Tire Wear

[dpyang]

I own an RX350 FWD, 2007. Just bought a set of four new tires. All four old tires were gone because each of the inside treads were worn to the tire core. Each tire still had tread left in the middle and on the outside. Why do all four tires wear on the inside so quickly? Is it a problem with the springs or the design of the suspension system? (I drive mostly all highway miles.)

I suspect this is why most owners get less than 30,000 miles on the first set of tires.

[Lexus2D]

It a big problem in the UK due 2 Lexus gettin the setting wrong

Its the Geometry u should take a look on wheels in motion ;)

Web Site

[GDixon]

I own an RX350 FWD, 2007. Just bought a set of four new tires. All four old tires were gone because each of the inside treads were worn to the tire core. Each tire still had tread left in the middle and on the outside. Why do all four tires wear on the inside so quickly? Is it a problem with the springs or the design of the suspension system? (I drive mostly all highway miles.)

I suspect this is why most owners get less than 30,000 miles on the first set of tires.

Hopefully, you got a four wheel alignment along with the new tires. Otherwise you will be back for another set of tires after 30K miles. Inside tire wear is an alignment problem and the place that sold you the tires should have recognized it and alerted you to the problem.

The suspension system has nothing to do with it (unless bent in an accident) since the alignment could be set to have the outside edges wear first if that was your preference. The tire dealer should have told you that as well.

Good alignments at a good shop do not come cheaply. Check locally to see which shop has the best reputation. Find a Porsche owner or two to ask since they seem to be the most picky about alignment.

I'm not so sure that "most" owners get less than 30K on a set of tires. The Michelins that came on my RX are holding up quite well.

[Stuart S]

Ditto; I just replaced the four 235/55VR-18 OE Goodyear RS-A tires on my wife's 2007 RX350 AWD at 17,900 miles due to excessive treadwear on the inside and outside edges of all 4 tires. Driving style average, split 80%-20% city/highway in SE USA (no snow/ice). Tires were rotated and balanced every 7,500 miles and I maintained tire pressure at 32 with digital gauge and tpms never triggered. Bottom line: these tires are junk! Shame on Lexus for using them as OE tires; I expected better quality. Replaced with Michelin's and had a 4-wheel alignment done at dealer ($69 special). Will let you know how the Michelins perform.

[GDixon]

Ditto; I just replaced the four 235/55VR-18 OE Goodyear RS-A tires on my wife's 2007 RX350 AWD at 17,900 miles due to excessive treadwear on the inside and outside edges of all 4 tires. Driving style average, split 80%-20% city/highway in SE USA (no snow/ice). Tires were rotated and balanced every 7,500 miles and I maintained tire pressure at 32 with digital gauge and tpms never triggered. Bottom line: these tires are junk! Shame on Lexus for using them as OE tires; I expected better quality. Replaced with Michelin's and had a 4-wheel alignment done at dealer ($69 special). Will let you know how the Michelins perform.

Hmmm. Inside AND outside wear together is usually a symptom of low tire pressure. 32 psi is at the bottom of the recommended settings and help to make a more spongy ride. My OEM Michelin tires are set at 36 psi, checked monthly, and seem to be wearing evenly and functioning well. Hopefully, your new Michelin tires will do the same. Try a higher tire pressure and see if you notice a difference. Gas mileage might also improve a bit.

Others on this site have had negative experiences with the Goodyears as well. Try doing a search and see what comes up.

[mgtn101]

I own an RX350 FWD, 2007. Just bought a set of four new tires. All four old tires were gone because each of the inside treads were worn to the tire core. Each tire still had tread left in the middle and on the outside. Why do all four tires wear on the inside so quickly? Is it a problem with the springs or the design of the suspension system? (I drive mostly all highway miles.)

I suspect this is why most owners get less than 30,000 miles on the first set of tires.

Stick with Michelin.... as Lexus wants. Drive fast on what they want is a hard tire is a good idea. Gooey Goodyears will wear out. Drive sane and go with high pressure Michelin and the traction.... Michelin can take it. Listen to what the manufacturer says. *BLEEP* Goodyear. They are too soft and wear out saking reality. This is why you need a real tire that can take 44 psi.

[fbsdmd]

I own an RX350 FWD, 2007. Just bought a set of four new tires. All four old tires were gone because each of the inside treads were worn to the tire core. Each tire still had tread left in the middle and on the outside. Why do all four tires wear on the inside so quickly? Is it a problem with the springs or the design of the suspension system? (I drive mostly all highway miles.)

I suspect this is why most owners get less than 30,000 miles on the first set of tires.

Stick with Michelin.... as Lexus wants. Drive fast on what they want is a hard tire is a good idea. Gooey Goodyears will wear out. Drive sane and go with high pressure Michelin and the traction.... Michelin can take it. Listen to what the manufacturer says. *BLEEP* Goodyear. They are too soft and wear out saking reality. This is why you need a real tire that can take 44 psi.

OK, if Lexus wanted me to stick to Michelins, why did they put the crappo Goodyears on my car as original equipment? Michelins came with my 2004 330, and they lasted less than 30,000 miles, wearing out fairly evenly. They were replaced with Yokohamas that were still reasonably good when I traded at 73,000 miles.

[smooth1]

[tonystewart]

Ditto; I just replaced the four 235/55VR-18 OE Goodyear RS-A tires on my wife's 2007 RX350 AWD at 17,900 miles due to excessive treadwear on the inside and outside edges of all 4 tires. Driving style average, split 80%-20% city/highway in SE USA (no snow/ice). Tires were rotated and balanced every 7,500 miles and I maintained tire pressure at 32 with digital gauge and tpms never triggered. Bottom line: these tires are junk! Shame on Lexus for using them as OE tires; I expected better quality. Replaced with Michelin's and had a 4-wheel alignment done at dealer ($69 special). Will let you know how the Michelins perform.

Air Pressure too low, 38 psi has resulted in excellent tire wear in same application.

[apman]

I own an RX350 FWD, 2007. Just bought a set of four new tires. All four old tires were gone because each of the inside treads were worn to the tire core. Each tire still had tread left in the middle and on the outside. Why do all four tires wear on the inside so quickly? Is it a problem with the springs or the design of the suspension system? (I drive mostly all highway miles.)

I suspect this is why most owners get less than 30,000 miles on the first set of tires.

Hello,

I have same issue with inside treads wear on ALL four tires and only have 17k miles and with OEM Goodyear tire. Is this caused by alignment or just cheap tires ?

[CanTex]

I've got 25K miles on my '07 and have been experiencing a bit of "bubububub" noise as I drove, mainly from the left side. I thought I must have lost a wheel weight or something. Per the local Toyota dealership it's "cupping" on the left side tires. They put the worst up as the spare and the noise is a whole lot less, but still there. They boosted the pressure to 36 psi at the same time so we'll see longer term.

Question: Is this suspension geometry as mentioned above? Or alignment?

The tires are Michelins and look like they've maybe got 10K left on them. I also notice from the manual that 5-tire rotations move the spare onto the right side only, while the lefts stay on the left.

[apman]

I've got 25K miles on my '07 and have been experiencing a bit of "bubububub" noise as I drove, mainly from the left side. I thought I must have lost a wheel weight or something. Per the local Toyota dealership it's "cupping" on the left side tires. They put the worst up as the spare and the noise is a whole lot less, but still there. They boosted the pressure to 36 psi at the same time so we'll see longer term.

Question: Is this suspension geometry as mentioned above? Or alignment?

The tires are Michelins and look like they've maybe got 10K left on them. I also notice from the manual that 5-tire rotations move the spare onto the right side only, while the lefts stay on the left.

Is 36psi a bit too much ? The door sticker spec for 30 psi. I will try 33psi to see any improvement in noise and wear. I already replaced front driver side tire with the spare. I really don't know rotate them make any better since all 4 tires have the same inside wear. Its seem like all the wheels are angle out slightly; or they call them cast.

[CanTex]

I've got 25K miles on my '07 and have been experiencing a bit of "bubububub" noise as I drove, mainly from the left side. I thought I must have lost a wheel weight or something. Per the local Toyota dealership it's "cupping" on the left side tires. They put the worst up as the spare and the noise is a whole lot less, but still there. They boosted the pressure to 36 psi at the same time so we'll see longer term.

The tires are Michelins and look like they've maybe got 10K left on them. I also notice from the manual that 5-tire rotations move the spare onto the right side only, while the lefts stay on the left.

Is 36psi a bit too much ? The door sticker spec for 30 psi. I will try 33psi to see any improvement in noise and wear. I already replaced front driver side tire with the spare. I really don't know rotate them make any better since all 4 tires have the same inside wear. Its seem like all the wheels are angle out slightly; or they call them cast.

The 30 psi is strictly for "The Lexus Ride", you know, cushy and all that. The Lexus service guy once told me 34 is quite common, but sacrifices the ride. The nearby Toyota dealer upped it to 36 and both the service writer and mechanic were quite OK with it. I also run 35 in my Acura with no problems. We're about to put 2,000 highway miles on the Lexus with the 36 psi in there so we'll see how that goes.

Anybody else using 36 psi for daily use?

[skywagon]

I've got 25K miles on my '07 and have been experiencing a bit of "bubububub" noise as I drove, mainly from the left side. I thought I must have lost a wheel weight or something. Per the local Toyota dealership it's "cupping" on the left side tires. They put the worst up as the spare and the noise is a whole lot less, but still there. They boosted the pressure to 36 psi at the same time so we'll see longer term.

The tires are Michelins and look like they've maybe got 10K left on them. I also notice from the manual that 5-tire rotations move the spare onto the right side only, while the lefts stay on the left.

Is 36psi a bit too much ? The door sticker spec for 30 psi. I will try 33psi to see any improvement in noise and wear. I already replaced front driver side tire with the spare. I really don't know rotate them make any better since all 4 tires have the same inside wear. Its seem like all the wheels are angle out slightly; or they call them cast.

The 30 psi is strictly for "The Lexus Ride", you know, cushy and all that. The Lexus service guy once told me 34 is quite common, but sacrifices the ride. The nearby Toyota dealer upped it to 36 and both the service writer and mechanic were quite OK with it. I also run 35 in my Acura with no problems. We're about to put 2,000 highway miles on the Lexus with the 36 psi in there so we'll see how that goes.

Anybody else using 36 psi for daily use?

Lexus has big problems with tires lasting over 30K miles, have owned many and every one is the same, finally started demanding Mitchlin tires and still get only 50K from them. The tires on the newer ones are the low rolling resistant type and cost $250 per tire pretty sad situation if you ask me. Have owned 10 of these cars and this will be the last one, hope they go broke as they have scammed the buyers long enough.

[apman]

I've got 25K miles on my '07 and have been experiencing a bit of "bubububub" noise as I drove, mainly from the left side. I thought I must have lost a wheel weight or something. Per the local Toyota dealership it's "cupping" on the left side tires. They put the worst up as the spare and the noise is a whole lot less, but still there. They boosted the pressure to 36 psi at the same time so we'll see longer term.

The tires are Michelins and look like they've maybe got 10K left on them. I also notice from the manual that 5-tire rotations move the spare onto the right side only, while the lefts stay on the left.

Is 36psi a bit too much ? The door sticker spec for 30 psi. I will try 33psi to see any improvement in noise and wear. I already replaced front driver side tire with the spare. I really don't know rotate them make any better since all 4 tires have the same inside wear. Its seem like all the wheels are angle out slightly; or they call them cast.

The 30 psi is strictly for "The Lexus Ride", you know, cushy and all that. The Lexus service guy once told me 34 is quite common, but sacrifices the ride. The nearby Toyota dealer upped it to 36 and both the service writer and mechanic were quite OK with it. I also run 35 in my Acura with no problems. We're about to put 2,000 highway miles on the Lexus with the 36 psi in there so we'll see how that goes.

Anybody else using 36 psi for daily use?

Lexus has big problems with tires lasting over 30K miles, have owned many and every one is the same, finally started demanding Mitchlin tires and still get only 50K from them. The tires on the newer ones are the low rolling resistant type and cost $250 per tire pretty sad situation if you ask me. Have owned 10 of these cars and this will be the last one, hope they go broke as they have scammed the buyers long enough.

I checked tirerack.com and Goodyear tire is just junk, but Michelin MXV4 S8 is just slight better in reviews. Surprisingly, Yokohama AVID V4S has good review and cost 25% less. Have anybody using this model of Yokahama tire have any comment ?

I am getting close to folk up $1k for new set of tire; just want to made the right choice.

[fbsdmd]

I checked tirerack.com and Goodyear tire is just junk, but Michelin MXV4 S8 is just slight better in reviews. Surprisingly, Yokohama AVID V4S has good review and cost 25% less. Have anybody using this model of Yokahama tire have any comment ?

I am getting close to folk up $1k for new set of tire; just want to made the right choice.

I used the Yokohamas on my RX330. I put them on at about 30,000 miles, after the OEM Michelins wore out. When I traded the 330 at about 80,000 miles, the Yokohamas were still going strong. I live in the great northeast, and we need good traction here. The Yokohamas were noticeably better than the Michelins, and yes, less expensive. I ended up using the Avids on several other cars, with similar good results. Also the Tirerack ratings were pretty good for the Yokohamas.

[John Stanley]

I've got 25K miles on my '07 and have been experiencing a bit of "bubububub" noise as I drove, mainly from the left side. I thought I must have lost a wheel weight or something. Per the local Toyota dealership it's "cupping" on the left side tires. They put the worst up as the spare and the noise is a whole lot less, but still there. They boosted the pressure to 36 psi at the same time so we'll see longer term.

The tires are Michelins and look like they've maybe got 10K left on them. I also notice from the manual that 5-tire rotations move the spare onto the right side only, while the lefts stay on the left.

Is 36psi a bit too much ? The door sticker spec for 30 psi. I will try 33psi to see any improvement in noise and wear. I already replaced front driver side tire with the spare. I really don't know rotate them make any better since all 4 tires have the same inside wear. Its seem like all the wheels are angle out slightly; or they call them cast.

The 30 psi is strictly for "The Lexus Ride", you know, cushy and all that. The Lexus service guy once told me 34 is quite common, but sacrifices the ride. The nearby Toyota dealer upped it to 36 and both the service writer and mechanic were quite OK with it. I also run 35 in my Acura with no problems. We're about to put 2,000 highway miles on the Lexus with the 36 psi in there so we'll see how that goes.

Anybody else using 36 psi for daily use?

Lexus has big problems with tires lasting over 30K miles, have owned many and every one is the same, finally started demanding Mitchlin tires and still get only 50K from them. The tires on the newer ones are the low rolling resistant type and cost $250 per tire pretty sad situation if you ask me. Have owned 10 of these cars and this will be the last one, hope they go broke as they have scammed the buyers long enough.

I checked tirerack.com and Goodyear tire is just junk, but Michelin MXV4 S8 is just slight better in reviews. Surprisingly, Yokohama AVID V4S has good review and cost 25% less. Have anybody using this model of Yokahama tire have any comment ?

I am getting close to folk up $1k for new set of tire; just want to made the right choice.

I had the same problem with Yokohams that were OEM on my 06 GS 300. they wore out on the inside tread at 17K and cupped so that they were extremely noisy. Yoko wouldn't replace them because they said it was Lexus' fault. I replaced them with Bridgestone Serenities. Now have 40 K on them, and they show very little sign of any wear. Very very quiet.

Coxey

[apman]

Hello,

I just got my RX350 4 wheel aligned. The camber spec :

front spec is -1.4 range 0.1 degree

rear spec is -2.1 range -0.6 degree

Given the spec is so large that my front wheel (-1.0) and rear (-1.5) are within spec, but the tires are badly worm out. Even the technican knows it right away that is bad. He put all wheel as close to 0 degree as possible.

Rotate tire and tire pressure check will not help if the wheel camber is off, but within spec. For me, all four tires have inside wear.

Lastly, the tech did say pump the pressure to 38-40 psi for those tire.

Hope it will help others with similar problem.

I've got 25K miles on my '07 and have been experiencing a bit of "bubububub" noise as I drove, mainly from the left side. I thought I must have lost a wheel weight or something. Per the local Toyota dealership it's "cupping" on the left side tires. They put the worst up as the spare and the noise is a whole lot less, but still there. They boosted the pressure to 36 psi at the same time so we'll see longer term.

The tires are Michelins and look like they've maybe got 10K left on them. I also notice from the manual that 5-tire rotations move the spare onto the right side only, while the lefts stay on the left.

Is 36psi a bit too much ? The door sticker spec for 30 psi. I will try 33psi to see any improvement in noise and wear. I already replaced front driver side tire with the spare. I really don't know rotate them make any better since all 4 tires have the same inside wear. Its seem like all the wheels are angle out slightly; or they call them cast.

The 30 psi is strictly for "The Lexus Ride", you know, cushy and all that. The Lexus service guy once told me 34 is quite common, but sacrifices the ride. The nearby Toyota dealer upped it to 36 and both the service writer and mechanic were quite OK with it. I also run 35 in my Acura with no problems. We're about to put 2,000 highway miles on the Lexus with the 36 psi in there so we'll see how that goes.

Anybody else using 36 psi for daily use?

Lexus has big problems with tires lasting over 30K miles, have owned many and every one is the same, finally started demanding Mitchlin tires and still get only 50K from them. The tires on the newer ones are the low rolling resistant type and cost $250 per tire pretty sad situation if you ask me. Have owned 10 of these cars and this will be the last one, hope they go broke as they have scammed the buyers long enough.

I checked tirerack.com and Goodyear tire is just junk, but Michelin MXV4 S8 is just slight better in reviews. Surprisingly, Yokohama AVID V4S has good review and cost 25% less. Have anybody using this model of Yokahama tire have any comment ?

I am getting close to folk up $1k for new set of tire; just want to made the right choice.

I had the same problem with Yokohams that were OEM on my 06 GS 300. they wore out on the inside tread at 17K and cupped so that they were extremely noisy. Yoko wouldn't replace them because they said it was Lexus' fault. I replaced them with Bridgestone Serenities. Now have 40 K on them, and they show very little sign of any wear. Very very quiet.

Coxey

[crankT]

Wow all this talk about inside tire wear and nothing about camber? I just bought some new Pirelli tires because mine had major wear on the inside on all 4 tires. My car was aligned the best it could but the main problem is CAMBER. Since my car is lowered the correct camber cannot be reached without a camber kit. Currently the camber on the two front tires is -1.0 degrees where it should be between -.8 and .2 degrees.

Without a proper camber kit my car will get major wear on the inside of the tires.

PS: I am looking for a camber kit for front and back tires for the '01 GS430. lol

[skywagon]

Wow all this talk about inside tire wear and nothing about camber? I just bought some new Pirelli tires because mine had major wear on the inside on all 4 tires. My car was aligned the best it could but the main problem is CAMBER. Since my car is lowered the correct camber cannot be reached without a camber kit. Currently the camber on the two front tires is -1.0 degrees where it should be between -.8 and .2 degrees.

Without a proper camber kit my car will get major wear on the inside of the tires.

PS: I am looking for a camber kit for front and back tires for the '01 GS430. lol

Wow! That sucker must have come across on the Mayflower, ROTFFLMAO

[Pop]

We've had a lot of info about tire wear. I'm in the same boat with my '07 RX 350. Only 22k miles on the Goodyears that were on it when I bought it new in January 2007. I'm now in the market for new tires. How about some comments from those of you who have already replaced your tires. What did you end up buying? What kind of experience have you had with them? Etc, etc. I have talked with my tire dealer and he's as interested in hearing your comments and recommendations as I am. Thanks.....

[jeffls400]

Hello all,

My wife's 2008 RX350 with 18" wheels exhibited the same problem on the original Goodyears...inner tire wear, weird cupping. They were replaced at 28k miles with Kumho Road Venture APT KL51 and a four wheel alignment was performed. I have since adjusted tire pressure to 36psi with no major ride deterioration. After 7k miles and one rotation, the tires are wearing beautifully and am really impressed with the Kumhos. I have Kumhos on my LS and those have been solid as well.

On a related note, we previously had a Highlander (similar underpinnings) that went through the original Toyo tires in about 30k miles, with the same strange wear patterns.

Both vehicles for the record were diligently maintained in terms of inflation and rotation.

Jeff

[wayne0]

I replaced tires this weekend. The person above mentioning the camber kit is correct. I have a 2007 RX350 and my son-in-law worked on the alighnment this weekend. He is an ASE Master and Toyota Master mechanic. The specification for rear camber on mine is -1.33. When finished the wheels actually looked turned inward. The reasoning for this spec is because it is better in a rollover situation as there is more tire to road surface in that situation. I hate it and he is going to look at it again when we can go there when he isn't busy. Even though that is the official spec, I want it set less so I don't go through tires like everyone else on this post. The noise was unreal before putting on the new ones and this is a luxury vehicle. I will take my chances on a rollover. The camber kit should work well as those supplied by Lexus are a preset size bolt (the shaft portion) without any eccentric as the kits have. I am curious if anybody has told them this reason or not. Apparently it is better to set it to specs for liability reasons and sell new tires.