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Volt's tire curbed by wife, chunk of sidewall now hanging off

15K views 23 replies 18 participants last post by  bro1999  
#1 ·
I was moving around some stuff between the 2 cars the other day, and I noticed this huge gash in the left rear rim, along with a chunk of tire that was hanging off the sidewall as well. Asked the wife, and she said she had hit a curb recently. :(

Any thoughts on whether this is just a surface wound, or should I now be looking at getting some replacements sooner than later? Stock tires, almost 35k on them. Treadwear is still well within limits.

 
#3 ·
Tell your wife that when she hits something with the car, the car should be inspected. Also, tell her that damaging the sidewall weakens it and the tire could depressurize while driving, hitting a pothole, etc. or even while parked. So she should be prepared to have the car towed if this happens.

She should probably read or watch how to handle a highway speed blowout as well. Best advice is to keep driving straight, stay away from the brake pedal and allow the drag of the failed tire to slow the vehicle to 30 mph—or slower, ideally—before they even considered turning the steering wheel The worst thing to do is jerk the steering wheel before the car has slowed down. Especially if it's a rear tire that has blown out, turning the wheel at high speed creates a high likelihood that the car will spin out.

Or, you could get new rubber. :)
 
#5 ·
I was moving around some stuff between the 2 cars the other day, and I noticed this huge gash in the left rear rim, along with a chunk of tire that was hanging off the sidewall as well. Asked the wife, and she said she had hit a curb recently. :(

Do I even need to say anything here?
 
#6 ·
Nope, not at all. Especially not about the part about leaving gashes in rims and the rubber. :eek:

So, assuming it is probably prudent to get new tires, does anyone know if the Gen 2 Volt's tires would fit on a Gen 1? I think Gen 1's size is 215/55/17, while Gen 2's is 215/50/17?
 
#9 · (Edited)
I was moving around some stuff between the 2 cars the other day, and I noticed this huge gash in the left rear rim, along with a chunk of tire that was hanging off the sidewall as well. Asked the wife, and she said she had hit a curb recently. :(

Any thoughts on whether this is just a surface wound, or should I now be looking at getting some replacements sooner than later? Stock tires, almost 35k on them. Treadwear is still well within limits.

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The stock Goodyear's that came with at least the 2011-2012 are very susceptible to side wall failure like this. The forums are littered with people reporting this issue. My wife has had 3. The third coming on a rear tire after putting Michelin's on the fronts. She rubs up against a lot of things while driving (what's said on this forum, stays on this forum) but never had a sidewall failure before or since. Two others in my office got Volts after I did and each had a sidewall failure as well. There is a real weakness in these tires that Goodyear and GM have ignored. They should have recalled these long ago.
 
#10 ·
You could try some tire repair glue and stick it back on. Having suggested that though, that area of the sidewall is probably the area that flexes quite a bit during driving so I would be worried about it failing and causing a blow-out. On slower city streets, not such a big deal but on the highway it could be scary.
 
#13 ·
Not hugely convinced, unless there is a 'pinch' in the underlying ply. At that point the outer rubber does nothing but cover and protect the ply, so as long as the ply is not showing, it's not the sort of issue that should lead to a tire failure. But it does seem to be a heck of a lump, and just another grind into a kerb, or over stony ground, could puncture the remaining thin layer to the cord, and then you definitely do need to replace.
 
#12 ·
Any thoughts on whether this is just a surface wound, or should I now be looking at getting some replacements
That's a bit drastic, I think you can stick with the one you've got, if she want's to stay.

My wife did the same to one of our other cars recently (and also didn't mention until I spotted it! :mad: ). Not quite as bad, it is a steel rim. I was not exactly happy about it and was bothered about it for a bit. Then I forgot about it. That was months ago. Just forget about it for now. But it has weakened the tire, so bear it in mind and don't be surprised if you do end up needing to replace sooner than later. One more kerb bump on the same spot and the tire's history.
 
#23 ·
Looks mostly cosmetic. I'd watch it to be sure it doesn't bubble if I were you. Me? I'd use it as an excuse to buy all new custom wheels and fresh rubber. I have to get these things approved by the accountant, so I take advantage of these things where I can.
Cosmetic damage on the rubber and no puncture or exposing the structure. You're good to go with that one. The rim I would change, it looks awful.

Also you might want to put some Bepanthene on your thumb.
 
#15 ·
I had the exact situation... wife, curb, tire. The damage was about the same but was in the center of the sidewall between the rim and tread. It was holding air and looked like it was ok, but with all of the stories about sidewall failure, I ordered a new one from tire rack and replaced it. IMHO, it's just not worth the risk. A new tire is cheap insurance and the peace of mind is well worth the price of the tire(s).
 
#18 ·
Glue the flap down, especially if you have a yearly state "safety" (tax) inspection of your vehicles...they probably would fail your car telling you you need a new tire...:(
 
#19 ·
I would replace it. Not worth it pushing a questionable tire.
The risk isn't just safety related.
Like someone else said, a tire letting go can do a lot of damage to bodywork, making you wish you hadn't tried to save the price of a tire, or even a complete set for that matter. BTDT
 
#20 ·
That one looks like it is on the borderline between something I would live with and something I would definitely replace. Not being able to see it in person, I can't say for sure. Certainly if there is any ply visible at all, it should be replaced. And the decision might be taken away from you anyway by the state safety inspection issue. If that is the case, might as well replace sooner rather than later. Also factor in the lack of spare tire and inconvenience of being stranded and then losing the use of the car while it is repaired. If you decide to drive on it, I would at least want it on the rear axle to reduce the effect on handling if it blows out.
 
#22 · (Edited)
So with the ticking time bomb that is the chunked left rear combined with the recently discovered sidewall cracking on all 4 of my tires, I decided to go through with a replacement and ordered a set of Bridgestone Driveguard run-flat tires. I seriously considered the Ecopia ep422 Plus tires (even submitted an order, and subsequently cancelled), but the Driveguards are Bridgestone's 3rd generation run-flat, and have received good reviews from what I was able to find (including on here by Jim in Tuscon).

I'm sure there will be a range/fuel economy hit (5-10% is what I've figured), but knowing if I do get a flat I will still be able to continue on my way (and not be at the mercy of a tow truck), I figured it is worth the tradeoff.

Once I get the Driveguards installed, I'll post an initial review of them. Total price was $686 for everything (including 6% tax). That includes a $70 instant rebate and $10 off for ordering online.

About the OEM tires being replaced, they had almost 36k miles on them, rotated every 7.5k miles, and aired up between 40-45 psi cold pretty much the whole time. Even with the tires being aired up past manufacturer specs (38 psi), I still saw that the outside edges were wearing out a little quicker than the middle. Tread depth was down to about 4 or 5/32nds on all 4 (Washington's head barely covered when doing the quarter depth test).
 
#24 ·
So I'm currently at the Costco tire center...been here since 40 minutes before opening to ensure I was #1 in line. Some lady rolled up in a minivan, so I hopped out and stood right in front of the door. Oh hell no, I'll be damned if you take my #1 spot in line, soccermom!