Yes, I agree with you that the Michelins are not the right tire for our cars. I have a late model 08, Limited, even has the 09 Black metallic paint, so I hope maybe it has some of the newer suspension parts, since they changed all the shocks and some bushings on the 09. I don't believe the suspension is causing all the tire problems. Michelin will always blame the car for causing all the tire problems and you probably wont get a free replacement. I do think Hyundai should help reimburse us owners when we buy replacements for our Michelins with 15-20 K on them. I think Michelins sold them tires that are not good for this car. In Korea I heard they come with Hannooks?? I will also be replacing my crappy Michelins with only 21K on them. I've done all I can to get rid of the noise, next will be a set of General Altimax HPs. Wal-Mart will special order and install for $596. I am also going to start a case file with Hyundai about this issue. If I hear from them you will all be advised
I visited a tire dealer friend of mine today and asked him bluntly to give me his impressions of this problem. HE DID.
He stated he sees far too many Hyundais in his store with bad tire problems, and it doesn't matter what brand the tires are or what model/make of Hyundai they are on. His take is Hyundai has serious problems with their suspensions and have had this problem for a long time without making any effort to correct the problems. If they had made an effort, it wasn't successful. His suggestion was to replace the tires with an inexpensive but fair quality tire as needed and just try to live with the problem.
That's not exactly what I wanted to hear, but if one doesn't want to hear the answer they should not ask the question.
I will take the problem to the tire dealer and to the car dealer and see what I can accomplish.
That's funny...the only tire issues I ever had with either of my two Hyundais was with the OEM tires. Once I switched over to another brand, no issues whatsoever. A lot of times people don't take the time to make sure their tires aren't properly inflated or if the tires are still balanced after a couple of rotations or if their alignment is still within spec.
I can tell you, the Michelin's that came with both my Azera & my '02 Sonata were less than desirable. The aftermarket tires I chose to put on offered a quieter ride, seemed to soak up bumps better and performed better in wet/snowy weather as well. Personally, I would never look at Michelin tires...I've had great experiences with Hankook, Nexen & General. Not to say those are best, but they have all offered better overall performance and value when compared to the OEM Michelins.
I'm sorry, I think your dealer was giving you bull on this. Too many suspension problems with all Hyundais??? How is it then that everyone who has put non-OEM tires on their Azeras sees such marked difference??
Hyundai did a bunch of cost-cutting on Azeras. None of them are major, but they're true.
1. The poor-quality Michelins as OEM tires. 2. Weak OEM battery. 3. A stupid donut tire in trunk as spare for 07 & onwards
As I said, none are major issues. Other than these , I don't have any other issues. I have put a REAL tire as spare in the trunk now. I'm changing to a good Interstate battery when the current one dies. And I'll change my Michelins to General Altimax soon.
Trust me, I have seen the difference between Michelins & other tires on Azeras & I can't wait to throw mine away.
I'm so glad I've got the '06 with the full size spare!!!
I have swapped out my OEM battery as well. I actually went to Walmart and got an EverStart battery and have had no problems whatsoever. Actually, the slight headlight dimming issue I was having before, disappeared once I installed the new battery.
I think you'll like the Altimax tires...they have actually made my Azera fun to drive again! Let me know what you think if/when you do get them.
I'll be changing tires, but I doubt to Generals. My Silverado pickup came with Generals and the tread was gone in 18K miles. I usually get 50K+ miles from premium tires. I put Yokahama's on my truck, but they were way overpriced and I wouldn't have purchased them except General paid a large share of the cost to get me off their back. I probably won't be that lucky in this deal.
It's just kind of sad that we have to deal with this crap after paying a premium for a supposedly top of the line car. We really like this car, but it won't take but one more hit like this to put me in something else.
You know...I have noticed that some companies are better at making truck tires, some are better at making car tires...with a few that do both well. I don't know how different General truck tires are from their car tires.
Technically...you're not paying a premium for a top of the line vehicle, you're getting a vehicle that can compete with some top of the line vehicles and saving some coin. I guess in this regards...you have to expect the savings to show up somewhere.
I wonder if anyone complains about the Michelins that are OEM on Honda vehicles? If not...maybe Honda brokered a deal for a better quality tire than Hyundai did.
Well, as much as I am tempted by the Generals, the cost is holding me back. I've got about 28k on my Michelins & the treads don't seem to have worn off even little. So, I don't think my wife would look kindly upon me wanting to spend some dough on tires.
One thing I'd say about Michelins though, they seem to last a long time. I think I can easily go for another 15-20k easily. But I think I'll go for another 5k on these & then replace them (or if Tirerack has some good price on them before).
yeah...the OEM Michelins do hold up well as they are made with a harder compound, which may be why they aren't the greatest tires to roll on in rain or snow. they would always slip a bit in those conditions, not majorly, but not as sure footed as the Altimax tires.
The only good thing is that technically, you didn't come out of your pocket for the Michelins, but I do understand it seeming like a waste to replace them now. I know one thing, if I would have know how much of a difference it would have made, I would have swapped mine out long before they wore down. I think I got about 40-45k miles out of them.
What really made me frown upon the OEM Michelins was the fact that when I put my 20" wheel package on with Nexen-made Lexani tires, even those tires were an upgrade in terms of quietness, handling and comfort...even with a shorter sidewall. The only trade off was I only got about 35k miles out of them.
I wonder if the Kuhmo brand tires that come on some of the other Hyundai vehicles are any better?
I've seen the Energy MXV4's on a lot of cars....OEM I presume. I haven't seen them for sale @ retail...the Primacy MXV4 is usually listed (more expensive and probably better grade)
The Energy's are probably a OEM factory run tire...I still have them on my 06 with 24k and they look like new....
Well...Tire Rack sells them, it's the MXV4 + and for the ones that fit the Azera, they are selling for a two different prices... H-rated version is selling for $165 and the V-rated version is selling for $140 (marked down from $171). Hardly what I would care to spend that particular tire, especially knowing better exists for less.
24k miles on those tires, yeah...they're gonna still look pretty new. Once you hit 35k or so...they'll start looing a bit worn, but you'll notice a drop off in handling, quietness and performance in incliment weather.
Allmet What do you know about the Nexen N 5000's??? I can get 4 mounted, balanced, etc for $400 locally...I think you had a set on your car....I know they are V rated, but haven't checked on the treadwear, temp, or load rating...I want to put a set of 235/45/17's on my '06.
101649...actually, I had the N3000's on my car. My experience with them was very positive. I had put about 30k miles on them and the tread is still in good shape considering it's a performance tire. I've had to replace them because one got pinched when I hit a pothole (causing a bubble in the sidewall) and another had about 4 nails in it over the course of 30k miles...figured it was time to replace it to avoid any issues. The tires are quiet, handle great both in dry & wet, but the 3000's are not for light snow at all. The 5000's are an all-season tire, so I would expect it to be better in that regard. Personally, I dont' think you'll go wrong with a Nexen product.
I live in FL and snow is not an issue...probably go with the 3000's The 45's should fit on the stock rims and I wanted a lower profile tire...Summer high performance tires will do fine...
yeah...for you it wouldn't be an issue. However, dropping the profile down to a 45 series tire...you will be changing the reading on your speedometer...you are aware of that, right?
Actually my friend, it's more like 4+...just some good info to know. Also, by keeping the same rim size and lowering the side wall...the gap between the tire and the wheel well will be bigger as well.
The N5000's are the utra-high performance all-season tire by Nexen.
Notice you have 18's on yours, 10649 wants to keep the stock 17's and put the 45's on that....not saying it can't be done, he'll definitely reap benefits of handling with the lower profile, but his speedometer will be affected as will his fuel economy (slightly).
Just put 4 new tires on my 2007 Azera Ltd-at 32,000 miles-went with the Kumho Ectsa LX Platinum so we will see how they do. Old OEM tires --on two the tread was at 2/32--other two were seriously cupped on the inside of the tire---needed a four wheel alignment--was a little surprised at that since I drive conservately (most of the time) and haven;t hit any major curbs, potholes, or anything like that. My previous two Chrysler 300M's went a total of140,000 miles w/o needing an alignment. Any one else have experience with the Kumho's?
Thanks, cobrazera----I had looked at the Tire Rack info---initially was going to get the Bridgestone Turanza Serenity but they were not available--on back order for 4 to 6 weeks.
I just replaced the original Michelins on my 2007 Azera with Yokohama YK 520's at Discount Tire. The originals still had decent tread left at 40,000 miles but needed to prepare for the winter season here in Chicagoland. I will post my thoughts as to the performance once we get some serious weather.
Have had my 2009 Azera Ultimate Limited for 6 weeks and found a 2 inch screw in the side wall of my Michelin Energy tire. Non-repairable.
Went to Joe Pecheles Hyundai in Greenville, NC hoping it was under some sort of warranty. Nope. They told me a new tire would cost me $245! I don't like this dealership anyway since they refused to give me an pricing over the phone when I was helping a friend buy an Elantra in August and then on my purchase (initially for a Genesis) in September. Idiots! I told the service manager I would have to price the tire around town first.
I went down to the tire place I normally use for oil changes and they gave me a price of $193. I agreed to that and they ordered the tire.
I called Michelin to express my irritation that a brand new $200 tire doesn't come with any type of road hazard protection. The representative was very nice and told me Michelin would help me. They first wanted me to go to a Michelin dealer. I explained my story and told him the tire had already been ordered and I wanted to stick with them (also for the fact that we have had 3 days of rain from Hurricane Ida and I wanted the tire fixed). He said no problem to have the store call him with my reference number.
Long story, short.....Michelin gave me an $80 credit toward the tire! I have learned over and over again - it never hurts to ask!
I think the Michelin Man has his cronies slip into my garage at night and add a layer of rubber to my tires, 41k+ and it still looks like I have another 10k or better to go before I consider a new set of whatever...
I've replaced three sets of tires for cupping with only 66,000 miles (2006 Azera Limited). I have owned 30 autos and never had cupping. I believe its an issue (flaw) with Hyundai. I've replaced the originals and two sets of Pirelli's and the noise is really bad (whop whop whop). The dealer blames alignment (it's been aligned twice and did not need it the second time), driving habits, or what ever is convenient. Other that the tire issue I really like the car. Any help out there, I would certainly appreciate any information.
I have a 2006 Azera Limited and I agree with your tire dealer friend. Since I have owned many, 30 or more autos, and never had a tire problem, I believe the issue is with Hyundai. The problem is that the noise will begin to appear quickly (whop whop whop) even though you rotate and have good tread left. I am ready to put my 4th set on with only 66k miles. Love the care otherwise!
Have you had your car aligned by Hyundai, since there is a TSB on wheel alignment that they would be aware of. Also, do you get paperwork showing you the before and after alignment specs? I have feathering on the inside of my rear tires that was caused by toe-in that has been since corrected but not until I rotated the tires and ruined the other two, so now all four hum together and they only have 23K on them and have to go. General Alitmax HP will be the replacement tires.
I went thru the cupping and rotation problem too and runined the tires by 18k. Never had a problem like that in my 30 some cars either. Bought a set of Goodyear Assurance Comfortred and very happy with them. They are very quiet and give a comfortable ride. But I didn't know about the TSB on alignment, will have to check that out.
First, you have to determine if the tires are cupping or feathering, there is a difference, many people call feathering cupping. There so many discussions on this subject that it is hard to get a good professional answer. I suggest you google Tire Cupping and see if that helps you get the answer you are looking for.
Purchased four new Falken Ziex 329 tires from Tires Easy for $330 delivered! Just had them installed this morning at Tire Kingdom for another $61. The Azera rides better than ever!!!! While these are not expected to last a long time(30,000 mile warranty), the ride, grip and quietness are superb and for under $400 total its a deal!
Are all the tires in this thead V rated? I was looking at CR tire test and they listed the Michelin HydroEdge # 1 IF your car can run a S or T speed rating. I'm looking for something good in rain (Florida) and good tread life. This fits the bill except for speed rating. Personally I've never had the car above 85 and don't intend to so is it really necessary (legal?) to install V rated tires?
I believe the Azera came with a V rating and usually tire shops do not want you to go down in speed rating. I bought a set of H rated tires online and the shop installed them on our Azera no questions asked. H is rated to 130 MPH and highly unlikely I'll ever come remotely close to those speeds. V rating brings the speed up to 149 MPH. If you were talking Corvette or Mustang I appreciate the need for V or Z but we're talking about a 6 cylinder luxury car here.....H is fine IMHO.
Unless the manufacturer limits the car's speed with computer software, the tire speed rating is required to match the car's speed capability. The Azera has no speed limiter and will top out at about 150MPH, hence the V rated tires installed by Hyundai. Once you buy the car, you can put on any tire you want. If a tire store balks at selling you a set of lower rated tires, you could point out that they have plenty of competitors that will.
Are you sure that Azera has no speed limiter? I thought all Hyundai/Kia vehicles had speeds limited to 134.375 mph (215 kmph) in US, except track-spec Genesis Coupe.
I think Cobrazera is referring to the initial '06 Azeras. I do believe that after that, the limiter was installed. Then again...I could be wrong. Not sure if the Azera will pull 150, I've had mine up to just under 140.
While V rated tires are what come on the Azera due to it's capabilities...an H rated tire is just fine as well. I've actually noticed a much better ride, enjoyed longer tread life and of course, less money out of my pocket when purchasing a good tire.
The best thing to do is research some tires you're interested in and buy them according to the type of driver you are. Even if you take trips to 100 mph on a regular basis, H rated tires are capable of handling that.
I don't know if speed limiters were put on later Azeras, but I do recall a C&D article on a guy who was caught on speed cameras in the Phoenix area who was cited at 147MPH in a rental Sonata ( I believe an '07 model ). As stated by allmet, though, the H-rated tires will do just fine. Tire speed ratings are for sustained speeds, I doubt that a short blast over an H rating would be disastrous. When I was young and foolish, I did a quick trip to 145MPH in an SS396 with the crap tires they had in the '60s - no problem.
I've read that the 2006 Limited has exceeded the 160mph speedo on the test track, likely with a lightweight Korean driver and just enough gas in the tank to let it run up...
My 07 has been over 140, but not topped out. I would guess close to 150 maybe even anothe 1 or 2 more. My current tires are Eagle GT's, W rated, I think 163mph??
Dont plan on taking it up there again, but I like the extra safety factor as I do see triple digits a few times a year.
Had my 2008 Azzy up to 130 one time for at least 4-5 miles on a highway where I was more than likely to get stopped....I guess it was the middle of the day and the cops had taken a break between rush hours....smooth as silk on the original tires, and they still are at 20k, because I rotate them at every oil change. Will consider other tires whenever these need to be replaced.
My 2001 XG300 had crappy Michelins that had to be replaced at 35k (hell, the whole car was crappy and was in the shop every month for some warranty covered issue). But I refused the offer for the same new tires when needed from Fairfax (VA) Hyundai and went to JustTires for Goodyear touring tires that lasted fine until I got rid of the XG 55,000 miles later.
Tire prices and labor for putting them on, aligning the car, etc. from the dealer's shop is usually ridiculous. My current dealer matches them....Alexandria Hyundai....
Rotating tires at every oil change is pretty expensive unless there is some type of agreement that they'll rotate for free. My dealer charges $34.95/rotate. At that rate, I'd be buying a new set of tires every 2 years and I drive only 10K/yr.!!
Looking through all of these posts and it interesting that there is so much variation in experiences. I drive an '06 Azera SE that has 80K and replaced the original Kumho Solus KH 16 V rated tires less than 10K ago and they still had tread left - one of the tires was showing some sidewall stress. I replaced with Kumho Solus KH 16 H rated. We will see how the H rated tires hold up but the ride is good and the tires are good in the rain and snow.
I change my oil about every 4500-5000 miles, splitting the difference between what the 2008 Azera Owners Maintenance Guide recommends for the thresholds for severe vs. all highway operating conditions, because I run my own business from home and only occasionally spend time in stop and go rush hour commute style bumper-to-bumper traffic. My dealer (and every other oil outlet out there) recommends 3,000 mile oil changes to everybody but I haven't had any complaints from my expert service manager because I don't come in with run-down crude oil in my pan (as he's admitted to me). This happens to coincide with what most tire manufacturers recommend as a rotation schedule so I do it. Yes, I have to spend $30 a pop to do it, but the delivered Michelin's on the 2008 Azera Limited retail for $250 each. I think it's a worthwhile investment and they aren't wearing out inordinately at 21,000 miles so far and she still rides totally smooth unless the road is bumping the heck out of you. Worthwhile investment.
Comments
He stated he sees far too many Hyundais in his store with bad tire problems, and it doesn't matter what brand the tires are or what model/make of Hyundai they are on. His take is Hyundai has serious problems with their suspensions and have had this problem for a long time without making any effort to correct the problems. If they had made an effort, it wasn't successful. His suggestion was to replace the tires with an inexpensive but fair quality tire as needed and just try to live with the problem.
That's not exactly what I wanted to hear, but if one doesn't want to hear the answer they should not ask the question.
I will take the problem to the tire dealer and to the car dealer and see what I can accomplish.
I can tell you, the Michelin's that came with both my Azera & my '02 Sonata were less than desirable. The aftermarket tires I chose to put on offered a quieter ride, seemed to soak up bumps better and performed better in wet/snowy weather as well. Personally, I would never look at Michelin tires...I've had great experiences with Hankook, Nexen & General. Not to say those are best, but they have all offered better overall performance and value when compared to the OEM Michelins.
Hyundai did a bunch of cost-cutting on Azeras. None of them are major, but they're true.
1. The poor-quality Michelins as OEM tires.
2. Weak OEM battery.
3. A stupid donut tire in trunk as spare for 07 & onwards
As I said, none are major issues. Other than these , I don't have any other issues. I have put a REAL tire as spare in the trunk now. I'm changing to a good Interstate battery when the current one dies. And I'll change my Michelins to General Altimax soon.
Trust me, I have seen the difference between Michelins & other tires on Azeras & I can't wait to throw mine away.
I have swapped out my OEM battery as well. I actually went to Walmart and got an EverStart battery and have had no problems whatsoever. Actually, the slight headlight dimming issue I was having before, disappeared once I installed the new battery.
I think you'll like the Altimax tires...they have actually made my Azera fun to drive again! Let me know what you think if/when you do get them.
It's just kind of sad that we have to deal with this crap after paying a premium for a supposedly top of the line car. We really like this car, but it won't take but one more hit like this to put me in something else.
Technically...you're not paying a premium for a top of the line vehicle, you're getting a vehicle that can compete with some top of the line vehicles and saving some coin. I guess in this regards...you have to expect the savings to show up somewhere.
I wonder if anyone complains about the Michelins that are OEM on Honda vehicles? If not...maybe Honda brokered a deal for a better quality tire than Hyundai did.
One thing I'd say about Michelins though, they seem to last a long time. I think I can easily go for another 15-20k easily. But I think I'll go for another 5k on these & then replace them (or if Tirerack has some good price on them before).
The only good thing is that technically, you didn't come out of your pocket for the Michelins, but I do understand it seeming like a waste to replace them now. I know one thing, if I would have know how much of a difference it would have made, I would have swapped mine out long before they wore down. I think I got about 40-45k miles out of them.
What really made me frown upon the OEM Michelins was the fact that when I put my 20" wheel package on with Nexen-made Lexani tires, even those tires were an upgrade in terms of quietness, handling and comfort...even with a shorter sidewall. The only trade off was I only got about 35k miles out of them.
I wonder if the Kuhmo brand tires that come on some of the other Hyundai vehicles are any better?
I've seen the Energy MXV4's on a lot of cars....OEM I presume.
I haven't seen them for sale @ retail...the Primacy MXV4 is usually listed (more expensive and probably better grade)
The Energy's are probably a OEM factory run tire...I still have them on my 06 with 24k and they look like new....
24k miles on those tires, yeah...they're gonna still look pretty new. Once you hit 35k or so...they'll start looing a bit worn, but you'll notice a drop off in handling, quietness and performance in incliment weather.
What do you know about the Nexen N 5000's??? I can get 4 mounted, balanced, etc for $400 locally...I think you had a set on your car....I know they are V rated, but haven't checked on the treadwear, temp, or load rating...I want to put a set of 235/45/17's on my '06.
May I ask why 235/45-17???
Tire Size Calculator
I have a set of Nexen 7000s on my car...these are the all-season ones, and they are great. I went with 18s on mine.
I think the 45s will be a nice benefit in handling over the 55s
Notice you have 18's on yours, 10649 wants to keep the stock 17's and put the 45's on that....not saying it can't be done, he'll definitely reap benefits of handling with the lower profile, but his speedometer will be affected as will his fuel economy (slightly).
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/surveyresults/surveydisplay.jsp?type=GTAS
A couple clicks from that link will take you to owner reviews which, for the most
part, were glowing. Thanks for bringing the Kumho to our attention.
Went to Joe Pecheles Hyundai in Greenville, NC hoping it was under some sort of warranty. Nope. They told me a new tire would cost me $245! I don't like this dealership anyway since they refused to give me an pricing over the phone when I was helping a friend buy an Elantra in August and then on my purchase (initially for a Genesis) in September. Idiots! I told the service manager I would have to price the tire around town first.
I went down to the tire place I normally use for oil changes and they gave me a price of $193. I agreed to that and they ordered the tire.
I called Michelin to express my irritation that a brand new $200 tire doesn't come with any type of road hazard protection. The representative was very nice and told me Michelin would help me. They first wanted me to go to a Michelin dealer. I explained my story and told him the tire had already been ordered and I wanted to stick with them (also for the fact that we have had 3 days of rain from Hurricane Ida and I wanted the tire fixed). He said no problem to have the store call him with my reference number.
Long story, short.....Michelin gave me an $80 credit toward the tire! I have learned over and over again - it never hurts to ask!
Never had a problem like that in my 30 some cars either.
Bought a set of Goodyear Assurance Comfortred and very happy with them. They are very quiet and give a comfortable ride.
But I didn't know about the TSB on alignment, will have to check that out.
Craig
Craig
Once you buy the car, you can put on any tire you want. If a tire store balks at selling you a set of lower rated tires, you could point out that they have plenty of competitors that will.
Are you sure that Azera has no speed limiter? I thought all Hyundai/Kia vehicles had speeds limited to 134.375 mph (215 kmph) in US, except track-spec Genesis Coupe.
While V rated tires are what come on the Azera due to it's capabilities...an H rated tire is just fine as well. I've actually noticed a much better ride, enjoyed longer tread life and of course, less money out of my pocket when purchasing a good tire.
The best thing to do is research some tires you're interested in and buy them according to the type of driver you are. Even if you take trips to 100 mph on a regular basis, H rated tires are capable of handling that.
Tire speed ratings are for sustained speeds, I doubt that a short blast over an H rating would be disastrous. When I was young and foolish, I did a quick trip to 145MPH in an SS396 with the crap tires they had in the '60s - no problem.
Dont plan on taking it up there again, but I like the extra safety factor as I do see triple digits a few times a year.
My dad looked at one and I made sure I got the 45!
Cheers!!
TIA,
--Shag
My 2001 XG300 had crappy Michelins that had to be replaced at 35k (hell, the whole car was crappy and was in the shop every month for some warranty covered issue). But I refused the offer for the same new tires when needed from Fairfax (VA) Hyundai and went to JustTires for Goodyear touring tires that lasted fine until I got rid of the XG 55,000 miles later.
Tire prices and labor for putting them on, aligning the car, etc. from the dealer's shop is usually ridiculous. My current dealer matches them....Alexandria Hyundai....