Warranties: What’s Important and What’s Not.
There are a lot of things to consider when we are shopping for tires. Depending on the reason you are buying tires, certain things may be more important than others. For instance, if you’re burning through rubber while ripping sideways through a course than a tire’s warranty isn’t probably your first concern. If you’re planning on putting a set of UHPs on your leisurely cruiser than a tire’s warranty is more than likely a consideration. When deciding if you are really going to concern yourself with the drawn-out text of tire warranties, it’s the first step to understand why they important.
Why are Tire Warranties Important?
Tire warranties are an incredibly important consideration for many people when shopping for a new set. These warranties are important because they can provide you coverage in case there is a defect with the tire, it doesn’t last as long as it was supposed to, and (in some cases) you damage it during “normal” driving practices.
The biggest thing these warranties can provide for you is peace of mind while driving on the rubber you purchased. Tires can be a big investment and knowing that they’re covered in case something goes wrong can be a stress reliever (and may prevent a major hit to your wallet).
What Details Should You Look At?
Just as no two fingerprints are the same, no two tire warranties are as well. If we could tell you exactly the right combination of things to consider we would have unlocked the million-dollar question. But, because YOUR needs are different, what may be a great warranty for one driver may not be as great for you. What you need to do is weigh the importance of each feature to your driving needs, against each individual warranty. So, what features should you be keeping an eye out for? Let’s go through some of the more popular ones.
Tread-Life Warranty
Tread-life warranties are one of the biggest and most popular considerations when looking at tire warranties. That is because a) it will showcase how long the tire manufacturer has rated that tire to drive on, and B) because it will help provide peace of mind that your investment will be covered for a set amount of miles.
The way most of these works are on a proration method, where the manufacturer will prorate the cost of what’s left on your estimated mileage to the price of your new tires. For instance, if you’re tires are covered for 60,000 miles and you only drive on your tires for 45,000 miles and your tread is down to 2/32s of an inch (general standard of when tread becomes unsafe for normal use) than the tire manufacturer will prorate roughly 25% (45,000 / 60,000 = 75% of the tire was used. 100% - 75% = 25% the value of the tire to be prorated) of the tires cost to your new set.
Just like anything else in life, there are limits to these programs. If you plan on filing for a tread-life warranty, you will generally need to provide proof of the following:
That the tires were properly rotated.
That the tires were rotated at the proper intervals.
Proof that the tire was driven on properly.
(not raced on, or otherwise abused)
If you are somebody who plans on driving on your tires normally and for their intended purpose, then this is one of the most important features to look at in tire warranties.
Road Hazard
Road hazard warranties are one of the most interesting features in warranties that there are to consider. It acts like health insurance for your tires. That’s because it covers your tires in the instance that you go flat due to a hazard in the road (debris, glass, nails, etc.). Typically, these issues can be resolved through a tire repair and the road hazard warranty will cover the cost of the repair for the remainder of the tire’s life. If the tire cannot be repaired, they will typically prorate the cost of the remainder of the tire’s tread life to the price of the new replacement tire. Most road hazard policies will cover the tire for 1 year.
Generally, road hazard warranties are purchased through the tire shops where the tires are being purchased. They average $10-$20 per tire. While some tire companies and vendors sell this “insurance” as an additional source of revenue, some tire manufacturers automatically include this service as part of their standard warranty.
One of our favorite road hazard warranties in the biz is Armstrong’s Built to Last – TUFF 360 Warranty. Not only are they one of the manufacturers that include this policy in their standard warranty, AND it is active for 2 YEARS. This is one company that wants its customers to feel confident when purchasing their tires.
Workmanship Warranty
This is one is something to keep an eye out for. Tire companies are very stringent in their production of tires; therefore, they consider defects to be a rare occurrence. This is why generally they only cover one tire our of a set. They also expect you to detect any improprieties early into your ownership of the tire. That is why the general standard for this warranty is to be claimed within the for 2/32nds of an inch into the tire’s treadwear for a full replacement. The standard after this is to prorate the value of the tire towards its replacement.
This is pretty standard among tire warranties, but still an important part to check out. If this left out of a warranty somewhere… run.
The Special Warranty
This is a fun one. You can find this in some tire manufacturer’s warranty, like Armstrong. Many of the ones you may see out there are a 30-day money-back guarantee (except Armstrong will give you an additional $10 per tire). Sounds familiar right?
Tire Streets offers the 30-Day Ride or Return policy to any tire sold through our website. To sweeten the pot even further, when you buy Armstrong tires through Tire Streets the 30-Day Ride or Return policy combines with Armstrong’s 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee. That means, if you decide to return them for your money back, we will also apply the additional $10 per tire (up to $40) towards shipping the tires back to us.
24/7 Roadside Assistance
This is one you don’t see too often with tire warranties. That’s because most people either have AAA or this coverage through their automobile insurance. However, some manufacturers really want you to feel safe when you’re riding on their rubber. This means if you run flat while driving down the street, the tire manufacturer will reimburse you (normally up to a set amount) for the tow or roadside repair.
OK… So How Do I Know What’s Best for Me?
I mean, I can’t tell you exactly. Mostly because I don’t know you, or how you drive. But you can easily take this information and compare it with how you drive. For instance, if you are someone driving on rough roads a lot than the road hazard warranty may be valuable to you. If you’re someone buying a new set of tires for the first time, then a 30-Day money-back guarantee may be worth checking out.
If you could tell while reading, we may have our favorites. However, I can’t tell you what’s most important for you and your car. This part is now on you, but we’re here to help you out. We aren’t big into holding hands, but if you have more questions check out our FAQ page and of course hit us up if you still can’t find what you’re looking for.