I bought a 2015 3.8 Ultimate AWD on Sept 6. I did not put Blizzaks on, as I wanted to see how the AWD did in the winter here in northern IL. After 7500 miles of gentle driving, probably 1000 of it under 20 mph, I left Rockford on May 10 to drive to the west coast, then back home on the Trans-Canada Highway from Mile Zero to Sault Ste. Marie and home. (BTW, in the 8200 miles covered, I saw one gen 1 Genesis near Edmonton, and no 2015s.)
On May 20, a pothole on a back road in N CA caused a sidewall break. I limped to Klamath Falls, OR on my donut, where Les Schwab said they would have to replace all 4 tires because of the AWD. I called my dealer before arguing with Schwab to see if I could get by with 2. After checking my
VIN, he told me of this recall and said Hyundai would replace all 4 tires free if I could get the car to a Hyundai dealer. That would be in Medford, OR, 79 miles away. But Butler Hyundai there told me they had no tires and didn't know when they could get any. Same story from every other dealer I called in OR.
So I called Hyundai Customer Service for advice. They were EXTREMELY solicitous and helpful. They suggested I buy tires on my own and submit a request for reimbursement when I returned home. They told me all the steps I should take and all the paperwork I would need, and said they were sure (but couldn't guarantee) that it would be approved.
I decided to do that, and 15-20 minutes later I called Butler to tell them. But Customer Service had already called Butler. Butler said they would go tire shopping for me the next morning, and
I could choose Michelin, Contintental, or any other "high-quality" tire I wanted and they would buy and install them and get me on my way. No cost, no paperwork, no hassle. I was not in a position to do much research, so I chose Michelin Primacy MXM4. None of the 3 Medford Michelin dealers had them, so an extra day was needed to get them from Reno.
Hyundai Roadside Assistance took it from there, monitoring the progress all the way. Their flatbed hauler arrived not a minute late. We were given a loaner while we waited in Medford, and last week we received reimbursement for 2 days of motels and meals.
Some comments:
- Schwab told me my fronts measured 5/32" and the rears 6/32" (maybe it was the other way around. They had 10,923 miles on them. If the original tread depth was 12/32", that meant I would have had to replace them at 14-15,000 miles. If it was 8/32", as some have suggested mfr OEM tires might be, I would get only 18-19,000 miles. (But maybe wear isn't linear, and they would go a bit longer.) Either figure is ridiculous, and worse than the 23,000 I got from my 2010 Genny.
- Michelin gives 55,000 mileage warranty, V speed rating (149 mph) for my 245/45R18 size. Most reviews I find are great, but I wonder if Hankook might be a little better in rain or snow. I now have 5,000 miles on them and still measure the original tread depth of 10/32" on the one front tire I just checked.
- The Michelins are very smooth riding, and probably quieter than the Hankooks. (I can't really objectively compare noise levels.)
- My Michelins were bought independently, and are not part of any special run Michelin might have made for Hyundai's recall.
- As of this date, I have not received a letter from Hyundai about the recall.
- I took my car in for its 15,000 mile service and noted on the service invoice that my dealer had ordered parts for 3 recalls, including the tires. (My regular service advisor was on vacation.) I told him the tires were replaced in Medford, but he could not find a record of that in my file.
- Finally, I find Hyundai's service has been AWESOME.
