ok so i just bought my falkens last month in january and just yesterday im driving on 95 at around 75-80mph when all of a sudden *POWW!* scares the living crap outta me. keep in mind windows were also rolled up and music playing. so i pull over and upon close inspection of the tire, there is a complete straight line rip from the rim all the way to the outermost perimeter of the sidewall where the tread starts. remeber, these tires are practically brand new! up until now i was quite happy with these tires but this just totally reminds me of why they only cost $95 a piece. this has never happened to me not even in my integra on bald michelins. sure they are great tires for the price but u get what u pay for. and again, for all those who are just going to complain about how i must've been abusing them or i ran over something, just don't waste your time posting here. sorry i just had to vent. not only to mention the fact that i misplaced my wheel lock key now too and i can't find it so ill have to get a new one from the dealership. anybody know how much they cost?

 

good luck with the wheel key lock, they probably have to order one that may take a few weeks- imo, you are better off having a professional from wheel shop/tire shop, chizzling off that lock, i had a few cars before where i had to have some lugs chizzled off, if they are good they won't damage the wheel stud, but if that happens , it's not that much to replace- then again maybe you are better off lettin the car sit til you get the key lock from the dealer- your call boss! then after you get your locks removed the next step is to get some tires that are worth the $$$$ , imo i recommend nitto nt555's, toyo proxes, pirelli's, or even yokohama's for that matter- good luck peace -

 

Sorry to hear about your blowout, Be sure to check out the Goodyear F1 GS-D3's... I just got them all and the car feels great.

 

Holy crap! I just put some 512s on my car, I better keep an eye on things. I love the tires so far, but this better not turn out to be a trend with these.

 

Call wherever you got them tires from. you can probaly warranty the tire and get it replaced. your lucky your ok!

 

Sorry for the blow out but Falked 512's suck!!!!!!

I reccomend Nitto 450's or 5550's . I am rolling on Nitto 450 and i am absoulutely loving it!!!!! Going on 7 months and my front tires still have a decent amount of tread on them(do alot of highway miles 45 miles one way to work) still quiet and still smooth as ever! Also grip is still unbelievable in the wet and dry conditions!

Get rid of hose crap tires ASAP, and move up to some real performance tires! You will be glad you did!

 

I have almost 40K on Falken 512's now (about 10K on the second set) and no problems like that......that said, I am going to use Toyo Proxes 4 for the summer, and keep my 512's for next winter on my OEM rims.....

are you sure you didn't hit any road debris?

 

im pretty damn sure i didn't hit anything. I95 in PA heading toward delaware, roads were pretty clear. the missing wheel lock key is just adding to the headaches cuz until then, i wont' be able to put back on my spare with oem rim. right now its sittin on the full size skinny black steelie. as far as getting a whole new set of tires, im pretty tight on the cash right now and it would be just a huge disappointment to throw away 400 down the toilet like that. well i guess i have learned a valuable lesson from this. thank god i got out of everything ok. should this have happened while turning on an exit ramp or inclement weather doing the speed i was going, things could've turned out a lot worse!

 

Sorry to hear about this...


Very important question: What was the tire pressure set at, and when was the last time you checked it?

I assume you weren't carrying any heavy load or anything....

 

well the only things i carry in my car are books for school, and tools in the trunk (jack+stands) and of course the spare under. i have not checked the pressure since i got the tires changed. is tire pressure a critical factor when it comes to blowouts?

 

I think your experience is an isolated one. Folks on the org may not like Falkens for whatever reason, but they are decent tires that don't have a history of blowouts. I've used all types of tires, including the cheapos running them down to the steel belts and never had a flat or blowout. Don't throw the baby out with the bath water. That tire was probably built on a Monday or a Friday. If your tire place will take back the remaining 3 and give you 4 new ones more power to you. But I would give the Falkens 1 more chance. Good luck.

 

Yes, it can be.... remember all those blowouts Ford Explorers had a few years back? Many of them were due to the low pressures that were specified because people drove too fast or carried lots of stuff, which can overload the tire if it doesn't have enough pressure in it. I believe the reason was actually heat related (they can get too hot if overloaded). When a tire says it's rated to run at a maximum of "X" mph and can carry "Y" lbs, that is assuming maximum inflation pressure.

So I guess what I'm saying is if the pressure in that tire was a fair amount lower than what it should be, and you were driving on the fast side, then it's possible that after a while it could have lead to a heat related tire failure. Sometimes tires are low on air and you can't really see it. Unfortunately I have no idea of how you'd be able to tell if this is what really happened or not.....

In any case, best of luck in replacing it or getting it warrantied.

 

Are you going to do anything about it????? if you are only a month in you still have warranty on the tire. Take it to your nearest tire shop thats authorized by falken Sears...etc. Have them take a look at the tire if the come to the conclusion it is a factory defect you will be taken care of.

-Jon

 

thanks for all the advice guys. and yes i am going to get into the shop hopefully sometime this week or the beginning of next to see what can be done. for now, ill have to go into the dealership to order that new lugnut wheel key.

 

Glad to hear you're ok. Good luck with the tire.
Jae

 

I agree. I have had the Falkens on my daily-beater Civic for at least 10K on the hellish roads of NYC and couldn't be happier. I just ordered a set for the MAX. I would have to think that MISTERMAX either got a defective tire or hit something that he didn't see. When you go to the tire shop, have them inspect the blown tire and the others still on the car and see what happens. I wouldn't swear off FALKEN based on this incident. A LOT of people in the US are riding on this tire and you don't hear of a lot of blow-outs.

 

I have Them on my 2002 Maxima SE .They are amazing tires even in the snow no problems Dry traction is Excellent hit the gas hard on a turn car dosent skid ,but i know one thing is they smoke up alot when peeling out.

I will deffinately buy them again!