What would cause a used car to have 4 mismatched tyres?

lukester

Anan1 wrote: »

There's only one V70 on sale privately in your price range that i'd even bother calling about. Here it is - it might be very good, but a little voice in my head is telling me it may be tatty. : http://www.driving.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=201132203858565

Sold already.

YouTookMyName

If the car suited all but the tyres. I'd get an AA report on it.

lukester

YouTookMyName wrote: »

If the car suited all but the tyres. I'd get an AA report on it.

I was considering getting a thorough independent mechanical inspection myself, in spite of the tyres.

Gophur

The V70 2.0T engine is sweet, but be aware they suffered from Throttle Body problems which VOLVO Ireland were not very helpful in fixing. Repair/replacement is in the order of €800-€1,000. Google volvo throttle body problems for more info.

BBC Watchdog programme forced VOLVO UK into acknowledging the problem and replacing all affected parts under warranty.

They are not the most reliable car, but when they are going well, they are great.

Gophur

4 mismatched tyres = shoddy maintenance.

lukester

Gophur wrote: »

The V70 2.0T engine is sweet, but be aware they suffered from Throttle Body problems which VOLVO Ireland were not very helpful in fixing. Repair/replacement is in the order of €800-€1,000. Google volvo throttle body problems for more info.

BBC Watchdog programme forced VOLVO UK into acknowledging the problem and replacing all affected parts under warranty.

They are not the most reliable car, but when they are going well, they are great.

Thanks for the heads up. The ETM issue doesn't appear to affect the years I'd be looking at, i.e. around 2004-2007.

http://www.volvoclub.org.uk/etm.shtml

Models Concerned
The models affected are:

1999, 2000, and 2001 model year S60, S70, V70, XC70, C70 and S80 models.
2002 model year V70 non turbo and C70 models.
All S60 and V70 bi fuel models.

On the reliability front, from hanging out in the Volvo forums, the V70 seems to be rated highly by owners, notwithstanding certain mostly minor issues. No more than any of the other model forums I've looked at in the past.

TestTransmission

YouTookMyName wrote: »

I've seen Mercs,Bmw's and non felt spec Audis rolling on Sunnys, Triangles and Fullruns

I've seen Fords,Toyotas and Nissans Rolling on Bridgestones,Goodyears and Michelin.

Tyres wouldn't bother me if i got enough discount on the car to go towards a new set.

I don't get your point,if they've cheaped out on tyres they probably skimped out on maintenance aswell imo.Marques are irrevelant.

mountain

lukester wrote: »

True, the last two cars were closer to the 20k mark.

We're looking for a V70, possibly a V50.

Very big difference in interior space, the V50 is quite small inside.

Turbulent Bill

Mismatched tyres usually (but not necessarily) indicate poor maintenance. I replaced both fronts on mine, followed by both rears about 2 months later, different brands on front and rear due to availability. Within 6 weeks of getting the rears replaced one got a sidewall puncture and had to be replaced, 3rd brand used again due to availability.

As a result there are three different (reputable) tyre brands on the car, with all tyres in excellent condition. Replacing the undamaged rear would have been nuts just to have matching brands on the same axle.

Gophur

lukester wrote: »

......

On the reliability front, from hanging out in the Volvo forums, the V70 seems to be rated highly by owners, notwithstanding certain mostly minor issues. No more than any of the other model forums I've looked at in the past.

I had one.
The car would blow a headlight bulb approximately once every 6 weeks. (It was running with dipped lights on permanently)
I had to replace a brake servo, a throttle body, an A/C pump and a cracked alloy wheel, all in the space of a year.

Nice car but I've steered clear of them since.

Tea 1000

Turbulent Bill wrote: »

Mismatched tyres usually (but not necessarily) indicate poor maintenance. I replaced both fronts on mine, followed by both rears about 2 months later, different brands on front and rear due to availability. Within 6 weeks of getting the rears replaced one got a sidewall puncture and had to be replaced, 3rd brand used again due to availability.

As a result there are three different (reputable) tyre brands on the car, with all tyres in excellent condition. Replacing the undamaged rear would have been nuts just to have matching brands on the same axle.

3 reputable brand tyres on a car can be explained by a story like you, with all tyres in visibly similar condition. But 4 cheapo different brands on a car with no legit reason doesn't really fill me with confidence. Who gets that many punctures?

BostonB

Kinda shows the dealer doesn't care about what hes selling either.

lukester

Gophur wrote: »

I had one.
...
Nice car but I've steered clear of them since.

What year was yours?

Drummerboy08

Gophur wrote: »

4 mismatched tyres = shoddy maintenance.

TestTransmission wrote: »

I don't get your point,if they've cheaped out on tyres they probably skimped out on maintenance aswell imo.Marques are irrevelant.

I don't think that this attitude is quite accurate.

Many Fleet/Rental companies will put economy tyres on their cars. When it comes time to service the car, 9 times out 10 whatever work is required is usually done.

I've two economy tyres on the back of my own car at the minute. I didn't see the need to spend an extra 100 euro + to get a decent brand because that car does little mileage, I wanted to spend that 100 euro elsewhere, and it suited me. In saying that, everything the car has ever needed has been done.

It's much better to judge the car as a whole, as opposed to looking at the tyres and thinking "Na, they're cheap tyres. This car must be a dog".

Good example. An OAP who has a low mileage Corsa/Micra etc sells the car. Chances are the car will have been serviced every year, but because funds are tight/car is doing very low mileage/the requirement isn't there a set of economy tyres are fitted. The car has a FSH, has probably been well looked after, but because there are cheap tyres on it it means the car has been poorly maintained? Rubbish.

If I looked at a car with no service history, in general bad order, didn't drive well and then I noticed the cheap tyres I would consider walking away.

If everything checked out fine but there were cheap tyres fitted I wouldnt let it put me off an otherwise good car.

BostonB

I think having 4 same tyres, or 2 pairs is one thing. But 4 completely different is a little odd.

EPM

Drummerboy08 wrote: »

I don't think that this attitude is quite accurate.

Many Fleet/Rental companies will put economy tyres on their cars. When it comes time to service the car, 9 times out 10 whatever work is required is usually done.

I've two economy tyres on the back of my own car at the minute. I didn't see the need to spend an extra 100 euro + to get a decent brand because that car does little mileage, I wanted to spend that 100 euro elsewhere, and it suited me. In saying that, everything the car has ever needed has been done.

It's much better to judge the car as a whole, as opposed to looking at the tyres and thinking "Na, they're cheap tyres. This car must be a dog".

Good example. An OAP who has a low mileage Corsa/Micra etc sells the car. Chances are the car will have been serviced every year, but because funds are tight/car is doing very low mileage/the requirement isn't there a set of economy tyres are fitted. The car has a FSH, has probably been well looked after, but because there are cheap tyres on it it means the car has been poorly maintained? Rubbish.

If I looked at a car with no service history, in general bad order, didn't drive well and then I noticed the cheap tyres I would consider walking away.

If everything checked out fine but there were cheap tyres fitted I wouldnt let it put me off an otherwise good car.

I completely see where you're coming from here but on a premium car (a new V70 isn't a cheap car) it would surely set alarm bells off, especially if privately owned.

Drummerboy08

EPM wrote: »

I completely see where you're coming from here but on a premium car (a new V70 isn't a cheap car) it would surely set alarm bells off, especially if privately owned.

It's odd, but if the owner/seller can explain it and the rest of the car checks out, then why let it bother you?

If you are really upset about the quality of the tyres, try and get the cost of a decent set of new tyres off the car and replace them.

EPM

Drummerboy08 wrote: »

It's odd, but if the owner/seller can explain it and the rest of the car checks out, then why let it bother you?

If you are really upset about the quality of the tyres, try and get the cost of a decent set of new tyres off the car and replace them.

If they could explain it fine, although I would be extremely thorough on the service history. It could be a case a garage changed the tyres at a service for cheapy ones too but it really doesn't give the impression of an impeccably looked after car.

SouperComputer

If the car appeared to be otherwise well maintained and has some sort of records I'd maybe consider it. Sounds like the dealer was a moron anyway so in this case I recon I'd walk.
As an aside, (and I say this as a V70 owner) since when was a V70 considered a premium car!?!
The V50 is someone's idea of a bad joke IMO, too small to be a lot of use as a wagon estate. Seems like a car that you might quickly have buyers remorse with as soon is you try to make real use of it.

Have you considered importing from the UK?

lukester

On the tyres, I should make it clear, I wouldn't walk away from an otherwise decent car because of tyres alone. But it would raise my suspicion level about the previous level of maintenance. If the seller seemed genuine, and everything else was in order, I'd still consider going ahead with the deal.

SouperComputer wrote: »

As an aside, (and I say this as a V70 owner) since when was a V70 considered a premium car!?!

The V50 is someone's idea of a bad joke IMO, too small to be a lot of use as a wagon estate. Seems like a car that you might quickly have buyers remorse with as soon is you try to make real use of it.

Have you considered importing from the UK?

The V70 isn't a proper premium car, but it's still touted here somewhere between mainstream stuff like Ford and the 'premium' German marques. The car I looked at was the SE model with all the toys and leather, so it jarred a bit to have it on bargain basement mismatched rubber. If there was a non-BS explanation to back it up I'd be less wary, but the whole thing just seemed off.

We've been steadily going off the V50, up close they look pretty small, and they remind me too much of the Focus estate.

Looked at the UK briefly, but the current mess to do with getting a reliable quote from the VRT and lack of free time to go sourcing cars abroad has dampened my enthusiasm. I have imported in the past though.

Gophur

lukester wrote: »

On the tyres, I should make it clear, I wouldn't walk away from an otherwise decent car because of tyres alone. But it would raise my suspicion level about the previous level of maintenance. If the seller seemed genuine, and everything else was in order, I'd still consider going ahead with the deal.



The V70 isn't a proper premium car, but it's still touted here somewhere between mainstream stuff like Ford and the 'premium' German marques. The car I looked at was the SE model with all the toys and leather, so it jarred a bit to have it on bargain basement mismatched rubber. If there was a non-BS explanation to back it up I'd be less wary, but the whole thing just seemed off.

We've been steadily going off the V50, up close they look pretty small, and they remind me too much of the Focus estate.

Looked at the UK briefly, but the current mess to do with getting a reliable quote from the VRT and lack of free time to go sourcing cars abroad has dampened my enthusiasm. I have imported in the past though.

Bide your time and make sure to get one with a Full Service History. When you get one, verify the FSH and be prepared to spend a little extra to get a good car. A bad one will break your heart (and your wallet)

lukester

Gophur wrote: »

Bide your time and make sure to get one with a Full Service History. When you get one, verify the FSH and be prepared to spend a little extra to get a good car. A bad one will break your heart (and your wallet)

You still haven't said what year your one was.

Boskowski

Boskowski wrote: »

You're either having the puncture fixed or else you buy a new set of tyres for the whole axle and not the cheapest fkn thing you can get your hands on to replace just the one. I mean most of the time the one thats still good is not going to waste anyway. You can use it as a spare wheel refresher.

Good practice would be for instance to buy two new ones, move the new set to the axle thats connected to the drive and the old set to the passive axle (if its not that way anyways) and move the one thats been replaced but is still good into the boot as your new spare one.

Its not so much the brand or whatnot its the wear. It's bad to have a worn but 'still grand sure' tyre on one side and a new one on the other.

Its OK to have a different set on the front wheels to the rear wheels but all 4 tyres being different and especially showing different stages of wear reeks of patchwork/'don't give a ****'.

Tyres are your only connection with the road. Thats rather important I would have thought. Its amazing how many people think 'it'll be grand sure'.

I had 4 new tyres on the car and after 3 months one got damaged and had to get a replacement and couldnt get the same brand, no way was I forking out for two tyres. I'm not made of money.

I also don't think its fair to say cheap tyres always mean poor maintenance. Plenty of people have their cars serviced on schedule but just pull into their local tyre place and ask for a good deal. Personally I put on a cheap set of tyres as I want to sell the car and I'm not in the habit of buying expensive tyres for the next owner, considering what I paid for them and what people say about cheap tyres I haven't found them all that bad, the car hasn't decided to jump over the wall all of a sudden or anything anyway. They are obviously not as good as the Falkens I had on last especially in the wet but for normal driving they are doing the job good enough.

That said if I was intending keeping the car I would have bought good tyres.

BostonB

Anderson Limited Paperweight wrote: »

I had 4 new tyres on the car and after 3 months split one had to get a replacement and couldnt get the same brand, no way was I forking out for two tyres so I have a mismatch on one axle now.

You're kinda missing the point. One or two tyres especially on a budget car you might expect. But 4 different ones is very unusual. It would point to someone who could care less about the car.

BostonB

BostonB wrote: »

You're kinda missing the point. One or two tyres especially on a budget car you might expect. But 4 different ones is very unusual. It would point to someone who could care less about the car.

I agree all four mismatched is strange but my post was in reply to the post above saying you should always replace the two on the axle at the same time.

BostonB

That was still about 4 being different being odd, vs one different not that unusual, especially on a budget car.

BostonB

BostonB wrote: »

That was still about 4 being different being odd, vs one different not that unusual, especially on a budget car.

It was in reply to this which is referring to having two mismatched tyres.

Boskowski wrote: »

You're either having the puncture fixed or else you buy a new set of tyres for the whole axle and not the cheapest fkn thing you can get your hands on to replace just the one. I mean most of the time the one thats still good is not going to waste anyway. You can use it as a spare wheel refresher.

Anan1

BostonB wrote: »

That was still about 4 being different being odd, vs one different not that unusual,

And not just that, but four odd sh1tty ones.

BronsonTB

Yes it's unusual to have 4 different,

Tyres slashed at different times & replaced with the cheapest tyre at the time?
Bad unrepairable punctures at different times replacing with the cheapest tyre at the time?
Tracking off and 1 tyre prematurelly worn and so replaced 1 at a time??
Oringal tyres stolen & replaced with whatever could be got so it had 4 types on it?

Can be loads of reasons really..

BostonB

All of which point to consistently not giving a monkeys.

So you can expect that level of disinterest, applied to the rest of the car, servicing, repairs, avoiding potholes, ramps, driving hard. Etc.