Tire treadlife warranty is one of many variables to consider when purchasing tires.
However, treadlife warranty should not be overvalued. The real world value of a treadlife warranty might not be as some folks expect.
“Warranty” within the automotive realm is often interpreted as 100% security. If an automotive part prematurely fails and is covered under warranty, then the vehicle owner expects to have that part replaced under warranty at no charge.
The same may be mistakenly expected of tires, e.g. if a tire tread life warranty indicates “50,000 miles” and the tire reaches minimum tread (hey…) prior to that mileage, then the manufacturer replaces the tire(s) at no charge. Right? Nope.
Tread wear bars on tires Firstly, understand that tire tread life warranty is leveraged by tire manufacturers as a marketing tool. Manufacturers know that if “competing tire A” claims a tread life warranty of “50,000 miles,” their tread life warranty of “55,000 miles” will look superior by comparison. And since tires are so costly, buyers are often inclined to go with the tire that appears to have superior longevity.
So tread life warranty duration is perhaps the best way for manufacturers to attempt to convey long-term value to consumers. “Buy our tires instead, they’ll last 5,000 miles longer than that other brand. Compare the tread life warranties!”
Also, there is very limited, if any financial downside to manufacturers inflating the indicated treadlife warranty mileage to edge the competition (more on this below). So the temptation to bump up the treadlife warranty number north of realistic mileage is always there…
How does a treadlife warranty claim work in the real world? For illustration purposes, let’s unpack the treadlife warranty conditions for one of our preferred ultra-high performance all season tires, the Continental ExtremeContact DWS 06, which comes with a 50,000 mile treadlife warranty.
First up, what exactly is a worn tire, i.e. one that would qualify for a treadlife warranty claim? Continental* defines a worn tire (due for replacement) as:
“Wearout” means that the tire’s tread has worn evenly down to the tread wear indicators (2/32nds of an inch or 1.6 mm of tread remaining.)
Note that uniform wear (“worn evenly”) is specified to preclude treadwear warranty claims due to tire abuse, improper tire pressures, and every other cause of premature and/or uneven tire wear.
Additionally, Continental defines a worn tire as one that has just 2/32nds of an inch of tread remaining. Prefer to replace your tires prior to absolute minimum tread? Good on ya, but treadlife warranty won’t be of any help in that case.
The following stipulations also quite severely limit treadlife warranty coverage.
- Tire(s) that have not been rotated at least every 6,000 to 8,000 miles, as evidenced by a completed Rotation Schedule, are excluded from this coverage.
- On vehicles with staggered / split fitments (different size tires on front and rear axle), tires cannot be rotated between the front and rear axle. Without rotation of tires between the front and rear axle, the expected mileage / kilometers before wearout is significantly lower, especially on the rear axle. Therefore, the Mileage Warranty for tires on the rear axle of these vehicles will be 50% of the standard Mileage Warranty for the product line.
- Tire(s) in service for more than 72 months, regardless of mileage, are not covered.
Additionally of note:
– The owner pays shipping, mounting, balancing and all applicable taxes (including F.E.T.) under the Mileage Warranty.
Presumably if you’re filing a treadlife warranty claim, you’re probably not happy with the longevity of the tire. Not satisfied with the tire otherwise, and want to try something completely different? The treadlife warranty is issued by the manufacturer, not the tire shop/installer. So any discount/credit garnered under the treadlife warranty has to be applied to a tire produced by the same manufacturer:
You will receive a comparable new Continental Brand tire with payment of the replacement price based on the percentage of actual mileage/ kilometers received to the mileage covered. Your replacement cost will be determined by dividing the actual mileage delivered by the miles/ kilometers warranted and multiplying the result times the current price of an equivalent or comparable replacement.
Bit confused?
To Continental’s credit, they actually provide customers with a real world calculation of how their treadlife warranty works in the event of a permissible claim:
The tire you present for warranty has a Mileage Warranty of 60,000 miles. At the time of the tire purchase, the vehicle’s odometer reading was 20,000 miles. At the time the tire was presented for warranty, the vehicle’s odometer reading was 65,000 miles…
Determine the mileage received on adjusted tires:
65,000 miles – 20,000 miles = 45,000 miles
Determine your pro rata replacement tire cost percentage:
45,000/60,000 x 100 = 75% (round to the nearest whole percentage)
Your pro rata cost for the replacement tire is determined by multiplying the percentage of mileage received (75%) by the current purchase price for the replacement tire (ex. $130.02) Example calculation is: 75% x $130.02 = $97.52
In the Continental treadlife warranty claim example, the effective credit is $32.50. If all four of the tires wore equally prematurely, that amounts to a $130 discount/credit (however you’d like to consider it) on the purchase of a new set of the same tires, or “comparable new” tires.
From an optimistic standpoint — that’s an excellent credit/discount on a new set of tires. Even the best of our tire deals probably won’t save you quite that much.
Considered from the alternative perspective, you’re locked into using that credit/discount on the same, or a comparable set of tires from the same manufacturer. And if you’re not happy with the treadlife and/or how the tires performed and don’t want to attempt round 2, then the treadlife warranty is really of little to no value.
In summary, be sure to interpret a tire treadlife warranty for what it delivers — a potential purchase advantage on a new set of tires from the same manufacturer if yours wear prematurely.
In terms of deciding between competing tires, comparing treadlife warranties is a prudent practice. All other factors being equal, if one tire offers a significant treadlife warranty advantage over another, then the treadlife warranty rightly could be a determining factor.
However, know that a tread life warranty is not a guarantee of tread life, and it certainly is not equivalent to other automotive warranties that replace, at no charge, failed components. *Continental’s tread life warranty stipulations are similar to those typically offered by other reputable tire manufacturers.
