Dunlop Tyre Defect

[maisbitt]

Just today I was checking my tyre pressures and i've noticed a ping-pong sized bulge (diameter across the tyre, not how far the bulge is sticking out from the tyre) on the tyre wall of my front nearside wheel. There are no scuff marks on the wheel or tyre. The tyre is obviously knackered and will need replacing. Has anyone else had this on their factory fitted Dunlop SP01s? My car has only done 8300 miles.

I've looked long and hard on the net for similar stories to prove a design flaw, but have only managed to find 3 americans with the same story (not on a Scirocco, but otherwise, the exact same tyre).

If I must replace it then i'm in 2 minds whether to replace like for like. I've just had to replace a tyre for a puncture already (rear offside).

I'm going to contact the dealer tomorrow to see if they'll do anything under the car warranty, but i'm sure they'll hide behind the "this is a wear and tear item" or "you hit a pot-hole" argument.

I'll let you know how it goes (another£137 up the swanney methinks).

[RW1]

Had that happen on an Avon tyre about ten years ago. Caused by over inflating the tyre by just 7 psi for winter storage. It was an MoT failure at the time. I had a ping-pong ball sized bulge in the side wall.

Personally wouldn't drive with that tyre fitted.

C.

[maisbitt]

RW1; Tyre hasn't been overinflated, but as always, the onus is on us the consumer to prove something untoward didn't happen to cause the defect as opposed to them having to prove something did. It's worth a try with the dealer and/or Dunlop (although I can't get a phone number for them, just an email address). I'll put one of the back tyres on the front and the space saver on the back.

[RW1]

Oh definitely worth a try with the dealers. Always sport! Even if its a %.
Don't understand your email only comment as dealers "usually" have website with telephone info attached??

Over inflated was just my cause. More importantly it led to an MoT failure after the winter storage. ie. car off road, not fit to drive until fixed. Fact that the Scirocco is less than 3 years, doesn't really change that.

(Did once see a "bulge" grow on a small truck's tyre driven over half a mile at 15mph-ish on the work's airfield. The end result was bang! Rather loudly. But the tyre was very old! )

C.

[rocknob]

I suspect the dealer will say you hit a pot hole.....because thats exactly what happens when you hit a pot hole.

[maisbitt]

RW1: Dealers phone number not a problem, but Dunlop don't carry a phone number on their website. I found a phone number through different means.

Spoke to VW dealer. They don't have any warranty liabilities with the tyres supposedly. They'll take the tyre and pass it back to Dunlop for fault appraisal. Dunlop bloke I spoke to confirmed this. They'll look at the tyre and determine if impact damage is to blame - the bloke said it will be attributed to impact damage in 99% of all cases. I was emailed an explanatory leaflet that is so ambiguous so as to shrug off responsibility in almost all cases, even when no visible signs of pinching or scuffing to either the tyre or wheel are present. Dunlop bloke said that if it was a manufacturing fault then the bulge would most likely happen on 1st inflation of the tyre - it seems as though deterioration in service for the belts is not a plausible option for Dunlop, even though they expect their tyres to last 5 years, or until the tread runs out.

So I have to buy a new tyre and pass on the duff one in the hope that Dunlop will appraise it with a manufacturing defect and award a % against the replacement cost based upon remaining tyre tread. Not looking very likely, but worth 15 mins of my time, just in case.

[maisbitt]

New tyre went on last night. Had a quick look at the bulgy one when it was off the wheel. No visible signs inside or outside the tyre with no pressure applied to it. There are no internal splits visible, so the cords must have broken within the rubber, without disturbing the rubber that surrounds them. I expected to see some internal damage to the tyre. Will now have to wait about 3 weeks to see if Dunlop give me any pro-rata allowance for the remaining tread.

[ZephyR]

I guess you probably won't be able to see any visible signs of damage to the outer rubber but I bet Dunlop will look at it with UV light or X-rays or something that will show them that there's been external damage. There's load of pot holes around following the recent freezing weather so its highly likely that you've hit one or two. I sure have but seem to have been luckier than you (up to now).

[rehmondo]

My Dunlop SP01's have now done 20K miles, need replacing but no other faults.

[stan_blade]

Just found a bulge in one of my dunlops SP01s at 23k miles, had to stick the space saver on until I can get to a good tyre fitter tomorrow. Hit quite a few pot holes since the snow though, so it would be difficult to blame the tyre and not the roads.

[Crossbone]

Those with a bulge...How many pot holes have you hit and how fast were you going?

[stan_blade]

Those with a bulge...How many pot holes have you hit and how fast were you going?

Some of the "shallow ones" on the A34 have been hit at speed . so upto 70mph. I have now remembered their many positions on my daily commute. But in general Oxfordshire, & Berkshires A and B roads are still littered with pot holes and poorly filled pot holes and sometimes they are unavoidable. So I guess i have had upto 10 direct hits with bad holes.

[maisbitt]

Stan - You're lucky! At 23K miles, there can't have been much tread left anyway. Mine went at 8K miles, and not a pothole in sight.

I wasn't aware i'd hit anything abnormal, and most councils do not recognise an imperfection as a pothole unless it's more than 40mm deep. I'm the only driver of my car, so no-one else had hit anything without my knowledge. I've never kerbed my tyres or wheels on the Roc.

Dunlop did nothing for me, sent me a letter saying that they couldn't find any evidence of a manufacturing fault, but did find evidence of impact damage. They were vague and didn't elaborate - i'd expect them to see the difference between kerbing (internal flex/pinch) and pothole impact (external flex/pinch). They didn't provide any evidence (photos, analysis results etc) to support their claims of analysis/inspection findings.

I won't be buying Dunlop/Goodyear again. 2 shagged tyres within 8k miles - i'll go with the Bridgestones next time to have their accidental damage coverage.

I believe that Dunlops SP01's are too fragile for use on UK roads, and as such are not fit for purpose.

[maisbitt]

There aren't any potholes on my commute beyond the few streets by where I live. I've not hit a pothole at speed. I've not hit anything over 40mm deep.