rnupetroop

I'm sorry to hear everyone having so much trouble with the Goodyear RSAs.
Is the cracking of the tires real obvious because I did a full inspection on my tires and didn't notice any cracks.

SSurfer

No, to really check them out rotate your tires and look at the inner sidewalls. I did not have any cracks on the outside of the tires only on the inner sidewalls. If it werent for this site I would have never known they were there. There was another post with pics showing the cracks.

NismoMax80

iTrader: (6)

Well I called Goodyear and they gave me a case #. I have an appt. Thurs. But from talking with them, it seems I will only get Goodyear replacements. I mean, I noticed this at 8000 miles on the rear tires! I may drive fast, but not hard (especially while cold). I also have the feeling they will only replace the 2 with the splits.

All the other GY tires for the Max are summer only. They need to realize I need M/S and that RSA Really Sucks Axx

I want Perellis damnit.

msoemax

If two on the car are cracking they should replace all four. The stock tires that are cracking all came from the same batch. 99% chance that the two tires with no problems are from the bad batch too. Did you look on the inside sidewall? Look there with a lamp so that you can see everything better. I had to do that to see the early cracking on my rear tires. Did you ever rotate your tires. B/c the front tires crack way before the rear ones do b/c of the added weight on the front. Good luck and get them to replace all four. Don't F around

maximage

So I was looking for replacements if mine are going to have same problem (1st rotation coming up next month so I'll them inspected) but don't like the noise/snow specs of the F1s (the RSAs are H rated ..130MPH and have a very good rating for allseason performance).
I looked up BF Goodrich but found they refer to Michelin Pilot MXM4. Anyone have these? (fit factory 18s) They rate better than the RSA (in numbers ) for winter and noise.
Lastly, I would prefer the Blizzak Bridgestone LM22 as its also V rated, works well in the NE climate, great handling and quiet ride.

Too bad I don't get to pick...

For those in the Central NJ area (plug), I recommend R.W. Tire in Bordentown, NJ. No better tire vendor that I can recall...

froMax

Although I only have <2k on my Max, I called Goodyear this morning to see how they would react to my inquiry. The rep was kind of vague but clearly aware of the issue. She directed me to Just Tires on Broadway in Uptown. I had bought tires there b4 and was optimistic about how I would be treated. So I went in about an hour ago. The techs had not heard of this problem but were very accomodating and had it up in the air within 15 minutes. It turns out that one of the guys (Jose or Francisco) is a 5th gen. owner who reads his forum regularly, but has never read ours. He took me underneath with a flashlight and there was no sign of any cracks. Guess I got lucky. BTW, for anyone who finds out they have a bad batch: in snowy areas such as Chicago you'll end up with another set of RSA's from Goodyear. The only other tires that they make in the 18's are the F1's which are rated very low for snowy conditions.

SSurfer

Hey Snow guys
Why dont you get the F1's as replacements for the RSA'a and get a second, cheap set for the snow? Best of two worlds? What ya think?

NismoMax80

iTrader: (6)

msoemax, this was my first rotation. Every mile on the car was by me and the tires with splits were at the rear, now front.

Since I will not be able to get the Pirellis I want, anyone hear of Dunlop SP Sport 5000 asymmetrical?

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....omCompare1=yes

this seems to be a good alternative to the RSA. They are cheaper, but I doubt I will receive money back.

Mike_TX

Here's the pic I originally posted in another thread. Mine was thin razor-like cuts in the ribbed part of the sidewall. Others are reporting them in other parts of the tire.



Mike

SSurfer

Thats a weird place to have the cuts. The other pics I seen were between the ribed section and the treaded section. Your sidewalls looks like they were rubbing curbs? Good to get them checked out anyway. Goodluck!

msoemax

It depends on ther tire place you go to. Legally Goodyear will only replace the tires with another set of rsa's. It's the shop that says yeah ok will allow you to "upgrade" to different tires. I think the way it works is that goodyear applies a credit for the tires. The tire shop then puts in an order for a new set of RSA's. If you play your cards right and know someone at a tire place they may let you get a different tire.

Overall I think the RSA's are decent tires. I don't think any tire will be much better than the RSA's. The Max simply has a lot of power. One needs to learn how their max performs and learn what the limits are. The tread pattern on the RSA's is rather aggressive IMO. They have held up well under all conditions for me. I will have a chance to play in the snow today. We'll see how the Max handles in several inches of snow.

04SEelite

Mine were on the inside tires - make sure and check both sides when you have the car in the air - I keep looking because Goodyear only replaced one tire, and I am waiting for the other 3 to fail...

Mike_TX

Naw, that's just grit and tire dressing on the tire, plus the fact I oversharpened the pic to make the cut easier to see.

The splits on the two tires on my car were both in that same area of the sidewall. The other two tires showed no splitting, but they were all from the same "batch", so Goodyear replaced them all.

Note that if you have less than 2/32 of treadwear, Goodyear will repleace the tires free of charge. I happened to have 3/32 wear on two of mine, but I ended up paying only a little for the replacements. Seems like with mounting and balance, plus new valve stems, it was around a hundred bucks or so. Not bad for 21,000 miles use!

Mike

NismoMax80

iTrader: (6)

well of course it's been pouring raining for 3 days... so the Max is up on the lift, and we can't see anything. He keeps wiping the sidewalls with a dirty rag (which I explained covers the splits) "even when wet they would appear, maybe it was dirt that looked like scratches?" So the next rotation I will have a crayon and chalk handy.

Konicaman2

Thanks msoemax. Followed your advice and I now have four new rsa's coming in at N/C. I had noticed one small crack on the front right tire. It is my wife's car and had her stop by at Sear's, and have then checked out. They found several cracks on the inner side on three tires and told her to drive it straight home and park it. I contacted Goodyear(Scott) and told him that my wife had been told that the car was unsafe to drive. I also contacted Nissan Customer Care and they had us bring the car into the dealer for their inspection. Within two hours, Goodyear contacted me and informed me that the tires would be replaced for free(I have to pay for installation). I have 21,000 miles on them and the front were more than half worn. I think the Sears "unsafe to drive" warning may have been what caused them to offer free replacements. I tried calling Sears the next day to see about gettng the F1's but he said that it had to be rsa's and I figured since they were free, I would not rock the boat. Interesting article I found on the web... GM agreed to replace 87,000 17" rsa's on the Cadillac ctx model for sidewall cracks. Of course it was for cosmetic reasons only and not a safety issue.



By the way, I lost my original Konicaman login password and I also forgot the email I used to join. Does anyone know how to recover my lost password or who I can contact here to reset it?

msoemax

I would not pay for the installation of new tires. Goodyear should cover that. Argue it this way- You would not have to replace the tire or worry about them had it not been for the cracking. Why are they replacing all four tires for free and making you pay for it; seems strange, no. I would fight them tooth and nail for them to cover ALL the costs. Including balancing and mounting. Call up goodyear again and tell them to pay for it all or you will plan on seeking legal advice. Legally they should pay for it all!

Konicaman2

Yeah, guess you are right. I was just thrilled that they did not only credit a prorated amaount. Especailly due to the amount of wear I had on the tires. I will call Monday and see about getting some F1's also. Guess it will not hurt to try.

VQ35DE

That's just great, rotated today at 9000 miles and ALL FOUR RSA's have cracks, the front tires worse than back, and all cracks are on the INSIDE sidewall. To top it all off they are made at the Goodyear plant that is 2 miles from my house! I am going to try to get F1 GS-D3's for replacements.

BlackMaxSE2004

I have a 2004 SE and have 15K on my RSA tires. My lot numbers are in the range of the ones posted with problems. I can say that I have had no problems with cracking at this time. I did however at 2K had my tires siped at Discount Tire. This greatly enhanced my ride and performance. I live in Chicago and these tires have been great in the snow and rain. I'm not a shareholder of Goodyear but thought you all should look into tire siping. This also does not void the warranty. Hope this helps.

joemax1

I hope u dont mind me asking, but what is "siping"? thanks!

BlackMaxSE2004

Here is a good link and description of tire siping. Hope it helps.
http://www.discounttire.com/dtc/broc.../tireTypes.jsp

msoemax

Sipping essentially is cutting your tires for more traction. Sipes are very small slits in the blocks that give extra gripping edges across the treadface usually useful for snow and ice. Dirt bike racers usually do this to add traction to their tires. BTW this is a great way to void your tire warranty.

VQ35DE

Update: Called Goodyear, no problem: went to dealer, no problem because I had ALREADY GOT A CLAIM # from Goodyear. 100% FREE (not 1 cent) replacement for more RSA's. I am getting Eagle F1 GS-D3's for $16 + sales tax per tire. There were NONE within at least 250mi radius and warehouses are out too. The next production for that specific tire starts Feb. 8th 2005. So in 4 or 5 weeks I will have very fresh F1 GS-D3's! Nobody
at GY or the dealer looked or asked for ANY kind of #'s on the tires. If it is a Max with RSA's, it will be automatic new tires.

msoemax

Yup, mine was that way.

VQ35DE

Do you have to wait for yours (GS-D3's) to be built or did they find some?

msoemax

I was not allowed to upgrade tires..i had to wait for my RSA's though

SSurfer

I had to order my F1's, I'm so stoked about this tire thing! Just glad no one got hurt/killed

VQ35DE

I found out today that my 4 (bad) tires were built at the Lawton, OK plant, not Union City, TN.

SSurfer

So does this mean theres more defected tires out there? Glade I got F1's
Good news for the folks who goodyear said they had to get RSA's, Tell them NO WAY YOU WANT THOES P.O.S TIRES!

VQ35DE

There is no telling how many bad tires are out, the Goodyear 1-800 person Blamed it ALL on THE Nissan Maxima (not the tires). I didn't argue to much since she gave me 100% free replacement.

msoemax

this is a class action lawsuit waiting to happen.

Konicaman2

Update... called the GY rep and requested a different type tire. He told me that I could get whatever product I wanted suggested one of the Dunlop models. I think I will get the Dunlop Sport 5000. Tire Rack shows good revues and I am not looking for a F1 type performance tire(plus I would have to wait several weeks to get them. At the beginning of the call, I mentioned that I had read a lot of reports about sidewall cracks online and did not feel secure getting another set. He did acknowledge that they had some cracking issues but it is not nearly as bad as what is said online and that the new RSA's did not have any problem. But it is amazing how willing they are to give 100% replacement credit on a set of tires performance tires with 20,000 miles on them. No questions asked and no hassle... just a little too eager to make the problem go away quietly...

SSurfer

Ha! Can Goodyear say Ford Explorer Firestone Wilderness.

Konicaman2

Guess they blamed GM for the 87,000 tires they replaced on the '04 Cadiallac CTS

VQ35DE

Yea, the 1-800 Goodyear person tried to get me to use Dunlops too. They want those RSA's OFF of the cars now, but don't look for any recall !

Viper1

The Eagle F1 GS-D3 are awesome tires, I have put 5000 mile on them so far. Mine are labeled Made in Germany, maybe that is why they are hard to find.

Special note, get the road hazard insurance for your tires. I had a screw in one of the tires, it was not deep and no leak. The tire tech said that if it was leaking that he would replace the tire and not plug it. He said a plugged-patched Z rated tire is not a Z rated tire after it is plugged, hence new tire.

Viper1

VQ35DE

Did you get the road hazard on yours and if so how much did it cost per tire?

SSurfer

I paid about $24.00 per tire. But heck the tires were free! They even told me if someone stabed/cut my tires they would cover them!

Playadave

Two questions:

1) What is the actual 800 number to Goodyear for customer service for t

2) Did any of you contact GY first prior to Nissan about this problem and they resolved it without you having to go to dealer?

One of the above post almost sounds like you called, said had problem, and they fixed without even looking at tires.

My dealer is saying I have to go into them first, show them documents from this site, have them examine tire and then they will send me to GY for resolution.

Thanks,

David

VQ35DE

Phone # is at first page of this thread, I called Goodyear # FIRST, and that is MY recomendation.