is wal-mart trying to kill my family?!?

[l-man]

ok my wife was sold a set of goodyear Viva 2 tires at wal-mart awhile back for our 2001 4 dr Explorer.... and these things wore out in less then 50k when she went back to find out why she was told these were Passanger car tires not SUV tires, I am not a car expert but I know that tires are put in load ranges, and am pretty sure this is why they wore out so fast, my question is this.....How unsafe and irresponsible was it for them to sell these to her in the first place... and second was my family in any danger because of the wrong tires...I am not looking to sue or anything but they wont even refund any of our money or a discount on new tires, I jsut want to go argue my point with a litttle knowlage and not sound like a total idiot....thanks for you help

[way2old]

Thing 1. Wal-Mart is not an automotive repair facility. They will sell you whatever they can to get your money.
Thing 2. The load rating is not really that much of an issue on your vehicle unless you are hauling a large load it it all the time. Granted, the tires were under sized for the truck, but I don't think there was any damage.
Thing 3. What is the milage rating for the tires you purchased? Is the 50,000 range reasonable for the life expectancy of the tire?
Thing 4. How many miles did you get on the other tires and what brand were they?

I am not trying to say you are not correct in being worried about what happened. I am just trying to run other ways of thinking past you. If you want to be sure the correct tire is installed, go to the dealer or a major tire store. It might cost a little more than Wal-Mart, but you will have the correct size and rating, without someone that is only a sales person that was told to sell tires as many as possible in each day. Good luck.

['97ventureowner]

Originally Posted by way2old

Thing 1. Wal-Mart is not an automotive repair facility. They will sell you whatever they can to get your money.

While I agree with what most of way2old is saying, I am singling out this line for clarification. Most of the Wal Mart Supercenters being built in this country are being equipped with service bays to do simple automotive work such as tires, oil changes, cooling system maintenance, and in many parts of the country they may offer more services. With that one can conclude that they could be considered a repair facility in that aspect. Because of that, one could hope they would have someone on the staff knowledgeable about tires to guide customers to purchase them appropriate for their vehicle. But as time goes on and customer service gets "watered down" coupled with lagging pay rates for employees,I guess they get who they can to work for them, experienced or not.I can't say that about our local Sam's Clubs which are owned by Wal mart. Over the year I have received exceptional service from their employees whom I've found to be very knowledgeable about the brands that they carry and can make recommendations to their customers. One of the garages I used to work in about 15 years ago had a tire shop in the back. I learned a lot about tires over the years working there. I haven't been around tires as much over the years since I left that place and was amazed at how much the industry and products have changed since then. I got a lot of this info while speaking to the managers of both tire shops at my local Sams Clubs. They go out of their way to make sure their customers get the proper tires they need for their circumstances, and are satisfied with their purchase . This is in stark contrast to the Supercenters that have tire shops and are owned by the same corporation. One would hope the level of service and expertise would be similar , especially since the Supercenters probably have more customers in their tire shops than do the Sams Clubs.

[mazdatech177]

most people would kill to have their tires last almost 50k miles. hell i see brand new cars with tires worn out at 20k miles... and yes they had their alignments and kept them rotated properly and inflation checked regularly. i do hope you have proof of doing the above before you go ranting about how long your tires lasted, if you dont you are going to be very disappointed with the outcome. i doubt you go off-road or haul a load of lumber around with you while you drive, so im sure the tires they sold you were appropriate and safe... it is up to you to make sure they stay that way

[snowskateskim21]

mazdatech is right....50k is not bad at all.

['97ventureowner]

Please refrain from posting a thread in more than one forum. I have deleted one, merged the remaining two, and moved it here.

[l-man]

Should have been more specific, they only lasted about 20k or so mi. and I am pretty sure that they are rated at 60k. I do have all the rotation and alignment records, so I do have that on my side, so thats a plus, Thank you for all the information, I am glad that the family was never in any danger (other then my wifes driving) I am just goin to tell tham that I am unsatisfied with them and see what they will give us on a deal for new tires, and then probably go to FIrestone and compare.......anyone want to recomed a set??? just looking for a comfortably riding quiet tire....no off-roading and no hauling thanks again for all the comments guys

[bobss396]

Every chain tire store I've seen has strict guidelines about what tire goes on what vehicle. You often have an option of going up one size like from a P225 to a P235, but that's it.

They punch in your vehicle on their PC and all of the tire choices pop up for your vehicle. They are supposed to be right, but who knows?

From what you tell me, they should make good on your tires. I would go back and ask them to make you a reasonable adjustment on your 2 tire purchase. If they say no, tell them that you are going to enter a complaint with the local DMV ofice about their store. That should work. Just about every state requires repair shops to be registered and they probably have to display their number on a metal sign fastened to the front of the building or just inside.

Bob

[hotrod_chevyz]

Dont take your car to Wal-Mart for anything. Dont buy anything for your car from Wal-Mart. Take it to a competitor.

[uwdtbuds]

I wouldnt buy anything from china town even if my cat was dieing! ps i dont have a cat.

[97TaurusGuy]

Originally Posted by l-man

ok my wife was sold a set of goodyear Viva 2 tires at wal-mart awhile back for our 2001 4 dr Explorer.... and these things wore out in less then 50k when she went back to find out why she was told these were Passanger car tires not SUV tires, I am not a car expert but I know that tires are put in load ranges, and am pretty sure this is why they wore out so fast, my question is this.....How unsafe and irresponsible was it for them to sell these to her in the first place... and second was my family in any danger because of the wrong tires...I am not looking to sue or anything but they wont even refund any of our money or a discount on new tires, I jsut want to go argue my point with a litttle knowlage and not sound like a total idiot....thanks for you help

Ok, this is coming from a former Sam's Club tire tech. Walmart Inc. company policy strictly says that tire techs can only install OEM size tires. They have computers and books, but whatever size the tire info sticker on your vehicle states is the only size that they are allowed to install. I had many upset customers with this rule (many people wanting to move up a size). With this said, the sticker on the driver door jamb does say that your Explorer can have passenger tires installed on it. It also says under the passenger tire size a light truck tire size. Walmart can install either the passenger or light truck tires on your Explorer. It basically comes down to what tire you decide on. Obviously you didnt want to spend much mone on tires otherwise you would have bought a better set of tires. In my experience with customer who have bought Goodyears I have only one thing to say... Goodyears are only good for a year. Goodyear uses a softer rubber and they tend to wear faster. Next time I would suggest buying a set of BfGoodrigh radial long trails. They are a decent tire that will last you a while and are fairly cheap.

[INF3RN0666]

If I recall correctly, SUV high profile tires need a fortified siding as to avoid tie wall warping while you drive around a curve. In all technicality, if you took a turn a bit fast, the tire wall could have collapsed and caused a roll over. Then again, your SUV could have rolled over on its own. It's hard to tell without testing the theory. But SUV tires AREN'T THE SAME as automotive tires (for the most parts). If you can call the toyota rav 4 an SUV, it has car tires. On the other hand, some SUVs have very high profile tires but small rims.

[CapriRacer]

A couple of thoughts:

Apparently tires wearing out causes a safety issue? You bought 2 tires, so you should have been monitoring the other 2 for wear, so how does this become a safety problem? Appears to me that you and your family were in no more danger than normal - unless you weren't monitoring the wear on your tires - and that certainly isn't WalMart's fault.

Tires can wear out in 20K if the vehicle isn't properly aligned. This is the most likely reason the warranty was refused - the warranty doesn't covers alignment related wear.

[dave92cherokee]

Everyone seems to miss the point of his post. First he bought a SET of Goodyear Viva 2 tires, not 2 tires he bought the whole set. Second he said that he kept the vehicle aligned properly and had receipts to show it. Finally if you want good reliable tires don't get the cheapest ones it's like the old saying that especially applies to automotive world you get what you pay for. If you buy cheap parts they perform cheaply if you buy expensive parts they perform best. Best tires for a suv would be in my opinion the Bridgestone Dueler A/T Revo, they're good and quiet and have great handling in wet condiditons and are made for trucks/suv/van as the company van i used to drive with a full load of equipment in the back had a set of them on it and they lasted for about 60k miles before needing replacement. Walmart does not care what size or rating or application is supposed to be on a car if you go in there and tell them i want this tire in this size then that's the size they'll put on for you and send you on your way.

[sickcallawayc12]

My 2 cents:

While some Wal-Marts/Supercenters/Sam's Clubs i'm sure do indeed have good workers and management who know what they are talking about and know how to do work properly, I simply cannot trust this company for having work of any sort done on my vehicle. Wal-Mart/Sam's/etc. is primarily a nationwide discount store/warehouse and not a nationwide automotive facility. If i want work done on my vehicle, i find a honest, reliable mechanic and stick with him or her for everything. It's worth whatever extra funds you may need to fork over knowing you are getting serviced properly and/or the way you want it. And I totally agree with dave on getting what you pay for. I plan on a career in business though which is why I firmly believe in this principle. More work is put into making a quality product so there is more cost, therefore, the price to the consumer is higher. As for not using Goodyears, I agree. I have Dunlop Radial Rover A/Ts and they are terrific on my truck for on and off the road. Passenger tires are perfectly fine for an SUV, however. Many of them come with passenger tires stock. Just choose ones that are reasonably priced, which doesn't mean the cheapest ones. Also, I only buy my tires at www.tirerack.com and nowhere else. I highly recommend shopping here for tires, especially since many buyers post good reviews which are very useful when shopping for tires. Plus they have great customer service and they know their tires.