I have a 2009 Prius with about 33,000 miles. Owned it about 6 months. It has the original Goodyear tires. I notice that when I do a quick turn, or go over a bump or something like that, I will have a quick moment of "squeal", which I imagine means a little loss of traction. Is this an indication that my tires are ready for replacement? They still have a reasonable amount of tread. Or is this simply characteristic of this vehicle? Or might it indicate some other problem? Thanks
What tyre pressures are you running at as this can be a sign of under inflated tyres or bad wheel alignment. John (Britprius)
Pressures is whatever dealer set them at. Not aware of a bad wheel alignment, but have not had it checked
Those tires need replacement when it rolled out of the dealer. Goodyear Integritys are one of the worst tires ever made. Any tire you select to replace them will be 100% better. Replace them asap and see what a nice car you have.
The dealer will have set the tyres to the door sticker level that we all know to be great for a smooth ride, but very little else including, stability, fuel economy, and even ware. Set the pressures at a minimum of 38 psi front and 36 psi rear "a couple of pounds higher if your happy with the ride." Some here advocate going to the maximum sidewall pressure, but I think that is a little extreme and gives a very harsh ride. Although the tyres fitted to your car are OEM tyres they are not generally liked, and are definitely not the best for economy or road grip and noise. I appreciate changing them is not going to be an economical choice at the moment. John (Britprius)
What does "reasonable amount of tread" mean? If you want to be ready for the wet winter season, the tires should have at least 4/32" tread depth. Further, as already pointed out, the Goodyear Integrity tires were marginal at best when new; so there is no surprise that your car's traction is impaired after the tires have covered 33K miles.
