Achilles ATR Sport tyre Failure

[mpower]

2 sets of ATR2's here - very happy.

As above punctures and flat spots??? Can't blame the tyre there.

 

[shano2]

As an Achilles retailer I am really disappointed in your experience with the product and if you were in Melbourne I'd love for you to come and see me so we could sort it out for you.

Firstly, with regard to tyre warranties, the process is this (regardless of brand):
- Customer must purchase a replacement tyre & pay all service charges associated with that change-over (the warranty is against the product, not the service - unless the service was included in the price of the original tyre)
- The tyre is returned to the manufacturer or distributor for assessment
- If a warranty claim is upheld then the cost of the tyre is refunded to the retailer on a pro-rata basis depending on tread used (<25% used is usually a complete 100% replacement - some brands will refund 100% no matter the tread wear)
- The retailer then refunds the same percentage of the retail price of the tyre back to the customer

With this in mind it seems you had a somewhat different experience. I'm not sure what he tried to charge you but perhaps he didn't explain the warranty process fully - not sure what happened. Sounds like he wasn't very helpful in any-case. There are all sorts of people in this industry who will do all sorts of things to make a buck. Thank god they aren't all like that.

Now, regarding the failure of your tyre, it looks to me to be nothing more than an impact fracture on the inside of the sidewall. This can happen to ANY tyre and believe me I've seen it on everything from Italian made Pirellis, Japanese Toyos, Taiwanese Federals you name it...it happens. If you hit something hard enough (with a 30 profile tyre in particular) then you will pinch the sidewall between the rim and the object and this will split the rubber in the sidewall. This then allows pressurised air to get into the sidewall plies and with movement and heat will eventually lead to a big bubble and then a blow-out. It's not a long shot to suggest that somewhere along the way you've hit something and I can see by the condition of the inside rim on your wheels that's true. We all hit things from time to time, be they potholes, railroads, roadworks etc. It happens. My point is simply that this kind of damage can happen to any tyre regardless of brand.

Anyway, it's not for me to assess the tyre, that's up to the manufacturer or distributor. I'm sorry to hear that you've had a disappointing experience with your tyre service and it's a shame that this frustration has been directed at the product rather than the dealer. We sell 100's of the ATR Sport tyres every month and we have not had a single claim to process for 2 years, and that claim was upheld in full by the distributor.

If you are interested in giving the product another shot or if you like to try something else I'd be happy to help you out - just let me know. With the 245/30R20 size you are going to be limited to budget brands anyway simply because none of the premium brands have a high enough load rating (most are only 90). Your choices are Achilles, Neuton, Altenzo, Nankang, Sonar, Carbon Series...I think that'll be about it.

Let us know how you go... I'm only a phone call away if you want to discuss.

I am happy to be proven wrong but I would question if this warranty process is even lawful?

In 12 years in Automotive parts I have never come across ANY other automotive part (even "wear" items that you expect to wear out over time, like tyres - such as brake pads, clutches, disc rotors, timing belts etc) that will only cover a pro-rata portion of the product value based on how much it is worn at the time of premature failure. ALL of the above mentioned items I have at one point or another replaced for a customer and at times arranged payment, by the manufacturer, of labour costs for fitment of the replacement items (especially clutches but generally all product groups will cover labour @ a trade rate).

Once an item fails it is a not salvageable anyway so becomes a throw away scrap item. So what, then, is the point of a manufacturer charging a pro-rate portion for the replacement item? It can only be to mitigate a loss by the manufacturer that they are not entitled to mitigate - THEIR PRODUCT WAS FAULTY!

Would be interesting to see what the ACCC / Trade Practices Act says about this process? I suspect most tyre co. reps are equally uninformed and only know what has been told to them about their companies warranty policy during their "training" and would run for the hills at the mention of this.

 

[Smashfist]

Given that it's a consumable and x% has been used I'd say no problems with the ACCC or trade practices act. After all the product served fine for that portion of its expected (and finite) lifetime.

It's perfectly acceptable for a manufacturer to inspect a product before agreeing to a warranty claim, the alternative to buying a new tyre is to have the faulty one sent off and be without a tyre.

 

[vc commodore]

I am happy to be proven wrong but I would question if this warranty process is even lawful?

In 12 years in Automotive parts I have never come across ANY other automotive part (even "wear" items that you expect to wear out over time, like tyres - such as brake pads, clutches, disc rotors, timing belts etc) that will only cover a pro-rata portion of the product value based on how much it is worn at the time of premature failure. ALL of the above mentioned items I have at one point or another replaced for a customer and at times arranged payment, by the manufacturer, of labour costs for fitment of the replacement items (especially clutches but generally all product groups will cover labour @ a trade rate).

Once an item fails it is a not salvageable anyway so becomes a throw away scrap item. So what, then, is the point of a manufacturer charging a pro-rate portion for the replacement item? It can only be to mitigate a loss by the manufacturer that they are not entitled to mitigate - THEIR PRODUCT WAS FAULTY!

Would be interesting to see what the ACCC / Trade Practices Act says about this process? I suspect most tyre co. reps are equally uninformed and only know what has been told to them about their companies warranty policy during their "training" and would run for the hills at the mention of this.

Best you try and take all tyre manufacturers to the ACCC then.....There isn't a single tyre supplier that I can think of, that doesn't have a pro rata system for tyres.....Even in brochures for tyres with a mileage guarantee, this pro rata system is in plain black and white.....

Looking at the pictures of the said tyres, it does look like an under inflation problem...so the rep was probably being nice giving a discount on a new set to keep the customer happy.....But typical customers, you can never keep them 100 % happy 100% of the time

 

[xhiler8r]

same here 235/30/20 Achilles 5 mths old one exploded doing 110 heading nth to QLD over xmas and the other had a massive bubble in it ready to explode I have been fighting this for 5 mths now and now i find out that the company who sold me the **** tyres are going into receivership so fat chance of me getting any coin back

 

[commodore665]

Never had a drama with them.
Had a great life, hard life as well.

Dont think can be tyres fault for punctures and flat spots, usually attributed to driver influence

on NZ's coarse volcanic chip sealed roads , Achilles are shite , only good for wheelbarrow tyres

 

[vc commodore]

same here 235/30/20 Achilles 5 mths old one exploded doing 110 heading nth to QLD over xmas and the other had a massive bubble in it ready to explode I have been fighting this for 5 mths now and now i find out that the company who sold me the **** tyres are going into receivership so fat chance of me getting any coin back

The company that actually guarantees the tyre is the supplier of Achillies, not the place that on sells it to you.

So my suggestion is, if you have the tyre still, find out who sells them, in your neck of the woods, and get the rep for Achillies out to inspect it....Because it's the rep that has the final say, NOT company that sold it to you.

 

[mpower]

update, my 2 sets are both still going great and I'm still super happy with them!

 

[thewheeldeal com au]

same here 235/30/20 Achilles 5 mths old one exploded doing 110 heading nth to QLD over xmas and the other had a massive bubble in it ready to explode I have been fighting this for 5 mths now and now i find out that the company who sold me the **** tyres are going into receivership so fat chance of me getting any coin back

Interesting, your details say you drive a VX and a VY - both of which require a minimum load rating of 92 (630kg ea). Your 235/30R20 tyres are only load rated to 88 (560kg ea) and are therefore 70kg ea (280kg total) under the MINIMUM requirement for your car.

I would question why they are on your car in the first place???