Finally got the Fit after a 4 month wait, and been enjoying it so I haven't been on much recently.


My Fit came with the Bridgestones and after 3000 miles the front right has a huge bubble/bulge on the sidewall... the psi's have always been between 33 - 35psi. So I don't know what would have caused it, wondering if it could be all the potholes??? According to the tire warranty card they only replace the tire because of significant thread wear. Did I misread something?

Tire rack wants about $130 for the tire shipped.

Since the tires are relatively new should I just buy the 1 tire and use these till I can get a new better set? any suggestions?

If i just change the tire will I have to reset the TPMS sensors?

 

My suggestion is to buy 17" wheels and some new tires.

But if the other tires still have a good amount of tread left you might as well just stick to those and buy one. If you feel they will need replacing within a year anyway just replace all 4.

 

Sounds like one heck of a pothole you hit. If those are rampant around your area maybe you should consider getting larger rubber to absorb more of the impact ;p

 

Don't drive on it again!
I agree with Cig However, I would go by the dealer and maybe argue that the tire was defective and tell them that "you want them to replace it" dont ask them if they will, the language is key. If they say no you only wasted some time.

The TPMS sensor will reset itself after a few minuets.

Good luck

 

You mean the tire or the pothole?

NYC roads in the spring are the worst new potholes pop up everyday, I'm pretty good with memorizing the bad ones, but there's so many more of them this year....



thanks with the advice so far fellow fitfreaks.

 

Yeah, going to the dealer might be a good bet maybe if you yell and make a big enough scene he'll just do what he has to do and throw another tire on.

Or maybe he'll have you cuffed and thrown in the back of a police car.

Either way that goes good luck.

And if you decide to get 4 new tires think about getting new rims as well

 

Yeah... Im going to have to go ahead and agree with Ciggy. Except for the whole dealership having you cuffed. If they seem reluctant, just remind them that in these tough economic times every sale counts, and they will be losing a future customer in you, and anyone you know. Word of mouth is the best advertising, and therefore is also the quickest way to decrease a business's customers.
Anyway, about the wheels. We don't have any good tire options for these wheels yet. Get 17's and better tires, and if you feel like keeping your 16s, throw some Blizzaks on them Biatches and keep them for the winter.

 

its pretty unlikely the dealer will replace that tire under warranty though, but if you make enough noise, they might give you a break.. well, with the economy now, i know honda has been tightening up on warranty claims too..

 

sidewall bubbles are not from potholes. it is when the wire on the inside of the tire breaks. usually caused by driving on low pressure for a long period of time or hitting the sidewall (curbing the wheels).

 

ive seen a lot at work from potholes too, theyre not that hard to break, cuz the sidewall belts usually arent metal anyways

 

i just got one of my tires replaced. tire blew out when my mom used the car. she didn't know what to do so she kept driving...haha. chewed up the sidewall pretty bad. 130 shipped from Tirerack. my TPMS light was on when i had the spare. it's gone now. so im guessing you don't have to reset it.

 

Yes, don't continue driving on the defective tire over a prolonged period of time. It is a safety issue as the tire might suddenly blow-out on you.

Meantime, make sure to have the defective tire mounted on the rear as you may lose control should you incur a front tire blow-out at highway speeds.

Best you have the tire replaced under warranty or get a new one soonest possible.

 

Something like this



From rubbing a curb

It looks worse in 'real life'.

 

And this, boys and girls is why manufacturers should be putting a proper spare wheel in your boot instead of that stupid repair kit or a spacesaver.

Like this:

 

imo, the compact spare is fine for limited use. it'll get you where you need to go, and it saves weight and space.

 

True, but there is no space saving in the Fit, because the boot floor is at the same height. In most other cars, if you have the car loaded up and you have a flat and put the spare on, where do you put the flat tire if you only had enough room for a spacesaver?

A spacesaver is acceptable if you live in a big city and you're never more than 30 miles from a tire repairer, but what if you're on a road trip miles from anywhere?

If you have a proper spare, you change the wheel, you continue and get the tire fixed the next day.

If you have a spacesaver, you change the wheel, put the flat tire in the passenger's lap, (or in the original space in the case of the Fit - making the spacesaver rather pointless) and drive at a reduced speed of 45MPH getting to your destination late and maybe obstructing traffic on the way. If it's more than 50 miles or so you're SOL, plus your steering and braking are seriously compromised.

If you only have a repair kit, and the damage is from hitting a kerb or a pothole, you call for a tow (if you have mobile phone coverage) because the repair kit won't work.

I understand what you say about the weight, but it amounts to a couple of pounds. Less if your main wheels are alloy. Most people could make up the difference by eating less.

I think the increasing use of spacesaver spares is a disturbing trend, and I'm glad Honda Australia saw fit to put a proper spare in the Jazzs they sell here. In fact it's one (not the only) factor that put it ahead of the Mitsubishi Colt for me.

 

In many cars, there is no room for a full size wheel/tire. For example in the del Sol, the temp spare is much narrower than the standard wheel size. I'm pretty sure a normal tire wouldn't fit in the alotted space, and in the case of a car that small, trunk space is at a premium. In the case of the Fit, it's likely just a cost-savings choice.

There is always the BMW approach: run-flats... but they sure aren't cheap, nor easily available.

 

Yep, and if you hit a pothole and damage your rim, you'd better have mobile phone coverage. Not a problem in Europe with a village every 20 miles, but in the Arizona Desert, or the Hay plain...

I guess most BMW owners would just fly for long trips anyway

 

This is why I pay for the 100 mi tow from AAA. It has saved me several times.

 

I have had the same thing happen in my fit (I hit a pothole) rim was bent slightly and had a bubble...$ 513.00 for rim and $ 130.00 tire...honda would not cover it but I did purchase a tire.wheel warranty from dealer when I bought the car sooo glad I did they reimbursed me. that being said our tires are really low profile even for a small car expect more of these posts.