80 miles to work. Stay away from Mazda products. They admit they KNOW about the problem, because it is caused by the factory settings of their suspensons (negative toe and camber) to make the car feel more 'sporty' and stable. If they are going to sell a car with a performance set suspension that they KNOW is going to shred your tires they SHOULD DISCLOSE THIS at the point of sale!!!!! :lemon:
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    As you say, that "sux". One thing I am surprised that was not tried was a thorough re-balancing of the offending wheels/tires using a top-grade machine such as the Hunter Road Force unit. I mention that because I had problems with two Gen 3 Elantras re "oscillation" on the front tires. It happened only at highway speeds. It turns out that particular car is very susceptible to out-of-balance wheels. When I had the wheels balanced properly (on a Hunter machine at a good tire shop), the problem went away. At least until I replaced the tires. Then it happened again... until I had the re-balancing done. In one case, when I bought some inexpensive tires, it took two sessions on the Hunter machine to get it right.

    This might not have been the root cause for you, it might be all about toe and camber, but since it appears you still own the car, you might take it to a good tire shop that has a Hunter Road Force balancer (or equivalent) and see what they can do. Wouldn't cost much and it might help.
  • autonomousautonomous Member Posts: 1,769
    Could you provide a few more details about your case, such as:
    1. Which model year is this Mazda3?

    2. What is the rating of your Yokohama tires (e.g. 205/50/16 H)?

    3. How often were the tire rotations done? (e.g. every 5000 miles)

    4. Do you have workorders from the dealer / garage for the rotations?

    5. What was your expectation of tire wear? (e.g. 50,000 miles)
  • mazda_sux1mazda_sux1 Member Posts: 3
    1. This is a 2010 Mazda3 Grand Touring
    2. Yokos are Avids S34 205/55/17s
    3. Rotations were done at 5500, 9000, then 16000, but at 16k I had to make the guys swap the tires back because the noise coming from the front of the car was unbearable.
    4. I have 3 of the 4 work orders
    5. Per Yokohama, the equivalent retail model tire is rated at 60,000 miles.

    I believe it is a Mazda design/spec issue, not a tire mnftr issue at this point.
  • mazda_sux1mazda_sux1 Member Posts: 3
    None of this was ever offered to me as an option, at any shop I went to.
  • scwmcanscwmcan Member Posts: 399
    Just so you know, no OEM tires are exactly the same as the same tires you can buy at the tire stores.. They are all built to a price ( bought in bulk by the manufacturer cheaply) and none of them seem to last like you would expect. I had a new Volvo with michelins that ware out way faster than any other Michelins I had ever had, the rubber compounds and even tread depths can be different. Our Mazda 3s OEM tires ( toyos on our 2007s) lasted about 40,000 miles, the replacement Michelins have gone 20,000 miles, and are just starting to show signs or tread wear ( no unevenness, the were worn so little and so evenly the shop didn't even want to rotate them). I don't think it is a characteristic of the car, I do think that there may be some that are on the far side of factory spec, and maybe doing an alignment to get the car closer to the middle of the factory spec may help. All I know I'd that we had two Mazda 3s and neither of them was particularly hard on the tires.
  • autonomousautonomous Member Posts: 1,769
    edited April 2012
    Yokos are Avids S34 205/55/17s
    According to Tirerack.com the Yokohama Avid S34 are not top of the pack. Also, there appears to be a serious treadwear issue according to Tire Rack's survey results. See: http://www.tirerack.com/tires/surveyresults/surveydisplay.jsp?type=AS

    Per Yokohama, the equivalent retail model tire is rated at 60,000 miles.
    I could not retrieve this information from their site. I wonder how many tires make it to their durability rating.
  • roadburnerroadburner Member Posts: 17,312
    It's more likely to be an issue with the tire and not the car.

    Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport; 2020 C43; 2021 Sahara 4xe 1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica Wife's: 2015 X1 xDrive28i Son's: 2009 328i; 2018 330i xDrive

  • autonomousautonomous Member Posts: 1,769
    It's more likely to be an issue with the tire and not the car.
    Agreed. Also, it's cheaper to replace the tires than the car.
  • roadburnerroadburner Member Posts: 17,312
    Agreed. Also, it's cheaper to replace the tires than the car.

    Yes, but "excessive tire wear" makes a dandy excuse to flip your car when you want something different- economic reality is merely a distraction.

    Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport; 2020 C43; 2021 Sahara 4xe 1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica Wife's: 2015 X1 xDrive28i Son's: 2009 328i; 2018 330i xDrive

  • nick779nick779 Member Posts: 3
    i have a set of steelies with snow tires mounted on them, does the '11 speed 3 and the regular 2012 3 share the same bolt pattern?
  • suzaneccccsuzanecccc Member Posts: 1
    We serviced our 2010 Mazda 3 at this dealer ship last September at 10,000 miles. I was told everything was perfect and in their full circle service they rotate tires and also let you know if the tires are wearing normally. I assumed it was paying $46 to change oil etc. At 15,000 miles I noticed that the front tires were worn out and wanted an opinion other than the dealer so on 4/5/12 I took it to Midas and was surprised to learn that the front tires were finished showing thread while the back were still in great shape with 50% thread. The guys at Midas would not rotate the tires claiming they were finished and it would not help. They said they were absolutely sure no one had ever rotated them before. I said are you sure and they said tires would have worn evenly if someone had. He took the car and we drove around the block and he said no pulling, it seems to be aligned correctly and only not rotating the tires could be the cause of such a great difference between back and front tires.

    The same day my fiancé drove to South Motors and asked to see the service manager Brian Maureles. He explained the problem. Mr. Maureles said that it is normal for the factory tires which are high performance to be worn out at 15,000 miles. My fiancé said why did the front show thread and not the back? He said it must be alignment or the way we drive. Well we are both 60 and drive slower than most so the latter is not the case and the car does not pull at all. When Brian could not reply and give a plausible good answer he started to get frustrated and asked if my fiancé was done. He said no, he believed the tires were not rotated and if they were why did you not say something about the uneven wear as you were supposed to in your full circle service? He said all that must have happened in the last 5000 miles. He said a lot can happen in 5000 miles.

    When my fiancé disagreed he said I am done with you! That is not a good answer for a customer who is frustrated. We have gone back and forth for a month by email to no avail. We even emailed Mr. Prieto the manager of South Mazda and his corporate office all to no avail. Our back tires are at 50% and the front is finished because of their bad service. We have all receipts. We went to a representative of the Tokoyama tire company who Mazda Worldwide said to see. The representative was Tire Kingdom; to get a third opinion in writing on 5/10/12 and they said due to lack of tire rotation the tires in front are finished. We have all emails and bills etc. South Mazda Motors is not to be trusted because their repair shop will not do work promised resulting in a negative impact on your car. When confronted they will just stonewall you!!

    Suzanne :mad:
  • pezzy669pezzy669 Member Posts: 4
    I have a 2010 3 Grand Touring with the 205/55/17's which have been rotated every 5k miles and I will be able to get ~35k miles out of them (currently at 31k) which is about what I have achieved from my previous new cars which had much better factory tires ('03 Golf with Michelin Energy MXV4+ and '06 Jetta with Continental ContiProContact), no unusual noises or wear from the tires. Now I will say that these tires do suck in pretty much every category which is why I will be replacing them with Michelins.

    Other than that my car has been dead reliable for ~2 years and 31k miles, no problems whatsoever (knock on wood). Love my Mazda 3!
  • kagedudekagedude Member Posts: 407
    edited July 2012
    3. Rotations were done at 5500, 9000, then 16000, but at 16k I had to make the guys swap the tires back because the noise coming from the front of the car was unbearable.

    My wife's 2010 Mazda 3i Touring Sedan with 24k miles also has this noise now after its scheduled oil and rotation maintenance. The car has Bridgestone Turanza EL400-02. Before the rotation, there was no noticeable noise. After, the oscillating sound seems to come from the front right tire.

    Dealer did acknowledge this model wears rear tires faster than others so advice going forward when I get new tires is to rotate every 5k miles although it doesn't look like that will make a difference going by your rotation maintenance experience. :sick:
  • roadburnerroadburner Member Posts: 17,312
    FYI, you replied to a four month old post from a person who signed up, posted four times on that same day, and has not logged in since. Either a troll or guerrilla marketing, methinks...

    Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport; 2020 C43; 2021 Sahara 4xe 1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica Wife's: 2015 X1 xDrive28i Son's: 2009 328i; 2018 330i xDrive

  • jwilli1jwilli1 Member Posts: 1
    edited November 2012
    Couldn't agree more. Have 2012 Mazda3 with 15,000miles and was just informed that he original Yokohama ties have to be replaced. Yokohama will give a 50% discount if the tires are replaced with Yokohamas at $199 per tire excluding labor at the dealership. The dealership will replace the four tires with a different tire for about $500 plus labor. Was never informed that the original tires were "performance" tires. Somehow I don't think that we should be solely responsible for the cost. Other than the tire problem I love my Mazda!
  • autonomousautonomous Member Posts: 1,769
    2012 Mazda3 with 15,000miles and was just informed that he original Yokohama ties have to be replaced.
    What model of Yokahama tires?

    Do you know their speed rating (e.g. V-rated)?

    What's wrong with the tires? Does the problem affect all four tires?

    How many times were the tires rotated?
  • jpvansmithjpvansmith Member Posts: 9
    edited November 2012
    Not sure why you would not expect performance tires on a performance oriented car. They warn you in all of their marketing that they lean towards performance. If that is not enough...

    Many reviews of cars mention which tires come with the car. Check the review ratings of tires and factor that into the price of a new car. Consider getting new tires online or at least reading reviews. Compare a few shops and pick the best one you can afford. I expect my tires to be worn at between 20-25k miles.

    In my market tires are normally 100-120 per tire. You can often find extra discounts if you purchase at the right time. Installation cost should be less than 100. So in the end your quote is not far off. Everyone knows when it comes to tires your mileage may vary as we all drive differently with different road conditions. Take the time read tire reviews and hope for the best. (and rotate and re balance your tires as needed)

    Anyways anyone looking for a non performance long lasting tire should look at Michelin Defenders. Good warranty, nice promotions and a quiet ride.
  • digitaldariodigitaldario Member Posts: 1
    Alright so I've read up on this post and did because I've come across a similar problem.

    My very first purchase was a 2008 Mazda 3 with 25K and in great shape. Tires rotated at 40k and coming up on 50k now. I have recently found a screw in both front tires about a month apart. It was fixed but drive with my daughter frequently so I am going to replace the front tires regardless, as there is also a bulge in one of them as well.

    My question is what brand and model would you recommend that I replace these two front tires with. I have the OEM TOYO all seasons now.

    Performance is great, but realistically I live in Chicago so an all season tire is the direction of a winter tire is what i am leaning towards, and possibly a separate winter set in the somewhat distant future.
  • jpvansmithjpvansmith Member Posts: 9
    I would look at tirerack(or discount tire) and read reviews of tires. I would also lean towards biting the bullet and getting 4 new tires especially if you can wait for the next sale or combine rebates for getting 4 tires. Cost is normally more but safety is worth the extra cost if you drive in snow!

    To me it is well worth the time to sort through reviews one evening as it normally make driving more enjoyable. Normally you can get 50/100 discount on 4 tires from the store and if you are lucky combine it with a tire maker rebate for getting four tires. That tends to be the best deal you can normally hope for which ends up at the cost of a little more than 2 tires and ending up with 4. I will often buy in advance as I dislike paying full price for tires knowing they have such good sales a few times a year.
  • roadburnerroadburner Member Posts: 17,312
    edited November 2012
    Performance is great, but realistically I live in Chicago so an all season tire is the direction of a winter tire is what i am leaning towards, and possibly a separate winter set in the somewhat distant future.

    I live in central Kentucky, so heavy snowfalls are somewhat infrequent. In the past I ran Pirelli PZero Nero All Seasons as my winter tire on my 2007 Mazdaspeed 3, but this year I decided to try the Cooper Zeon RS3-A. No complaints so far. I'm also running the Coopers on my son's X3 and they are performing well in that application.

    Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport; 2020 C43; 2021 Sahara 4xe 1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica Wife's: 2015 X1 xDrive28i Son's: 2009 328i; 2018 330i xDrive

  • Sandman6472Sandman6472 Member Posts: 6,952
    I put on Firestone Affinity tires and so far they have been great, have them on another car also. Got them with a buy 3, get 1 free offer and paid about $450 all said and done. The original Toyo's were pretty crappy and were shot at about 16k. With over 113k on the clock now, we're on our 3rd set of sneakers and hopefully these will be the last ones. I have Firestone Firehawk Wide Oval A S's on my Civic and am also very happy so far...same kind of deal when purchased. The tires on the 3s and Civic are 205/55/16's but would prefer a bit more sidewall, say in a 60 or 65 series.

    The Sandman :) :sick: :shades:

    2023 Hyundai Kona Limited AWD (wife) / 2015 Golf TSI (me) / 2019 Chevrolet Cruze Premier RS (daughter #1) / 2020 Hyundai Accent SE (daughter #2) / 2023 Subaru Impreza Base (son)

  • 01accordlx01accordlx Member Posts: 14
    Recommendations for 205/50-17? I am interested in tread life and traction. I am willing to spend the money if that translates to tread life. I am looking at the Yokohama YK580. Any thoughts? Thanks!
  • capriracercapriracer Member Posts: 907
    Treadwear and Traction?

    I hope your realize that treadwear, traction and rolling resistance form a 3 way technology triangle and improvements in one area come from sacrificing one or more of the other areas. So you have to find a compromuise that works for you.

    Go to Tire Rack's web site and read through the tests and reviews. That should help you figure out what will work,
  • Sandman6472Sandman6472 Member Posts: 6,952
    We put these on my wife's '05 Mazda3s and have been very happy with the results...with proper rotation and air, they still look brand new with 10k on them. Very quiet and smooth ride also. Liked them so much, have them on my daughter's '09 Versa hatch. They are a touring tire I suspect but we are very satisfied with them.

    The Sandman :) :sick: :shades:

    2023 Hyundai Kona Limited AWD (wife) / 2015 Golf TSI (me) / 2019 Chevrolet Cruze Premier RS (daughter #1) / 2020 Hyundai Accent SE (daughter #2) / 2023 Subaru Impreza Base (son)

  • steve333steve333 Member Posts: 201
    I just bought a 2013 mazda 3i Sport Sedan automatic.
    The car drove so poorly I couldn't believe the good reviews it gets. On a whim I replaced the horrible oem tires and steel wheels with new tires and lighter alloy wheels and it helped the ride quite a bit.
    However, the car is LOUD on certain roads, so I'm looking into some kind of foam undercoating and for the wheel wells.
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