Bought a Model 3 from a 3rd Party Seller

[Nev-10]

Hi All,

New owner of a model 3 here and quite happy with the car so far. However, I bought the car from a 3rd party seller who specialises in selling EV's. It was a remote purchase and the car was delivered last week. Just recently I noticed that the passenger side tyres are not the OEM Michelin PS 4. Instead, the front is mixed with a 'Kormoran' and the rear is mixed with a 'Toyo Proxes Sport'. They are the right size but obviously each axle has a mixed tread pattern now.

In my mind the car should be supplied with the right OEM tyres, what would you recommend in this case?

Thanks
Nev

 

[Durzel]

I would recommend speaking to the dealer and expressing your concerns.

The likelihood is that they'll minimise the impact of mismatched treads.

 

[Nev-10]

I would recommend speaking to the dealer and expressing your concerns.

The likelihood is that they'll minimise the impact of mismatched treads.

Thanks. I'm going to email them and see what they say. One of my interests is reducing as much as possible road noise, so potentially looking at tyre choice for that. I noticed that the Michelins have an acoustic label, whereas the other two random tyres don't. This makes me wonder if this is making the car louder than it should be as it is.

 

[M1tch]

Personally I recon it’s a second hand car and you’ll be lucky to get anything. Were the tyres pictured on the advert? Probably not something you would have paid attention to and were looking at the alloy condition instead but if so, and if they are the right size, legal tread etc I think you don’t have an arguement.

Just my opinion of course.

 

[Nev-10]

Personally I recon it’s a second hand car and you’ll be lucky to get anything. Were the tyres pictured on the advert? Probably not something you would have paid attention to and were looking at the alloy condition instead but if so, and if they are the right size, legal tread etc I think you don’t have an arguement.

Just my opinion of course.

You're probably right, although isn't there a safety aspect to having mixed tread patterns on the same axle? Which means they are supplying a potentially unsafe car. It is second hand but it's still £25k which I would have thought means that you would get the right tyres supplied not some cheap alternatives. The difference is probably some £300?

 

[jjrandorin]

You're probably right, although isn't there a safety aspect to having mixed tread patterns on the same axle? Which means they are supplying a potentially unsafe car. It is second hand but it's still £25k which I would have thought means that you would get the right tyres supplied not some cheap alternatives. The difference is probably some £300?

Maybe US and UK rules are different, but in the US the only requirement for a used car is for the car to have tires that meet the specifications (not for the tires to be OEM) and for the tires to be above the tread wear line (not brand new).

If its a used car and the tires meet the specs of the car (speed rating, etc) and are not at the wear bar, you are probably out of luck at least legally (again, unless the rules are significantly different there, as they could be). If the tires do NOT meet the speed / weight rating, you probably have a valid concern / complaint, as we would here.

 

[NorthYorkEV]

The dealer has supplied legal tyres. There's a small chance when you buy the car to negotiate some 'better' tyres, or go half on the costs, but to retrospectively ask for something will in all likelihood, get you nowhere.

For reference, I used to sell cars and this was a common issue. We would, if pushed replace a tyre(s) but only if it was a deal-breaker and even then, we'd want the customer to pay half if you're replacing a perfectly legal tyre

 

[Unclepaul]

While it is wise to have matching tires on your car, there is no legal requirement that pertains to used cars.

 

[Nev-10]

The dealer has supplied legal tyres. There's a small chance when you buy the car to negotiate some 'better' tyres, or go half on the costs, but to retrospectively ask for something will in all likelihood, get you nowhere.

For reference, I used to sell cars and this was a common issue. We would, if pushed replace a tyre(s) but only if it was a deal-breaker and even then, we'd want the customer to pay half if you're replacing a perfectly legal tyre

Good to know this from someone who used to sell cars. Now I know! The other issue was that the steering needs alignment as it pulls to one side at the moment, I'm hoping that's something they can pay for through their warranty.

 

[Kansalis]

Good to know this from someone who used to sell cars. Now I know! The other issue was that the steering needs alignment as it pulls to one side at the moment, I'm hoping that's something they can pay for through their warranty.

You should be protected by distance selling rules if you bought it from a remote seller without being there in person. There's also a cooling off period registered dealers have to abide by. It's worth checking up on those in advance of trying to get them to fix anything, so at least you are covered if necessary and have some bargaining power.

 

[Billbrown1982]

Lots of us run non OEM tyres on our cars. A lot of it started when the original ones were just impossible to get hold of thanks to Covid and what not and then people started realising that the foam lining does in the accoustic tyres does quite little, except jack up the price.

I run michelin cross climate 2's on mine for example and its been absoloutely rock solid and I didn't notice any change in road noise.

I wouldn't be overly happy about mismatched tyres though, but as has been said, its legal so you probably have very little recourse unfortunately.

 

[thyname]

Is there a law or rule in UK that all tires that come with a USED vehicle purchase must be OEM?

 

[M00cow]

Is there a law or rule in UK that all tires that come with a USED vehicle purchase must be OEM?

No. Black, round and with a minimum 1.6mm of tread on them is all.

 

[MrTT]

Mismatched tyres on the same axle is poor form and should be challenged. Also, if the car pulls to one side then assume the seller hasn't done any checks on the car-and it could be a serious issue. The 14 day consumer returns option should be considered here.

 

[fholbert]

Hi All,

New owner of a model 3 here and quite happy with the car so far. However, I bought the car from a 3rd party seller who specialises in selling EV's. It was a remote purchase and the car was delivered last week. Just recently I noticed that the passenger side tyres are not the OEM Michelin PS 4. Instead, the front is mixed with a 'Kormoran' and the rear is mixed with a 'Toyo Proxes Sport'. They are the right size but obviously each axle has a mixed tread pattern now.

In my mind the car should be supplied with the right OEM tyres, what would you recommend in this case?

Thanks
Nev

My opinion:

You bought a used car. When a tire is damaged the owner may not be able to secure a matching tire.

If you want like new, buy a new car.

No. Black, round and with a minimum 1.6mm of tread on them is all.

LOL - I'm a big fan of round tires.

 

[thyname]

I am so sorry, but I cannot understand what you are trying to accomplish/ squeeze in here

 

[Whyone]

I don't think the tyre issue is at all surprising...it's pretty standard practice for much of the used motor trade to replace worn / damaged tyres with cheap ditch-finders. Irritating, but in no way illegal.

The 'pulling to one side' issue would concern me and... assuming this is a purchase covered by 'distance selling' legislation from what you say, it will be), I'd be seriously looking to reject the car asap. It's not as if there aren't plenty of alternatives available ATM.

 

[NorthYorkEV]

You need to give the dealer the option to fix the steering issue. Stating the 14 day return option is going to get their back up instantly.

Be concise and ask them to get it looked at using a local garage which they'll cover.
Used cars have faults..yes, the dealer should've checked before it was delivered, but these things happen.

 

[M3noob]

Thanks. I'm going to email them and see what they say. One of my interests is reducing as much as possible road noise, so potentially looking at tyre choice for that. I noticed that the Michelins have an acoustic label, whereas the other two random tyres don't. This makes me wonder if this is making the car louder than it should be as it is.

I have run both acoustic and non-acoystic PS4s. I couldn't tell any sonic difference...even with my hearing aids turned up Now running Hankooks and think they may be quieter. YMMV.

 

[M3noob]

Maybe US and UK rules are different, but in the US the only requirement for a used car is for the car to have tires that meet the specifications (not for the tires to be OEM) and for the tires to be above the tread wear line (not brand new).

If its a used car and the tires meet the specs of the car (speed rating, etc) and are not at the wear bar, you are probably out of luck at least legally (again, unless the rules are significantly different there, as they could be). If the tires do NOT meet the speed / weight rating, you probably have a valid concern / complaint, as we would here.

If you're going to supply opinion in a forum outside your regular jurisdiction, realise that UK laws are considerably different, eg. your view is not worth an email postage stamp

I'm saying this as a retired US lawyer in the UK.