Blown tire

[IraqiInvaderGnr]

Well my Saturday started off not so good. My girlfriend was driving the leaf to my house and the rear passenger tire blewout. Called Nissan road service and they have been very helpful so far. They're sending a tow truck out and going to tow the leaf to the nearest dealership. 8,229 miles on it with an extended warranty. ..opps I mean "service contract". I'm very much hopeful that they don't charge me for this. There's no way such a new tire should blow out. Anyone have a similar experience?

 

[johnrhansen]

Does a screw in a tire count? I was driving to work this week, got about 2 blocks away and as soon as I reached 16 mph my tire light came on. I didn't even think, I just turned the car around and drove home and parked it. Fired up my ice vehicle and drove to work in that. When I got home, the tire was completely flat. I took the wheel off threw it in my truck (the ice vehicle) and went to discount tire. They fixed it for free. I put it back on and everything is good again. It just cost me 3 hours and about 2 gallons of gasoline that day. The weird thing is that it was a #6 machine screw 1 1/2 inches long. (like the kind that mounts a household receptacle plug - in) How on earth did that get in there?

 

[TomT]

Actually, there is a substantial number of owners on the board who have had blow outs with the OEM Ecopias, particularly back in the 2011 days... That is one of the reasons why I ditched them for the Michelins...

There's no way such a new tire should blow out. Anyone have a similar experience?

 

[braineo]

Tires are not warranted by Nissan nor is there any road hazard coverage.

You are better off to go to a tire place, unless you want to spend $200+ for a tire at a Nissan Dealer.

 

[HighDesertDriver]

You are better off to go to a tire place, unless you want to spend $200+ for a tire at a Nissan Dealer.

We lost two Ecopias, one to a pothole and one to sidewall damage. Neither time did the Nissan dealer have a replacement in stock, but hopefully times have changed. The second time, we went to American Tire who temporarily mounted a used Michelin while ordering the Ecopia. The Nissan Ecopia was about $150; American Tire about $120. Where you go will also depend somewhat on how long you may have to be without your Leaf.

 

[DaveinOlyWA]

i got a HUGE screw in my tire but it did not leak air so i "clunked" it to a tire store and had it removed. but i also developed a bubble on a sidewall which the dealer replaced immediately without a word...

 

[TonyWilliams]

I got numerous flats on my 2011 LEAF, which I installed the Nissan Juke 17" wheels and Michelin MXM4 tires because the original tires were worn out. I put these on my next LEAF (2012) when new and it never got a flat.

 

[IraqiInvaderGnr]

Michelin tires are the tires that came with the car (SL). I have had horrible luck with Michelin. I've had 8 total tires from them and this is the second one to blowout very early in it's life. First one blewout it my 2004 cavalier a couple years ago according to the tire technician because the seam on the tire separated. Michelin said because I drove on it to get the car to the shoulder they wouldn't own up to their factory warranty. I drive 3 miles a day on gravel roads every day and that may have something to do with it the Dealer said. It's all fixed up now $130 dollars later. Nissan Road service was very helpful except for the fact that they only would tow the car to a dealership forcing me to get the tire through them. I'm very glad I didn't have to pay for the tow at least. Get this though a new wheel for the SL is $350 from the dealer without the tire. The in cabin air filter $5....air filter doesn't seem right but the dealer is ordering it and will give me a call when it arrives. Today I am going to order a tire and wheel combo. Anyone have a suggestion as to what to go with?

 

[TomT]

Keep in mind that the Michelins that come on the 2013 SL are low-end OEM tires... Therefore, I'm not particularity surprised that they may not be all that good... The difference between them and Michelin MXV4s, for example, is night and day... I have never had a problem with a middle or top-end Michelin tire in decades...

Michelin tires are the tires that came with the car (SL). I have had horrible luck with Michelin.

 

[EVDRIVER]

Keep in mind that the Michelins that come on the 2013 SL are low-end OEM tires... Therefore, I'm not particularity surprised that they may not be all that good... The difference between them and Michelin MXV4s, for example, is night and day... I have never had a problem with a middle or top-end Michelin tire in decades...

Michelin tires are the tires that came with the car (SL). I have had horrible luck with Michelin.

Absolutely true, very different tires.

 

[UBUYGAS]

I guess it's good that I bought the Auto Knight Tire protection, 5 years, 60K miles, covers the tires and wheels for $750.00, 4 months in and they already replaced one tire. $620 to go and I'll break even.

But I'll never wait for a tow truck again since I installed a spare tire last weekend!

http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=37&t=14081" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Michelin tires are the tires that came with the car (SL). I have had horrible luck with Michelin. I've had 8 total tires from them and this is the second one to blowout very early in it's life. First one blewout it my 2004 cavalier a couple years ago according to the tire technician because the seam on the tire separated. Michelin said because I drove on it to get the car to the shoulder they wouldn't own up to their factory warranty. I drive 3 miles a day on gravel roads every day and that may have something to do with it the Dealer said. It's all fixed up now $130 dollars later. Nissan Road service was very helpful except for the fact that they only would tow the car to a dealership forcing me to get the tire through them. I'm very glad I didn't have to pay for the tow at least. Get this though a new wheel for the SL is $350 from the dealer without the tire. The in cabin air filter $5....air filter doesn't seem right but the dealer is ordering it and will give me a call when it arrives. Today I am going to order a tire and wheel combo. Anyone have a suggestion as to what to go with?

 

[LilDave]

We had a sidewall blow out on the front left tire after 5,880 miles. There was no damage to the rim. There was no damage from any other object. The tire just failed. That costed $183 out of pocket. I was not very happy. Left me wife and kids stranded on the side of the road. The Bridgestone Ecopia's are terrible IMO. I've had no issues with the Goodyears on my Volt. They have 38K on them now. No flats, no issues at all.

I did file a safety complaint on the NHTSA website. It need's to be documented. I encourage others to do the same if it's a tire failure (not a nail, screw, etc).

 

[UBUYGAS]

I would never drive children around on those Ecopias. Those things are death waiting to happen. The ecopias are maybe good as a spare tire. Tires you can replace, family you cannot.

I received a paid in full bill from the dealer. Just proof of the transaction and the total was $243.88. So $516.12 more in coverage and I'll break even. I have 4 years and 7 months left. Great plan that Auto-Knight.

 

[user 10599]

My 2013 SL delivered in July has Michelin Energy Saver A/S. The write up that I found seems good, though I'm a little concerned about the 90 for the load index when the other tires that size (looking at Tirerack.com) have 91-95 load indexes. I would think a higher index translates to a sturdier tire and should be less prone to blowouts. Just that is speculation on my part as I am no tire expert.

I'm thinking that given the weight of these vehicles being heavy thanks to the batteries, the higher load index would be prudent.

Thoughts???

 

[UBUYGAS]

My wife has a Prius and on her forum they call the Ecopias Ecrapias! LOL

 

[johnrhansen]

looks like I'll leave my ecopia equipped leaf home on track day! Speed limit: 60 MPH, no fast corners!

 

[UBUYGAS]

Also watch out for the curb when parking, the sidewalls are very thin!

looks like I'll leave my ecopia equipped leaf home on track day! Speed limit: 60 MPH, no fast corners!

 

[planet4ever]

My wife has a Prius and on her forum they call the Ecopias Ecrapias! LOL

We know that term well. Go to the forum Search page and type ecrapia in the "Search for keywords" box, then hit the Search button.

Ray

 

[cfrkeepr]

Along similar line, does anyone know the routine for addressing the low tire pressure indicator w/nitrogen filled tires? Do you just check and fill the tires with air (78% nitrogen) or do the sensors require any sort of protocols?

 

[Nubo]

Along similar line, does anyone know the routine for addressing the low tire pressure indicator w/nitrogen filled tires? Do you just check and fill the tires with air (78% nitrogen) or do the sensors require any sort of protocols?

Not sure I understand the question. What kind of "protocol" are you imagining? Pressure is pressure. The sensors will report the pressure and don't particularly care if the fill gas is 78% nitrogen, 100% nitrogen or some mixture in-between.

Just add some air. For the average driver, pure Nitrogen doesn't hurt, but it doesn't help to any significant degree either. It's far more important to keep the tires at the correct pressure, than whether you use Nitrogen, or air. You could probably use Helium for weight savings but you'd probably have to add some on a daily basis. If money is no object, one of the heavier Noble Gasses would probably do the trick. Argon, Krypton or Xenon. I'd stop at Xenon, because Radon is rather heavy and has some other drawbacks you may have heard of .

Per Tire Rack:

Rather than pay extra for nitrogen, most drivers would be better off buying an accurate tire pressure gauge and checking and adjusting their tire pressures regularly.