Had car for less than 4 months and the tracking is out

kaggi

I bought a 10 month old car from a dealership and had to call out breakdown cover today as I had a flat. That’s not an issue but the AA guy said the wheel tracking is seriously out and my tyres are needing replaced as there’s uneven wear and I’ll plough through tyres if I don’t get it fixed.

I’ve had the car less than 4 months and done about 3k. As the tyres are already showing serious signs of wear & tear does that mean the tracking was out when i bought it and should the dealership fix the tracking and replace the wheels or is it my responsibility?

Merlin139

You could have put the tracking out of line the day you picked it up by hitting a curb or a Pothole. Have you noticed the vehicle pulling to the left or right? Have you felt any vibration in the steering wheel when driving.

To get the Garage to pay for it you would need to prove it was like it when you got it.

To me its wear and tear and its up to you sort out and fix. Checking your tires regularly for signs of wear would have helped you to spot the problem.

custardy

kaggi wrote: »

I bought a 10 month old car from a dealership and had to call out breakdown cover today as I had a flat. That’s not an issue but the AA guy said the wheel tracking is seriously out and my tyres are needing replaced as there’s uneven wear and I’ll plough through tyres if I don’t get it fixed.

I’ve had the car less than 4 months and done about 3k. As the tyres are already showing serious signs of wear & tear does that mean the tracking was out when i bought it and should the dealership fix the tracking and replace the wheels or is it my responsibility?

You required a flat to tell you a car you have driven 4 months needs its tyres replaced?
You are the driver and responsible for checking tyres. Tracking can be knocked out by day to day use/impacts.

kaggi

Thanks, could I have done that much damage to the tyres in that period? I’m not very sure about these things so wanted to find out before I contact them about it.

Jackmydad

If the tracking's bad enough, it can scrub tyres out quite quickly. Best check them at least weekly to make sure the pressures are OK, and there's nothing visibly wrong.
Same with visually checking the fluid levels in the engine, and a general look around the car to make sure everything's still nailed on, no obvious leaks etc.
Can save a load of money and bother.

kaggi

Jackmydad wrote: »

If the tracking's bad enough, it can scrub tyres out quite quickly. Best check them at least weekly to make sure the pressures are OK, and there's nothing visibly wrong.
Same with visually checking the fluid levels in the engine, and a general look around the car to make sure everything's still nailed on, no obvious leaks etc.
Can save a load of money and bother.

Thanks for this. I checked all the tyre pressure a week or so ago and they were fine but I’ve never had a problem with tracking or uneven wear before, and as it’s the newest car I’ve ever bought it never crossed me mind to check the inside wear, but I’ll know better now.

kaggi

custardy wrote: »

You required a flat to tell you a car you have driven 4 months needs its tyres replaced?
You are the driver and responsible for checking tyres. Tracking can be knocked out by day to day use/impacts.

There is no need for a sarcastic response. I’ve been driving 25 years and never had an issue like this. The tyre pressure was checked a weeks or so ago and was absolutely fine and the wear on the part of the tyre I can see had plenty of tread. Really if you can’t give a pleasant or at least civil and helpful response maybe you shouldn’t bother.

AndyMc.....

kaggi wrote: »

There is no need for a sarcastic response. I’ve been driving 25 years and never had an issue like this. The tyre pressure was checked a weeks or so ago and was absolutely fine and the wear on the part of the tyre I can see had plenty of tread. Really if you can’t give a pleasant or at least civil and helpful response maybe you shouldn’t bother.

So you didn't check the tread.

Joe_Horner

To be fair to the OP, not everyone is a car enthusiast and even many of those get uneven wear wrong - usually condemning tyres that are ok rather than the other way round.

Even worn smooth on the edge, most modern tyre designs are still perfectly legal and safe. Without seeing the OP's tyres, it's entirely possible that the AA guy also exaggerated the problem.

He asked a question, has accepted the correct answer that it's down to him, so let it rest !!!!!!!

AdrianC

While custardy's reply above is a tad sarcastic, it is actually a very helpful tip. Put the steering onto full lock - either way - when you do your weekly tyre pressure checks. You can then see the full width of both tyres. The back tyres tend to be easier to see the full width of than the fronts, simply from bending down and looking under the back bumper.


This is all basic routine maintenance, and 25 years of driving can lead to complacency.

Joe_Horner

custardy wrote: »

Big round thing in front of you in the drivers seat.
Try turning it the next time you check your tyre pressures.

But you still need to understand what you're looking at. For example, this tyre obviously indicates a problem but is still legal from what can be seen in the pic:



Whereas this one isn't:



Do you understand what the difference is?