20,000 Miles = 4 New Tires

[MarcLex]

Hi,

I want to ask if it is normal to have to change the 4 tires at 20,000 miles ?

Just did the 15,000 miles service and showed the worn tires. They said it was normal for a RX 330 and that I will have to change all tires when coming for the next 20,000 miles service.

Seems to me that this a very short life for 4 tires.

Can anyone tell me if this is normal ?

By the way I am not an agressive driver.

Thank you for any answer. :)

[LexKid630]

I had the tires on my rx330 first changed at ~30,000 miles. They probably "could have" been changed earlier, but it was fine in the snow and rain etc. and i AM an aggressive driver, and drive a LOT of highway miles. I had them changed again at 55,000 miles.

20,000 miles sounds very quick to me for them to "need" to be changed.

[lenore]

I had the tires on my rx330 first changed at ~30,000 miles. They probably "could have" been changed earlier, but it was fine in the snow and rain etc. and i AM an aggressive driver, and drive a LOT of highway miles. I had them changed again at 55,000 miles.

20,000 miles sounds very quick to me for them to "need" to be changed.

←

You have got to be kidding, 20k miles, I got 40k on the OEM tires (bridgestones) and 80k on the Michelin X. The RX330 seems terrible. Other than my transmission problems the RX300 does much better.

[Rx330driver]

i changed mine at the 30,000 mile service. 20K does seem kinda quick, do they look worn to you or is the dealer trying to make an extra thousand off of you

[SW03ES]

The RX330 seems terrible? Come on, because of tire life? That has nothing to do with the vehicle.

Of course your RX300 got better tire life, its lighter, it has high profile tires, and it sits on SUV tires. The RX330 has low profile tires and sits on passenger car tires plus its heavier. Of course you're going to have lesser treadwear.

When you replace them shop around and make sure you get tires with the kind of attributes that are important to you and the next set will last longer.

With manufacturers so enamored with wide diameter wheels nowadays we're all going to need to get used to much shorter tire life than we're used to.

[RX in NC]

Extending your tire lifespan to its maximum length given your driving characteristics and road conditions is no secret. It works with lousy tires, acceptable tires, and superior tires. All it takes is a weekly commitment of less than five minutes from you. Here's what you do:

1. Buy a decent tire gauge, preferably digital. It doesn't have to be expensive (perhaps ten bucks) and even if its calibration is slightly off, it will be okay.

2. Learn your recommended tire pressures for your vehicle from the tire manufacturer, NOT the vehicle manufacturer. Vehicle manufacturers are notorious for recommending tire pressures that are 4 psi to 8 psi too low because low tire pressures create soft, cushy rides, and customers don't complain to the vehicle dealer about soft rides so it eliminates the hassle of having to deal with them. The vehicle dealers don't care about your treadwear - they just don't want you complaining about a hard ride and having to spend more time dealing with you.

3. Check your tire pressures first thing in the morning before you've driven the vehicle and before the sun gets high enough in the sky to bake the tires a little and therefore give you false high readings. And here's the real key - do this EVERY WEEK WITHOUT FAIL. Not once a month, not once a season, not once a year, not upon each return of Halley's Comet. CHECK YOUR TIRES EVERY WEEK, 52 WEEKS A YEAR, FOR AS LONG AS YOU OWN A VEHICLE.

4. Rotate your tires periodically. Some vehicles don't require rotation very often, but most vehicles wear the front tires at a faster rate than the rear tires under normal driving conditions due to steering motion and the weight of the engine up front. For most tires, if you're rotating between 6,000 miles and 8,000 miles, you're probably okay.

5. Cut back on your jackrabbit starts and brake-slammed stops. You're leaving a lot of rubber behind on the pavement when you habitually drive like this.

But the real key, as emphasized above, is just to check your tires weekly and pay attention to them. If they're down a psi or two, put them back where they need to be. Don't drive around thinking "I reallly need to pump up my tires in the next couple of weeks or so". Get those pressures correct and keep them there.

The vast majority of drivers ignore their tires, drive around on them for months or even years at 10 or 15 psi short of where they should be, and then !Removed! and moan about their lousy tires when their tread is gone by 15,000 miles.

Spend a little time each week on your tires and you'll be amazed how much longer they'll last. I believe that tires are the most important component of any vehicle. Depending upon their condition and your skill level, they can either save your life or kill you....

[jgr7]

My RX 300 bridgstone OEM tires only lasted 27000.

[monarch]

I've driven various Toyotas over 1,000,000 miles the past 20 years. I routinely get 50,000 - 75,000 miles of tire life. I've found the most important factors in achieving this long tire life are:

1. Tire rotations every 5,000 miles

2. Check tire pressure once a month

3. Drive and brake gently instead of aggressively; avoid fast starts from stop signs, abrupt stops and fast cornering

There is no doubt in my mind an RX330 driver could achieve 50,000 miles of tire life with factory original tires if they followed these rules.

[SW03ES]

All good advice, but that doesn't change the fact that with lower profile tires that are more aggressive like we're seeing on everything now you WILL see reduced treadwear from what we're used to.

For instance, the tires on a 2005 LS430 with 18s just plain wont last as long as tires on a 1998 LS400 with 16s. You can still use the great advice given by RX in NC and wwest to maximize their life, but you're not going to get 50k miles out of low profile tires.

[monarch]

By the way I am not an agressive driver.

←

To increase your chances of getting 50,000 miles out of your next set of tires I'd suggest getting a tire with at least a 50,000 mile treadlife warranty. Example: The 2005 (and presumably the 2004) RX330 comes standard from the factory with 225/65SR17 tires. In this tire size, Goodyear offers a 50,000 mile treadlife warranty on the Integrity and Bridgestone offers a 65,000 mile treadlife warranty on the Dueler H/L Alenza. I have found 5,000 mile tire rotations are by far the most important single factor in obtaining long tread life.

Although Michelin does not offer a treadlife warranty, the MXV4-Plus has a reputation for lasting a long, long time and is superior to the other two tires mentioned above in certain ride, handling and traction characteristics.

[Lexusfreak]

For a longer mileage SUV all season tire, I'd suggest you consider the new Toyo Open Country H/T (H/T stands for Highway terrain) & has a 640 Treadwear & 60,000 mile warranty. Here is some more info & check with several of your local Toyo dealers for prices. B) Hope this helps.

http://www.toyocanada.com/products/OpenCountryHTEN.asp

[TunedRX300]

By the way I am not an agressive driver.

←

To increase your chances of getting 50,000 miles out of your next set of tires I'd suggest getting a tire with at least a 50,000 mile treadlife warranty. Example: The 2005 (and presumably the 2004) RX330 comes standard from the factory with 225/65SR17 tires. In this tire size, Goodyear offers a 50,000 mile treadlife warranty on the Integrity and Bridgestone offers a 65,000 mile treadlife warranty on the Dueler H/L Alenza. I have found 5,000 mile tire rotations are by far the most important single factor in obtaining long tread life.

Although Michelin does not offer a treadlife warranty, the MXV4-Plus has a reputation for lasting a long, long time and is superior to the other two tires mentioned above in certain ride, handling and traction characteristics.

←

You are talking about replacement tire. There is no thread life warranty on tires that come with new cars because auto manufacturers do not buy the warranty from tire makers in order to save $.

[gtistylee]

Be sure to rotate. Tire rotation is the single greatest factor in ensuring a long tire life on any AWD vehicle.

[tealboy]

This is a big problem in my book. the std tire referenced above is virtually, and almost entirely unavailable. My dealer told me it was a "forced option" to get the 18 inch tires/wheels. Even the lexus website, build your own vehicle, doesn't allow for the 17 inch option. The problem w/ the 18's is, they only come in V rated, which typically get 25k miles on avg. There are virtually no substitues and very few choices. An H rated tire would get appx 40k miles, but they don't make one in this size. This was one of the reasons i shyed away from the new 330 (not to mention the sticker price). I am not ok with the idea of replacing $170 tires every 25k miles, and in that size, it's not optional. Over time, tire manuf. may expand the offerings, but not at this time.

[lenore]

<_<

This is a big problem in my book.  the std tire referenced above is virtually, and almost entirely unavailable.  My dealer told me it was a "forced option" to get the 18 inch tires/wheels.  Even the lexus website, build your own vehicle, doesn't allow for the 17 inch option.  The problem w/ the 18's is, they only come in V rated, which typically get 25k miles on avg.  There are virtually no substitues and very few choices.  An H rated tire would get appx 40k miles, but they don't make one in this size.  This was one of the reasons i shyed away from the new 330 (not to mention the sticker price).  I am not ok with the idea of replacing $170 tires every 25k miles, and in that size, it's not optional.  Over time, tire manuf. may expand the offerings, but not at this time.

←

Boy, that was a better mousetrap, Put V rated tires on a vehicle that won't even get out of its own way. That makes sense. All kidding aside those big rims and racey tires defeat the whole idea of a well rounded vehicle for the urban dweller.

I laugh at Lexus as they laugh at the consumer all the way to their fat wallets.

[RX in NC]

Yep, putting V-rated tires on an RX is like putting $300 track shoes on Aretha Franklin....

[SW03ES]

Who told you H rated tires would automatically last 20k longer than V rated tires?

There are attributes found in V rated tires other than their speed rating, stiffer sidewalls giving better handling, traditionally they track and ride better, and yes can last longer.

Boy, that was a better mousetrap, Put V rated tires on a vehicle that won't even get out of its own way. That makes sense. All kidding aside those big rims and racey tires defeat the whole idea of a well rounded vehicle for the urban dweller.

I laugh at Lexus as they laugh at the consumer all the way to their fat wallets.

Yes yes, you hate Lexus. We know.

Aside from that, what is Lexus doing uniquely here? All car manufacturers are moving to lower profile tires and larger diameter wheels on their vehicles because thats what the buying public wants. Thats the "style".

Infiniti has 20" rims on its FX45. Its getting so 18" rims are small

[OKEH1]

I keep coming back to this forum cos I am amazed at the variation in reports of the RX330. This thread regarding the tyre wear is pretty interesting.

MY 2004 (2003 build) with almost 34000 still has the original tyres (MXV4-Plus) probably just over half worn, still plenty of tread left and I will be suprised if I dont see 50-60000, I stick to mfr pressure advice and testing, don't drive the vehicle hard. My daily driving consists of 50% freeway and 50% city streets. My average mpg is regularly 23.5 and can achieve 26 - 27 easy on a good freeway run cruising at 60 - 65 , I always plan my trips well to allow time and this helps to keep my stress levels down too. I am still on my original brake pads with just over 2/3 wear at the last service. In my opinion driving habits are the most important factor in maintaining a longer and more economical life for a vehicle, sure the RX330 has its faults , but I have learned to live with them, in my opinion it was never designed to be a BMW so treat it with respect and drive accordingly then it will reward you back with a smooth comfortable and safe ride, and in my case , quite economical too for the type of vehicle.

[v_c@yahoo.com]

I keep coming back to this forum cos I am amazed at the variation in reports of the RX330. This thread regarding the tyre wear is pretty interesting.

MY 2004 (2003 build) with almost 34000 still has the original tyres (MXV4-Plus) probably just over half worn, still plenty of tread left and I will be suprised if I dont see 50-60000,

You have the Michelins with the better treadwear around 400. The other tires are Goodyears with treadwear around 200. I think these are the only two tires available for the RX330 with 18" rims.

[mmhouse]

I'll get 50,000 on my 18" MX4's (2004 RX330). I rotate every 7500 miles and do not drive aggressively (at least in my RX :) )