I have a 2011 Prius FOUR. I purchased it 4/11. I have 35,000 miles on it and the tires are bald. Are the original equipment tires usually a lesser quality? I don't do a lot of high way traveling usually trips of 20 miles or less. Maybe with a lot of stopping and starting they wear more. There is no mileage expectancy for these tires so I can't tell if this is normal or not.
Here is my "ignorant" response. I've heard numerous "Water Cooler" talk conversations about OEM tires. And I've heard people say that OEM tires that are put on at the factory are actually made to lower quality standards. The priority for manufacturers is something cheap, that can roll off the dealership lot. I have no idea if this is true. I would think tire manufacturers would be hesitant to want their name on a product that is designed to wear out rapidly, or will be perceived as "cheap". -- So I tend to doubt this. HOWEVER..conversely.... Here is my "Life Experience" response. Having said that? I've NEVER had OEM tires on any new vehicle that I got much more that 30,000 miles life. Sometimes much less. So to me? It's not too surprising that at 35,000 miles you have OEM tires that are now ready to be replaced. My further experience is that replacement of OEM tires with a good quality set of tires results in much longer life. I'm generally happy if I get a year or two on OEM...but then I expect at least double that life with any good, quality replacement. Of course a lot of that depends entirely on your driving style, conditions, and how much you drive per year. Going on year two with my Prius Goodyear OEM tires? So far I'm surprisingly impressed. I've still got less than 20,000 miles on the vehicle, BUT the Goodyears that came with the vehicle are holding up well compared to OEM tires I've had in the past. I still suspect I'll need to replace in a year or year and 1/2. Good Luck. Tires are safety issues. Get those bald tires replaced ASAP.
Thanks for your reply! Your thoughts coincide with mine. I am replacing them as soon as I can get an appointment.
I too have a 2011 prius 4 (4/11), and the oem Goodyear assurance gave me 35k in a little over 3 years. I averaged roughly 49 mpg with a high of 51. Switched over to Michelin energy savers and instantly jumped to 58 mpg on 35/33 psi. I just took it up to 42/40. The oem tires never matched that and I'm quite glad they only lasted 35k. We're unlucky we didn't get bridgestone ep20 stock.
I use only Michelin tires on my cars. You will get a lot more than 35,000 miles from Michelins. I don't like original equipment tires unless they are Michelins. Just my opinion.
Well......FWIW, I have 60,000 on my OEM "Yoko's" & no plans to replace them anytime soon......yes, I drive like an old/man because, "I Are One".......I'll keep the money in MY pocket! .....YMMV....
It would really turn the lights up brighter if you could name those tires: manufacturer, specific tire name, size.
