If you're looking to replace the tires on your car or truck, you'll probably want to know which tire companies are most recommended as well as those that are best to avoid. There are many quality tire manufacturers that provide good-quality tires for American consumers. While most of the better quality tires are made by American manufacturers, there are some high quality imported tires as well. However, there are some imported tires that you should definitely avoid.
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Brands of Tires to Avoid at All Costs
In recent years, many Chinese tire manufacturers have come under attack for making substandard and unsafe tires available for sale in the United States. Furthermore, some Chinese manufacturers have been the subject of forced recalls by many state Attorney Generals and the Federal Trade Commission. While there are many variations of Chinese import tires that have come under attack, companies that have been the subject of forced government recalls include:
- Westlake Tires
- AKS Tires
- Telluride tires
- Compass Tires
All of these brands of cheap tires are made by the China-based Hangzhou Zhongce Rubber Company; furthermore, it is alleged that these tires lack even the most basic of safety features such as gum strips which are a rubber feature that helps prevent steel belts inside the tire from separating or damaging the rubber.
While these 4 brands are definitely brands you should stay away from, many motor industry experts recommend staying away from Chinese brands altogether. While some Chinese-made tires are a little better than the brands mentioned above, most Chinese-imported tires lack safety and performance features such as belt stiffeners, bead wedges and nylon cap plies that are considered to be industry standards these days. In short, don't buy cheap, imported Chinese tires. If you're searching for good values on discounted tires, consider tires from quality American manufacturers like Goodyear or Cooper Tires. All of these companies offer low-cost, high-quality tires that will fit most budgets.
Related Questions and Answers
What's the Difference Between Off Brand Tires and Normal Brand Tires?
Most people are not sure about the safety of using off brand tires on their vehicles. You may have wondered about the difference between your normal brand tires and the off brand tires that seem to be relatively unknown, and only available in certain parts of the country. The truth is, there is no difference when it comes to quality standards between the two. Almost all off brand tires are manufactured by the normal brand tire manufacturers. Though they will produce the off brands for specific dealers. For example, the manufacturers of Goodyear tires also manufacture Douglas tires, which are sold by Wal-Mart. Buying off brand tires will actually save you money, as they tend to be cheaper than normal brand tires.
Can You Mix a Brand Name Tire With 3 other Different Brand Tires?
Most manufacturers deliver a car with a brand name tire set. The reason for this is not just uniformity, but there are also safety considerations as to why you should not mix different brand name tires. Each tire is manufactured with particular specifications on tread life, temperature, speed rating and tread pattern. So despite being of similar width and height, two tires of different brand names are not the same. Having your car fitted with different brand name tires will reduce handling and traction, which means reduced safety for you. So the short answer to the question of having your car fitted with a mix of brand tires is no, for your own safety.
What are Private Brand Tires?
Simply put, private brand tires are tires that are manufactured by one company but sold and distributed by another company. Private brand tires are almost always produced by the same companies that produce name brand tires. Name brand manufactures will often produce private brand tires to make sure that they maximize on production capacity. They will apply the same materials, production lines and manpower to make the tires, which they do not have to go and market themselves. Private brand tires will often be cheaper than the similar name brand tires. Though they will be of similar quality as they undergo the same testing and have to meet quality assurance standards set by the government. Thus, serves you the same as the name brand tires.