Mercedes-Benz B-Class - Tyre cracking problems

Honest John Back Room » Motoring discussion
View Threaded
Mon 27 Feb 2017 18:32
Mercedes-Benz B-Class - Tyre cracking problems - csgmart

My B Class went in for it's 1st MOT today and passed with one advisory. The side walls on my front tyres are showing evidence of some cracking.

Now, the tyres were purchased by me from an online company in November 2015 (15 months ago) and have plenty of tread still left on them (about 5mm).

I will be contacting the company who I purchased them from to see what they say about it but would it also be worth contacting the manufacturer directly?

The tyres are Goodyear Efficientgrip Performance and cost £73.09 each and I'm really not that happy that about half way into their life they are showing signs of cracking.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Mon 27 Feb 2017 18:42
Mercedes-Benz B-Class - Tyre cracking problems - daveyjp
Check the date stamp to see when they were made.

4 numbers on the sidewall. You want a number which ends in 15 for 2015, the first two numbers are the week they were made,
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Mon 27 Feb 2017 18:55
Mercedes-Benz B-Class - Tyre cracking problems - csgmart
Check the date stamp to see when they were made. 4 numbers on the sidewall. You want a number which ends in 15 for 2015, the first two numbers are the week they were made,

Yep - too dark / wet for me to look tonight. The online tyre company have a complaints procedure so I'll raise a ticket and see how that goes.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Mon 27 Feb 2017 19:53
Mercedes-Benz B-Class - Tyre cracking problems - bathtub tom

I'm in the market for new tyres and was surprised to find some online that were several years old. They weren't that cheap either!

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Wed 1 Mar 2017 01:29
Mercedes-Benz B-Class - Tyre cracking problems - the_bandit

Don't hesistate to consider sending these tyres back to the manufacturer.

The Britsh Tyre Manufacturers' Association (BTMA) has an agreed process in place with all manufacturers to investigate potential problems with tyres.

I sent back four Michelin Energy tyres, 5 years old with 20k (50% usable tread worn) for sidewalls that were perishing and received an 80% discount on any set of new tyres.

There's no cost to send back either, your tyre centre can manage this for you.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Wed 1 Mar 2017 07:43
Mercedes-Benz B-Class - Tyre cracking problems - Vitesse6

Thanks Bandit, I have just noticed that my 5 year old Michelin Energy tyres are cracking and was just about to replace them. I will look into complaining about them.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Wed 1 Mar 2017 21:21
Mercedes-Benz B-Class - Tyre cracking problems - csgmart

Don't hesistate to consider sending these tyres back to the manufacturer.

The Britsh Tyre Manufacturers' Association (BTMA) has an agreed process in place with all manufacturers to investigate potential problems with tyres.

I sent back four Michelin Energy tyres, 5 years old with 20k (50% usable tread worn) for sidewalls that were perishing and received an 80% discount on any set of new tyres.

There's no cost to send back either, your tyre centre can manage this for you.

Yeah - thanks. The date code on the tyres is 4315 so they aren't old as I bought them in late 2015.

I asked the online retailer (a German based company) and they said there is a process but they want £35 per tyre to cover the cost of the assessment. Only if the tyres are found to be faulty would I get a refund on that money.

I spoke directly to Goodyear who were helpful but the chap did say that online isn't always best as when things go wrong you are dealing with an internet company rather than a physical company you can take the tyres back to. I guess a lesson learned there. In any event Goodyear test the tyres in Germany so whatever happens I would need to send the tyres back overseas.

I'm in two minds about what to do to be honest. If I send the tyres back I obviously need to buy 2 new ones first. To be honest I might just live with them for now and change when they are a bit more worn down and put it down to a bad experience.

Edited by csgmart on 01/03/2017 at 21:23

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Thu 2 Mar 2017 01:14
Mercedes-Benz B-Class - Tyre cracking problems - the_bandit

I agree that dealing with a UK based company is preferable when it comes to dealing with any potential issues in the future.

Here's an extract from the BTMAUK website about online retailers:

'Tyres bought over the internet from a dealer : A consumer’s rights when buying over the internet are the same as when buying from a high street dealer. There are some additional rights under the Distance Selling Regulations if the tyre is ordered from within the UK and elsewhere in the European Union. Remember that if the tyre is bought from abroad and problems occur with it there may be difficulties in getting the complaint properly dealt with. Moreover, if the consumer’s tyre is fitted by an agent different from the seller it may be more difficult to establish responsibility for any defect identified in the tyre.'

Do you want to buy Goodyear tyres again? Why not find a tyre dealer who will sell you replacement tyres who will arrange to send these back to Goodyear? Forget about the online seller. It's the tyre manufacturer who issue the credit which eventually is passed back to you.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Thu 2 Mar 2017 10:02
Mercedes-Benz B-Class - Tyre cracking problems - John F

I'm in two minds about what to do to be honest. If I send the tyres back I obviously need to buy 2 new ones first. To be honest I might just live with them for now and change when they are a bit more worn down and put it down to a bad experience.

Dinnae fash yersel. What exactly is the 'bad experience'? Superficial cracking is of no significance. My classic car tyres had been cracked for years when I eventually replaced them at over 20yrs old. Just be aware that with age they harden and don't grip quite so well. There is negligible chance of cracks penetrating so far as cause a leakage.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Wed 1 Mar 2017 23:13
Mercedes-Benz B-Class - Tyre cracking problems - Smileyman

had this problem with Mrs's car, some years ago the original supply Continentals were deemed "perished" through cracking on MOT, since then a second set of tyres has started to crack too.(Also Continental). Been advised this is due to parking in bright sunlight, and certainly where the car is parked is a sunny location ... there is no shade available so just have to live with it.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Thu 2 Mar 2017 07:36
Mercedes-Benz B-Class - Tyre cracking problems - bazza

I suppose financially the hit isn't too bad. You;ve had half the estimated use out of the fronts, which cost about £150, so they owe you about £75. It wouldn't be worth paying to send them back, so I would agree and put it down to bad experience. I would however, take photos of the date stamps, cracks and send all the information to Goodyear, requesting some form of goodwill, You never know, they may be sympathetic. Incidentally, I have had very good experiences with Kuhmo through Black Circles, 25000 miles on the front of a nose heavy diesel.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

From choosing the right tyre to what to do when it goes wrong - we have the answers.

Tyre News And Advice