Blow Outs On Low Profile Tires

[Grandmom]

We were driving at 65 MPH on a highway when the right rear tire of our 2011 IS 350C blew out. We were running on the rim only until we could get to the side of the road. AAA came to put the spare on and mentioned that low profile tires blow out on a regular basis. Is this true? Would love to get some feedback on this. This tire had only 7400 miles on it and the car is only 10 months old.

[pj8708]

We were driving at 65 MPH on a highway when the right rear tire of our 2011 IS 350C blew out. We were running on the rim only until we could get to the side of the road. AAA came to put the spare on and mentioned that low profile tires blow out on a regular basis. Is this true? Would love to get some feedback on this. This tire had only 7400 miles on it and the car is only 10 months old.

Hello and welcome to the Lexus Owners Club!

Low profile tires do have a slightly higher chance of blowout or wear than do regular or high profile tires. Low profile tires are made for their superior handling capabilities and used on sport cars like your IS350C. One of the most important things you can do, especially if you drive your IS hard in corners and turns as well as fast, is to keep them properly inflated, but NOT over inflated.

Below is a short article RE: low profile tires and blowouts.

Paul

http://www.tiresandwheels.org/problems-lowprofiletires.htm

[leatherhead]

You didn't say if the low profiles were also run flats but I'm assuming they are since it's a new car. Yes, low profile run flat tires are subject to blowouts, especially when hitting a pot hole! I had two blowouts within 2000 miles in my new 2008 GS460. Someone in the club suggested I buy new tires without the run flat feature which would also provide a much smoother ride due to the elimination of the hard wall casing in the run flats. I bought new Michelin Pilot Sport A/S Plus tires and have had no problem since plus the ride is a lot smoother without experiencing any appreciable loss of performance.

Since the car did not come with a spare, I also spent 3 hrs convincing the dealer that a spare for my car was available and was successful in buying one.

[Grandmom]

We were driving at 65 MPH on a highway when the right rear tire of our 2011 IS 350C blew out. We were running on the rim only until we could get to the side of the road. AAA came to put the spare on and mentioned that low profile tires blow out on a regular basis. Is this true? Would love to get some feedback on this. This tire had only 7400 miles on it and the car is only 10 months old.

Hello and welcome to the Lexus Owners Club!

Low profile tires do have a slightly higher chance of blowout or wear than do regular or high profile tires. Low profile tires are made for their superior handling capabilities and used on sport cars like your IS350C. One of the most important things you can do, especially if you drive your IS hard in corners and turns as well as fast, is to keep them properly inflated, but NOT over inflated.

Below is a short article RE: low profile tires and blowouts.

Paul

http://www.tiresandwheels.org/problems-lowprofiletires.htm

[Grandmom]

Paul, I thank you for your quick and appropriate reply. However, as you should note from my name "Grandmom" I don't "do" fast corners or fast turns, I drive just a few miles over the speed limit and turn corners with care and concern. Safety is my biggest concern. There are enough speeders and people who can't see thru the steering wheel driving around here.

I read the article you sent for me and I believe my best bet would be to get a different type of tire. I'm not concerned about the "look" only the safety. I love the car, living in Florida I ride with the top down 99% of the time. 1% rain holds me back. If it's cold I have the heater going, if it's too hot I have the air conditioning going, but the top is down.....

Anyway, I will talk with my dealer to discuss putting different tires on my car. Thanks for your assistance.

[pj8708]

You didn't say if the low profiles were also run flats but I'm assuming they are since it's a new car. Yes, low profile run flat tires are subject to blowouts, especially when hitting a pot hole! I had two blowouts within 2000 miles in my new 2008 GS460. Someone in the club suggested I buy new tires without the run flat feature which would also provide a much smoother ride due to the elimination of the hard wall casing in the run flats. I bought new Michelin Pilot Sport A/S Plus tires and have had no problem since plus the ride is a lot smoother without experiencing any appreciable loss of performance.

Since the car did not come with a spare, I also spent 3 hrs convincing the dealer that a spare for my car was available and was successful in buying one.

Because it is a new car, I doubt that the tires were "Run Flats". There is almost no manufacturers using run flats as OEM on new cars. The cost would be one factor.

From Wikipedia:

"Self-sealingSee also: Self-sealing fuel tank

These tires contain an extra lining within the tire that self-seals in the event of a small hole due to a nail or screw. In this way, the loss of air is prevented from the outset such that the tire is either permanently self-repairing or at least loses air very slowly.

There are also a number of retrofitted tire sealants which act in a similar way to self-sealing tires. These compounds are normally injected through the tire valve. The rotating force then distributes the compound onto the inner surface of the tire to act as a self-sealing lining within the tire.

[edit] Auxiliary-supported

Run-flat tire with support ringIn this system, there is an additional support ring attached to the wheel that can support the weight of the vehicle in the event of a loss of pressure. While these systems generally offer better ride quality because their sidewall's stiffness can be equivalent to a standard tire, the requirement to have both special wheels and special tires increases cost and limits these systems from widespread use.

[edit] Performance characteristicsDepending on the design, some run-flat tires perform better than regular tires, and some slightly worse. Some run-flat tires have a 20% higher rolling resistance, in part due to their added structural material and mass. On the other hand, internal bracing in some run-flat tires reduces deformation, with the opposite effects of reducing rolling resistance and improving fuel efficiency.

Further advantages are derived from not needing to carry a spare wheel: The space can be used for other purposes. Also, the absence of a spare wheel contributes to lower vehicle weight which will in turn reduce fuel consumption, reduce harmful exhaust emissions, improve performance, handling and braking characteristics. However, these may be negated by the increased weight of the tires if they are self-supporting.

Due to reinforcement in tire side walls, run-flat tires usually give firmer rides compared to conventional tires.

Standards of Performance The primary benefit of using run-flat tires is continued mobility in case of a loss of air pressure, either due to a 'normal' puncture or a hostile deliberate act or even a bullet shot while the vehicle is travelling at high speed. Performance criteria are therefore in terms of distance and speed at which the vehicle can escape without becoming immobile and the steering control over the vehicle during this process. The usual standard of performance, especially for military or security vehicles, are the Finabel standards.

[edit] Market shareRun-flat tires accounted for less than 1% of replacement tire sales in the U.S. in 2005. In 2006, it was expected that such tires would gain popularity with armored vehicle manufacturers, but growth figures were slow with one major model, the Michelin PAX, being discontinued by the manufacturer.[3] A Michelin study released in 2008 found that only 3 percent of drivers worldwide want run-flat tires. U.S. market share is well below 1 percent. American Honda Motor Co. announced that the 2009 Honda Odyssey Touring and Acura RL were its last models available with run-flat tires and with Honda no longer using run-flats. This leaves only a handful of volume manufacturers offering them as standard fittings and only on some models. An exception is BMW, who are the largest fitter of run-flats as original equipment."[4]

[edit] See also

[pj8708]

Paul, I thank you for your quick and appropriate reply. However, as you should note from my name "Grandmom" I don't "do" fast corners or fast turns, I drive just a few miles over the speed limit and turn corners with care and concern. Safety is my biggest concern. There are enough speeders and people who can't see thru the steering wheel driving around here.

I read the article you sent for me and I believe my best bet would be to get a different type of tire. I'm not concerned about the "look" only the safety. I love the car, living in Florida I ride with the top down 99% of the time. 1% rain holds me back. If it's cold I have the heater going, if it's too hot I have the air conditioning going, but the top is down.....

Anyway, I will talk with my dealer to discuss putting different tires on my car. Thanks for your assistance.

I agree. You've got the right Idea. Good Lexus driving to you.

[AutoDetailDoctor]

I don't know how a low profile tire could be safe compared to a regular sized tire.

[pj8708]

I don't know how a low profile tire could be safe compared to a regular sized tire.

Hello Clint! Thanks for joining the Lexus Owners Club. Hope you enjoy it.

Please talk more about your thoughts re; the low profile tire safety.

Paul

[LEX-SV]

I've run low profile tires for years and never had a blowout (30/35/45 series), but obviously on bad roads they are more likely to be damaged and require more care when driving.

[Johanna]

I’m so fed up. I’m tired of spending money on tires. Within 3 months I’ve had 5 blow outs. 2 at one time, 1 on another day and 2 on another night any little bump now another 2 on the same side from a bump in the road at less than 20 miles per hour. This is ridiculous!!! Now that makes it 7 in less than 3 months. This isn’t safe and VERRY expensive!!  

[RX400h]

It most likely depends upon the road surface conditions. States that have cold winters tend to have more pot holes unless the specific city is very responsive about patching those pot holes. I've been driving on 40 and 45 series tires for 20 years and have never had a blowout.

[VBdenny]

Blowouts are not all that common as new tires are far superior to ancient tires. I have never had a blowout with any of my low profile tires but I do frequently check the pressures. Over or under inflating a tire is where the trouble begins. I did have a blowout on a brand new tire on a brand new Suburban which surely isn’t a low profile. ZP tires have stiff sidewalls. 

[Bykfixer]

Oh man, I remember when my son's mom bought him a car with 18" rims and tires that looked about as tall as a bicycle tire. Stock wheels were 14's but those thin tires made it so the wagon wheels fit nicely without rubbing.

He was young and did not realize the sidewalls were so stiff he could actually be down to 10psi in a tire and never  know by just looking. And apparently he never missed a pothole or manhole. I'd get the call "dad I have another flat tire"…… the cheapos for $100 each so he'd go to a used tire place that just loved, loved, loved those tires. My first time there the guy told me those were his favorite kind. I asked how come and he says "job security". lol

After flat #6 in as many months he showed me some really cool rims in factory size with really nice factory size tires. I said "sold" and not one time after did I get the phone call "dad I have a flat tire". I did get a call when the distributor konked out or when the window leaked and got the fuse panel wet and stuff like that, but no more flat tires.