Team-BHP - Ford EcoSport Facelift: Tyre bulging issue (R17 size)

So many reported tyre issues cannot be a result of rash driving. There seems to be an issue with Bridgestone Ecopia or 17" tyres simply cannot handle Indian roads.

Either ways, looks like Ford's response to this issue seems to be too slow. There are folks on twitter who are complaining that Ford / Bridgestone is not offering free replacement for damaged tyres. At best about 30% discount on new ones

Wonder where does the responsibility start for Ford or Bridgestone. This could be quite damaging to their reputation

Quote:

Originally Posted by damager21 (Post 4357318)

More than Bridgestone it is to do with usage of low profile tires in Indian conditions. To me the UV's should never be offered in low profile tires and is a bad decision. Check Hexa/Crysta thread and you will find enough issues reported by lower profile tire usage.

Members of the Facebook EcoSquads group are escalating the 17" tire issues to Ford India's higher management and automotive media houses. Mails, Tweets and FB posts are being sent to get Ford to resolve these issues.

Below is a survey created by the group to track the number of Titanium+ facing tire issues, so that the data can be shared with various stakeholders. Kind request to all fellow BHPian Titanium+ owners to take this survey.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...vpkUw/viewform

Ford is yet to give this issue proper priority and satisfactory resolution. Concentrated mass complaints and media reports would push them to act.

Note to Mods: Hope I am not breaking any rules by posting this survey here. Please delete the post if found inappropriate.

205/50 tyre spec in any size isn't suitable for Indian road conditions, period. Reason being this spec would have only 102.5 mm of sidewall. Things get worse with bigger sizes like 17'. IMO ford should have provided a better aspect ratio for Indian road conditions. Moreover it's a compact SUV at the end which should be able to venture in varied terrains. Other than that the alloy looks cool.

Hey guys, so we're thinking of upsizing the tyres from 205/50/r17 to 225/50/r17 for two reasons only: improving ride comfort, and reducing the possibility of tyre pops/blowouts. The dealer is offering exchange with Michelin P3STs with an approximate difference of 3.5k per tyre.
Do you think it'll make a significant enough difference to the ride plushness if we upgrade? Will these tyres be significantly less prone to failures? Is there another size which will be better?

In numbers, the difference in sidewall height would be about 1cm, or 3.14%.

We're thinking of getting them changed tomorrow, else maybe the dealer won't offer the same exchange price. Please chime in. Thanks.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ach1lles (Post 4357887)

Hey guys, so we're thinking of upsizing the tyres from 205/50/r17 to 225/50/r17

One of the Titanium+ AT owners in the Facebook EcoSquads group has replaced his stock tyres with Pirelli P7 Cinturato 215/50R17. It cost him around 9k each after exchange. He has been using it since December and has driven it on very rough roads. He has reported average mileage of 12-13kmpl with no issues in speedometer and TPMS

Quote:

Originally Posted by ach1lles (Post 4357887)

You can also look for Momo outrun m3 - they are assymmentrical tyres and come with two years unconditional warranty, but they don't have 215/50 r 17, at least not here.

Considering how miserable the Bridgestone Ecopia R17 on the EcoSport Titanium + is , Wouldn't importing tyres from Tire rack or some store like this make sense?

They have good options for 205/50 R17 . This may not be cost effective but may bring peace of mind.
If say a few members can get together or maybe we can get some big dealer to import a big lot , won't it solve problems.Honestlty, I don't expect Bridgestone to own up , hence the suggestion

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anupam1024 (Post 4357968)

10. Upon hearing the issues of Low Profile 17 inch tires I am cautiously driving my car. I am more careful when I see a bad patches on road

.

Nullifies the main reason for getting a compact SUV. Hope Ford rectifies the mistake soon.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ach1lles (Post 4357887)

Hey guys, so we're thinking of upsizing the tyres from 205/50/r17 to 225/50/r17 for two reasons only: improving ride comfort, and reducing the possibility of tyre pops/blowouts. The dealer is offering exchange with Michelin P3STs with an approximate difference of 3.5k per tyre.

Do you think it'll make a significant enough difference to the ride plushness if we upgrade? Will these tyres be significantly less prone to failures? Is there another size which will be better?

In numbers, the difference in sidewall height would be about 1cm, or 3.14%.

I guess the 215 50 R17 spec would be better as it would provide 107.5 mm of sidewall, a good 5 mm more than the stock size. My Punto comes with 195 55 R16 spec and the sidewall is exactly the same ie 107.5 mm and I haven't faced any problems in any kind of terrain. Also my ride is lowered and stiffer, still there ain't no problem. This particular spec would also keep the speedo error in check and would have minimal effect on the acceleration and FE.

Quote:

Originally Posted by GTO (Post 4358868)

I hate this new trend of big wheels + short sidewalls. Just NOT practical for India

Especially not on a vehicle advertised (at one time at least) as an Urban SUV meant to handle bad city roads.

The earlier model pushed its comfort levels even on the 16", so 17" was asking for trouble and it looks like they got it.

It is possible that it is a combination of tyre + driving style + roads as well, but for sure a major contributing factor is that the sidewall just doesn't have any wiggle room left with these 17" profiles.

Those tyre bulges are scary, and if I were seeing those midway during a highway trip, I'd be terrified.

Based on past episodes that I recall, Ford's first response tends to be as poor as most other Indian manufacturers, but once these issues bubble up the management chain they seem to be handled much better. So we'll be looking to see how they handle this instance - both for the affected owners, as well as the models equipped with 17-inchers in general. If warranted, I do wish they offer an option of switching to 16" when placing the order, and some sort of exchange deal for existing owners as well.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ach1lles (Post 4357887)

I replaced the stock tyres with Michelin 225/50, as there was no 205/50 available. I then went a long drive and really loved it. I felt that the car was even more stable, especially in corners. The braking was efficient too.

BTW, I haven't witnessed engine stalling issue so far.

Quote:

Originally Posted by gopalnt (Post 4359085)

Thanks for the info!
Will this void any warranty?? Of suspension maybe?? Any issues with scraping of wheel well when doing a full turn?
BTW, was this suggested by your Tyre dealer based on any such previous swap?
Where did you do the swap , mind sharing the price and the exchange yielded by the stock ones.