[Manuuj]

On the 16th of October after 72,185 kms over 2 years and 10 months and 5 days the OE Dunlop Grandtrek AT 265/65/R17 were replaced with Yokohama Geolander ATS 265/65/R17.

The reason for changing the brand was that the Dunlops available in the market were made in USA and I wanted tyres that were made in Japan. The only reason i was going to stick to the Dunlops was that i would have to buy only 3 tyres as the spare was as good as new as it was used only once for 50 odd kms.

The spare would be used with the other three new ones and the best of the outgoing tyres would do duty as a spare.

When I spoke to Gary at Grewal tyres he said he would exchange the slightly used Dunlop spare for a brand new Yokohama Geolander at NO COST.

Thus even if I chose Yokohama i would be buying only 3 tyres. Another point in favor of the Yokos were that they were made in Japan. I did some slight research on the net and found that there were generally very good reviews on the tyres.

The tyres were for 13,000 each and he deducted 1000/- for the 3 used ones i left with him. Thus the whole deal cost me 38,000/-

I did have the Balancing and Alignment done separately at another place which added 700/- to the cost.

Here are some pics of the exercise:

The ODO showed that the Dunlop Grandtrek AT's had done 72,185 kms with one flat over almost three years. There were numerous punctures but only once did the tyre go completely flat within seconds. I think that is fantastic performance. A very good balance of grip and life.


The Old Dunlop spare was hardly used as you can see


It was exchanged for this Brand New Yokohama


Geolander AT-S 265/65/17


All 4 lined up for duty


The spare rim was dirty since it was never used but was cleaned up right away


The Tyres after balancing and alignment was done at 72,192 kms


The New gleaming set of tyres enhance the look of the Fortuner.




The dealer himself is a adventurer and a ralleyist and has the same Yokohamas on his 75 series LC. He assures me that the tyres are going to outperform the Dunlops. Well.. time will tell

He also advised me against upsizing and I was also not too keen on the same as the Dunlop spare that was to do duty on the car was the same size as the Yokohamas.

Manufacturers also prefer that you don't meddle with tyre sizes as the car suspension also has been set up according to a certain tyre size. Changing tyre sizes can meddle with the handling and performance of the car and do more harm than good.

[MAS]

72K+ on the original set of tyres is amazing.

The new Yokos accentuate the look of the SUV. Do you find any difference in ride, handling, grip levels and road noise?

[dkaile]

The Dunlop's and Goodyear's have slightly harder compound which cause more road noise but their longevity is unparalleled.

[Manuuj]

Originally Posted by MAS

72K+ on the original set of tyres is amazing.

The new Yokos accentuate the look of the SUV. Do you find any difference in ride, handling, grip levels and road noise?

Originally Posted by dkaile

The Dunlop's and Goodyear's have slightly harder compound which cause more road noise but their longevity is unparalleled.

My brand New Yokohama tyre burst unexpectedly on a flat smooth highway at about 80-90 kmph. Luckily it was a rear tyre and the car did not lose control.

The tyre was just 20 days old and suffered catastrophic failure due to sidewall bursting within 1400 kms of use.



Never seen this in my life. As mentioned earlier the OE Dunlops lasted 72,000 kms and 3 years with no incident.

I strongly suggest that people use the same OE Made in Japan Dunlops when it comes time to replace their tyres.

If any one of the front two tyres had burst in such a way at that speed, i may not have been here to write this post.

[MAS]

Originally Posted by Manuuj

My brand New Yokohama tyre burst unexpectedly on a flat smooth highway at about 80-90 kmph. Luckily it was a rear tyre and the car did not lose control.

The tyre was just 20 days old and suffered catastrophic failure due to sidewall bursting within 1400 kms of use.

Oh My God!!!

Thank your stars that nothing happened to you.

How can this happen to a new tyre. After reading good reviews about the Yokos, I had decided to change the shoes of my Endeavour to Yokos. But, this incident has shaken my confidence on the Yokos.

Did you take it up with the dealer and Yoko? Please keep us updated.

[scopriobharath]

Originally Posted by Manuuj

My brand New Yokohama tyre burst unexpectedly on a flat smooth highway at about 80-90 kmph.

God is with you Manuuj.

You are eligible for a replacement within 6 months. Take it up with Yokohama and also the dealer.

They would argue telling that you did extreme offroad, hit the sidewalk etc, but stand ground and get a replacement. If you are looking for upgrade, buy Michelin.

[Manuuj]

Originally Posted by MAS

Oh My God!!!

Thank your stars that nothing happened to you.

How can this happen to a new tyre. After reading good reviews about the Yokos, I had decided to change the shoes of my Endeavour to Yokos. But, this incident has shaken my confidence on the Yokos.

Did you take it up with the dealer and Yoko? Please keep us updated.

Originally Posted by scopriobharath

God is with you Manuuj.

You are eligible for a replacement within 6 months. Take it up with Yokohama and also the dealer.

They would argue telling that you did extreme offroad, hit the sidewalk etc, but stand ground and get a replacement. If you are looking for upgrade, buy Michelin.

I was lucky that both the car and i escaped any injury and it happened when i was in the middle lane of a wide highway cruising at 85-90 kmph. If i had been overtaking or on a narrow carriageway things may have been very different.

I immediately called up the dealer "Grewal Tyres-Khan Market" and told him what had happened and he asked me to get the tyre over to his shop the next day.I went over as agreed on Friday 9th November at 12 noon.

After glancing at the tyre he told me "this is accidental..some sharp object has hit it and is not covered under warranty."

I asked him to get someone from Yokohama and he said he will do so. I left my tyre with him.

When i called him again at 5 pm no one from Yokohama had turned up to inspect the tyre. I waited at his shop from 5:30 pm till 6:30. At this time an "Engineer" from Yokohama Tyres India turned up and inspected the tyre.

He then repeated word for word what the dealer had said. They had already decided beforehand what was to be said.

I asked him what use was the warranty if they were never going to honor it. He said its only for manufacturing defects and does not cover cuts due to external "sharp objects" hitting the tyre.

I asked him if he had personally ever passed a claim or just to tell me the number of tyres that Yokohama had replaced free of cost ever since he has worked for the company?

He had no answer.

That the product is defective i have no doubt of.

That the company that manufactured it is NOT going to own responsibility and replace the tyre free of cost, i have no doubt of either.

[n.devdath]

Originally Posted by Manuuj

The tyre was just 20 days old and suffered catastrophic failure due to sidewall bursting within 1400 kms of use.

This is actually strange Manuuj, and it looks like the tire went over something really hard and was embedded on the road, something like an angular metallic object.

Did this happen when travelling over a cement or an asphalt highway? Were you on a flyover or a bridge by any chance?

[scopriobharath]

Originally Posted by Manuuj

an "Engineer" from Yokohama Tyres India turned up and inspected the tyre.

He then repeated word for word what the dealer had said. They had already decided beforehand what was to be said.

That the company that manufactured it is NOT going to own responsibility and replace the tyre free of cost, i have no doubt of either.

You might want to check with Yokohama india at the below address. I am sure someone can address this. Fortuner is a premium vehicle running a premium tyre and am sure someone will respond.

Yokahama india
517&519 Antriksh Bhawan,
5th Floor,
22 Kasturba Gandhi Marg
New delhi : 110001

P.S: I just got the address from a friend. I am not familiar with Delhi topography

[MAS]

Originally Posted by Manuuj

he told me "this is accidental..some sharp object has hit it and is not covered under warranty."

He said its only for manufacturing defects and does not cover cuts due to external "sharp objects" hitting the tyre.

I am no expert on tyres, but from the picture, it seems to be a catastrophic failure of the tyre. The whole tyre seems to have torn off like a piece of paper. There might have been a sharp object, but a puncture is acceptable, but not this.

I would suggest you to write to Yoko directly with the pictures that you have taken.

[dkaile]

Originally Posted by Manuuj

My brand New Yokohama tyre burst unexpectedly

If any one of the front two tyres had burst in such a way at that speed, i may not have been here to write this post.

This is indeed sad and happy at the same time. Thank God, you and the Fortuner were not hurt and escaped with just a tyre.

Originally Posted by Manuuj

After glancing at the tyre he told me "this is accidental..some sharp object has hit it and is not covered under warranty."

At this time an "Engineer" from Yokohama Tyres India turned up and inspected the tyre.

The Delhi market is filled with very good 'duplicate' copies from China. Although your tyres look quite genuine from the photos, there would be no harm to get them cross checked by some higher authorities at Yokohama. Also, did the engineer carry some identification? His behavior looks suspicious. Such a early life tyre damage is even done under goodwill by good tyre companies. I know because 2 of my close friends work in them. Visit the regional/local Yokohama office. Kindly try to escalate the issue and don't give in lightly.

Best of luck.

[nilanjanray]

You had a narrow escape Manuuj.

This makes one lose confidence in Yokohama.

My Dunlops have performed well till date (47K kms now), even over horrible roads and no roads. Went over bumps, potholes, rocky roads etc. at all sorts of speeds, no issues till now.

I think I will stick to the made-in-Japan Dunlops when time comes for replacement.

[Manuuj]

Thanks everyone for your support and words. In particular HG thanks a lot for your inputs and contacts. I have been told today that Yokohama India will re-inspect the tyre on Friday and get back to me. Lets see what happens then. I shall keep you all posted on all developments.

[Guderian]

Originally Posted by Manuuj

My brand New Yokohama tyre burst unexpectedly on a flat smooth highway at about 80-90 kmph.

Quoting my lines from Admiral's thread:

"Hi Manuuj,
Sorry to have read and heard about your sorry Yoko experience.
As mentioned elsewhere - Yokos have very weak sidewalls. Very, very weak sidewalls. And this I speak from experience. Have exploded 3 Yoko AT tyres on my earlier ride - the Scorpio CRDe. Once it was when two tyres exploded simultaneously (how much more exciting can it get ?!!) when the left side front & rear tyres' sidewalls lightly rubbed against a metal projection, on a Mumbai road (the BPT Road near Wadala where the Mono Rail work was/is on). Any other tyre would have sailed through - but the Yokos got themselves ripped apart. Had to replace them. And then once when the front left tyre's inner sidewall hit a misaligned/wrongly placed road divider on a Thane flyover, at speed. The front right tyre missed it. That left front tyre was patched up from the inside with large double patches and ran with a tube inside. Any other tyre would have just brushed it aside. But no, not the Yokos. They have to burst with grief at not being treated properly, leaving the owners in tears !
To my mind the Yoko ATs are superb as far as ride comfort, grip (esp wet grip) etc are concerned. So they're very good if you are basically running within the city with an occasional mild off road run.
But for rougher terrain where the sidewalls would have to contend with rough outcrops - metallic or stone or concrete (like on construction sites etc) even in the cities and/or tougher OTR conditions my experience would say - no !
Natural corollary is that the Yokos are very sensitive and require the right air pressure in them. Both over-inflation and under-inflation could be detrimental to the sidewalls.

If only the sidewalls were tougher those Yoko ATs would be real killers !

Let's hope the re-examination of your Yoko tyre/s by the Yoko Reps on Friday brings you some relief, Manuuj."

[Manuuj]

The Re-examination of the tyre scheduled for Friday never happened as The Company Reps and seniors were busy. They rescheduled for Monday, 19.11.12.
I Have called up the Regional Manager Mr Sanjay Chavan a few times today but he hasn't answered my calls as yet. I have sent him a text informing him that i waiting for his feedback on the scheduled tyre inspection that was promised for today.

I shall keep you updated on the progress in this matter.