I brought my 1996 Camaro in for some new tires about 2 years ago. I purchased them in pairs, within a month or so of eachother. I purchased the Big O 'exclusive' Falken ZE 329 tire based on the manager's recommendation, and I purchased a wheel alignment also to 'prevent uneven wear' as the manager put it. Everything is fine with the new tires until about a month later one has a blow out. I locate a Big O with the same tire in stock and hobble the car on over their with it's spare mounted.
They can't find a cause of the blow out, but say it's not covered by the warranty. FYI, the ZE329 comes with tire repair and general protection for 60,000 miles, and this was well under 4,000 that the tire blew. The Jabba the hut sized manager would not back down, he refused to work with me. We went back and forth for a good 5 minutes until he finally said, 'Look kid, take the tire or leave. I've got better things to do than argue with a kid.' I was 21 at the time, and backed down and accepted the tire as I wasn't riding on a spare or having a mismatched tire.
Come this week, 2 years later, I take my tires in for their rotations, and the person working comes back to me and exclaims 'You need all new tires!' I was shocked, offended, and taken aback. I said 'I'm fine with the tires I have.' and he just shrugs his shoulders and says 'I won't rotate your tires. Those tires are shot.' I asked him how? And he repeats they are done for. 2 years of use, 17,000 miles later and all 4 tires are 'toast', as he said. 17,000 miles on a 60,000 tire. He retracted his statement when another employee says the front tires are bad, the rear are fine.
NOW it's just the rear that need replacing, as the story changes. He tries to tell me it's because these Camaros make too much torque, it burns through the tires. It's a rear wheel drive, single wheel traction model...if anything, the passenger rear tire should exhibit the worst wear. I know what he was trying to do, trying to get me to buy 4 new tires all over again. He even made a side comment that you need a wheel alignment when you get new tires, same thing the old manager told me when I bought the tires, and I mention I had one perfomed. He shrugs and says, "Don't know what to tell you."
So, why in the hell would I buy 4 new tires, when I've already purchased 5 and, according to him, 3 have failed in 17,000 miles...the staff was non chalant, unsympathetic, and liars. I took it to the shop down the street, where I have my mechanics performed, and he said the tires were fine. Avoid Big O. I'm thoroughly offended at the way I was treated, that they won't back their product or honor warranties, and if they decide to say they won't honor a warranty it doesn't matter how many protection plans your tire comes with or you purchase, they won't do a d*mn thing. |
