I've been driving my '99 Maxima with the stock 16" rims and Eagle RSA's and they have around 42000km on them. Today, I was looking at the right front tire and there is a bump on the side wall. It looks like the tire is bubbling or something. I've never hit a curb with these tires so I'm not sure what the cause is. I was thinking it could be from a pot hole or the cold weather.

On Monday I'm going to give my Nissan dealer a call. Is there a warranty on these tires? Also, if they give me a new tire to replace the right front, should I replace the left front tire with the spare tire so that I'll have two new tires up front? I appreciate any help.

 

Sounds like a slipped belt. Does that tire seem to vibrate while driving? Although if the bump is not very pronounced, it could be the portion where the belts meet. Not sure if that makes sense but I,m sure that when tires are made there would be a starting and finishing point for the belts when the tire is manufactured. But that is just a GUESS on my part. It would be a VERY GOOD idea to have a professional look and determine if it is a defect or if it is normal. Hope this helps.

 

The bulge is not normal, and RS-As are the worst. My mom has a 98SE and she has had 3 tires replaced due to a defect. In her car, the sidewall develops pronounced cracks prior to splitting. I hope you have a better dealer than ours, b/c she was told to go to a tire place since the service dept was not going to help her. Yet in your Goodyear tire warranty, it states that the dealer will assist in matters of a defect. Good luck.