When to replace your tires?

A great question from a Carolina Tire & Auto customer...


Q: My father is notoriously frugal, and I tell him he should replace his old dry-rotted tires even though they still have plenty of tread. Can you please explain why I'm right? 


A: I think our dads might be brothers. Tire replacement is pretty straightforward to the cost-conscious: when the tread wears down or a hole can't be patched. The reality is more nuanced than that. Tires are complex components that undergo amazing stresses during even the most mundane of drives. It took the better part of 50 years and a world war before motorists could depend on reaching a far-away destination without fixing one or two flats. As rubber technology and steel-belting techniques improved, tires became a very reliable part of the car—we just don't expect blowouts and punctures. 

Tires do degrade over time, though, and that process is called dry rot. Oils and chemicals in the rubber compound start to evaporate or break down because of UV exposure. The rubber loses its flexibility and begins to crack at the surface, and the structure becomes more and more brittle (think of a really old rubber band), leading to sidewall damage and eventual failure. And we're not talking "Oh, I'll just fill it up and drive on it"; this is a complete loss of function. You might even see tread start to separate. It's good practice to replace tires as soon as you see signs of dry rot, to prevent blowouts and the subsequent loss of vehicle control. Even if there are no signs of rot, the industry standard is to swap out tires before they hit 10 years old, and some tire companies recommend replacement as early as six years after manufacture.

Charlotte, Stands up for Small Business

In Charlotte in just the last five months, Buffalo Tire sold out to the Japanese and now we've read that Case Tire is shutting down after 40 years in business. My Carolina Tire & Auto friends, believe in small business. Don't buy into the large international auto chain stores and car dealerships. Carolina Tire & Auto is called Charlotte's Dealership Alternative for many reasons. We do not out on the high pressure sale like others do, we do not try to sell you things you do not need. What we do is we take care of your car like it was our own and only watch out for your best interest.

We know times are tough, that's why Charlotte, NC needs an independently owned place like Carolina Tire & Auto where you actually see and know the owner. That we will look you in your eyes and shake your hand and tell you the God's honest truth about your car's health. "Sometimes people don't like to hear that their car was diagnosed with a particular issue", said Carolina Tire president, Jim Seidel. "But that why we train each associate at Carolina Tire to talk to the customer and take care of the customer's cars like it was their mother's car", added Seidel. We don't set quotas on cars like a Tire Kingdom may do. If your car is alright and just needs oil, then that's what it is. But if it really needs brakes or there's a check engine light on, we're going to inform you about those issues.

Carolina Tire & Auto is an Angie's List Super Service Award Winner for 2010 and 2011. Carolina Tire & Auto is also one of the highest rated auto centers in all of Charlotte on places like Google and CitySearch and Judy's Book. Carolina Tire & Auto has car dealership mechanics and technicians that perform professional repairs, service and maintenance on cars like Mercedes, BMW, Ford, Honda, Land Rover, Aston Martin, Jaguar, BMW, Chrylser, Dodge, Chevy, GMC, Lincoln, Mercury, Buick, Toyota, Kia, Lexus, Infiniti and more. "Many people don't even know that we have the exact same tools, electronic equipment and mechanics as the dealerships do", noted Mr. Seidel. "We're doing the same work, putting on parts right out of the same box that the dealership is using and putting the same replacement repair warranty". "The only thing Carolina Tire & Auto isn't doing is charging the car dealership rates", add Seidel.

Spread the word on Carolina Tire & Auto Charlotte. Show Charlotte that you stand united with small business, this country's and this economy's life blood.


Carolina Tire & Auto has two great locations for Charlotte:

Carolina Tire & Auto (Uptown, Myers Park & Dilworth)
3325 Monroe Rd
Charlotte, NC 28205
980-219-8500


Carolina Tire & Auto (South Charlotte)
10822 Pineville Rd
Pineville, NC 28134
704-553-9800

www.carolina-tire.com - Book your auto repair and tire appointments online.

Carolina Tire & Auto to Give Back $17 Million Dollars to Charlotte Drivers

Gas prices continued an upward climb today, settling at an average price of $3.59 a gallon, the U.S. Energy Information Administration announced today.

In some places, Charlotte consumers are already seeing gas prices over $4. Today's weekly gas price average was up 40 cents from a year ago, and up by seven cents from last week.

"I'm expecting the national average to float dangerously close to $4 a gallon," Patrick DeHaan, GasBuddy.com's senior petroleum analyst, recently told ABC News. DeHaan said that following last week's average price per gallon of $3.53, gas prices are very close to "that psychological $4 mark."

So how is Carolina Tire & Auto going to give Charlotte, North Carolina back $17,000,000.00 dollars in gas savings? "Simple math" says Jim Seidel, president of Carolina Tire & Auto.

There are over 1.7 million people living in Charlotte, NC. For every person that comes to a Carolina Tire & Auto location with a paid gas receipt of at least $10 bucks, they give you $10 bucks back. What's the catch? There isn't one really. If you drive a car you need services performed to it. Services like oil changes that save you on gas. Products like Continental tires that manufacture fuel saving tires. So the next time you need an oil change, tires or any auto repair service or general maintenance that totals at least $40.00 at any Carolina Tire & Auto location and you give us your gas receipt, we'll give you $10.00 bucks off your bill right there on the spot.

"We have over 25,000 current customer right now and we'll start with them", added Mr. Seidel. That's $250,000.00 back to just the customers at Carolina Tire & Auto. This promo will stay up as long as gas prices are above $3.00 per gallon or supplies run out.

Auto Repair Charlotte, NC

Carolina Tire & Auto is a locally owned and family run auto repair and service company with locations in South Charlotte and Dilworth/Myers Park/Uptown. Carolina Tire & Auto has consistently been one of the highest rated auto centers in Charlotte, NC as well as an Angie's List Super Service Award Winner two years in a row. Carolina Tire & Auto has also been South Charlotte's Dealership Alternative. Employing ASE Certified technicians and having dealership electronics and diagnostic equipment. From the basic Honda and Ford, to Steve Smith's Bentley Flying Spur. They service all European cars under their Carolina MotorWerks division, including Aston Martin, Porsche and Ferrari.

Carolina Tire & Auto / Carolina MotorWerks

10822 Pineville Rd

Pineville, NC 28134

704-553-9800

3325 Monroe Rd

Charlotte, NC 28205

980-219-8500

http://www.carolina-tire.com

Buy 1 Tire, Get 1 FREE at Carolina Tire

Buy 1 Tire, Get 1 Free comes to Carolina Tire & Auto in Pineville.

When it comes to buying anything in Charlotte, North Carolina we always want the best deal. It's no different when it comes to tires.
Announcing a very special limited engagement from Carolina Tire. While supplies last, BUY 1 TIRE, GET 1 FREE*
Need 4 tires? Double down on this deal get all 4 tires for the price of 2 tires.
What kind of tires? Only the Best for you Charlotte.

Buy1 get 1 FREE tire sale valid on purchase of a set of two in stock General Altimax RT and HP (up to 15 inch), Continental ProContact (up to 15 inch and select 16 inch), Capital H Rated (up to 16 inch) brand tires and all Kumho KR21 T Rated tires with purchase of a premium tire installation package with Roadside Assistance for each tire and a one year wheel alignment policy on same vehicle at time of purchase from October 31st, 2011 Through November 30th, 2011. No carryouts. Not valid with any other tire discount or offer. While supplies last. See store for details. No cash value.

100,000-Mile Maintenance Costs

According to Carolina Tire & Auto data, owners are keeping their cars longer than they did two years ago, a trend that is expected to continue until the economy rebounds. As more of the nation's cars exceed 75,000 miles and approach the celebrated 100,000-mile mark, regular maintenance becomes an increasingly important way to prevent costly car repairs.

To help you coax extra miles out of your current car, we wanted to know what consumers could expect to pay to keep their cars running longer. We estimated the cost of scheduled maintenance (service at specific intervals recommended by the manufacturer) and car repairs (unanticipated fixes) for 75,000 miles of normal use for the nation's 10 best-selling vehicles. Additionally, we estimated how much you would pay in maintenance to push those odometers all the way to five zeros. The results are below.

Repair/Maintenance Costs for Top 10 Best-Selling Vehicles

Make/Model	Repair to 75K Miles	Scheduled Maintenance to 75K Miles	Scheduled Maintenance to 100K Miles
Toyota Camry	$654	$2,028	$2,821
Honda Accord	$654	$1,177	$1,520
Ford F-150	$887	$1,102	$1,781
Honda Civic	$654	$1,163	$1,498
Toyota Corolla	$654	$2,008	$2,802
Chevrolet Silverado 1500	$761	$1,369	$2,336
Nissan Altima	$654	$1,093	$1,490
Honda CR-V	$654	$973	$1,610
Chevrolet Impala	$724	$997	$1,740
Ford Fusion	$752	$1,294	$1,738

2010 estimates based on 2009 year-to-date figures through 12/9/09

What the Data Shows

Five different brands have sedans in the top 10, so we compared their costs and found some interesting contrasts. In fact, through 75,000 miles of use, the Chevrolet Impala costs an estimated 51 percent ($1,031) less in scheduled maintenance than the top-selling Toyota Camry. While some might guess that this is due to foreign cars being more expensive to service generally, the Nissan Altima also costs almost half as much less to maintain — $935 — as the Camry.

Furthermore, if you drive a car for a full 100,000 miles, the Altima emerges as the overall savings winner, with an estimated 47 percent ($1,331) less in scheduled maintenance costs than the Camry. While this figure represents a little more than a penny per mile, it adds up to a substantial savings.

Reliability and Warrantees

Many people buy vehicles from Japanese manufacturers because of their reputation for long-term reliability. But is that idea born out within the top 10 best sellers? Not by much. Within the 75,000 miles that our data covers, the difference in repair costs is minimal. The Camry, Honda Accord and Altima each cost an estimated 13 percent less in car repairs over 75,000 miles than the Ford Fusion does — but that's only a $98 difference.

More importantly, should a drivetrain part fail after 60,000 miles — usually an expensive repair — Chevrolet, with its 100,000-mile drivetrain coverage, will protect you. Toyota, Honda and Nissan will not.

Warranty Coverage for Top 10 Best-Selling Vehicle Brands in Years/Miles

Make	Basic	Drivetrain	Rust/Corrosion	Roadside Assistance
Chevrolet	3/36,000	5/100,000	6/100,000	5/100,000
Ford	3/36,000	5/60,000	5/Unlimited	5/60,000
Honda	3/36,000	5/60,000	5/Unlimited	None Available
Nissan	3/36,000	5/60,000	5/Unlimited	3/36,000*
Toyota	3/36,000	5/60,000	5/Unlimited	None Available

*Nissan: Towing to nearest Nissan dealer if your vehicle is inoperative due to the failure of a warrantied part.

In fact, drivetrain reliability for the Camry and the Impala aren't so far apart. While owners of 2002 and 2003 Impalas encountered "moderate problems" with their engines, the owners of 2002-'03 Camrys encountered more "significant problems" — the worst of three possible scores, according to data provider Identifix. One can't help but wonder how many Camry drivers who drove past the 60,000-mile mark would have benefited from the Impala's more generous five-year/100,000-mile drivetrain coverage.

Of course, the cost of maintenance and repairs are only two factors in judging a car's true cost to own. Toyota still enjoys strong resale value, which figures very prominently in a vehicle's overall value. And driving your car for 75,000 or 100,000 miles — even if it costs more to maintain — is almost always a better value proposition than trading it in for a new car.

Spend Now, Save Later

Proper vehicle maintenance is clearly a case where an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, but still, tough economic times and busy lifestyles can push car maintenance down on many owners' to-do lists. Recent findings by the Car Care Council found that 38 percent of cars surveyed had low or dirty engine oil, 28 percent had inadequate cooling protection, 19 percent needed new belts and 10 percent had low or contaminated brake fluid — all potentially costly problems that regular maintenance can prevent.

Fortunately, the days of shelling out money for oil changes every 3,000 miles are all but gone. Forget that old rule of thumb. Only your owner's manual, which you can also find online, is the bona fide source of its maintenance schedule, from when to rotate the tires to the frequency of transmission service.

Don't rely solely on more general recommendations, and certainly not the "dealer's recommended schedule," which will cost you more than necessary. If you want to look at extending oil change intervals, you can also have your oil analyzed. Following the manufacturer's schedule carefully not only means fewer problems as a car ages; it also prevents the manufacturer from ever voiding your warranty based on "neglect."