I have to say I am quite disappointed in Mercedes. This past weekend we were installing the summer tires (OE Dunlops P225 50R16 92V) and noticed cracks between the treads on at least two of the tires. I can't believe it - there is only 11,000 kms on those tires! That's only like 6900 miles! Even if the tire warranty kicks in I am very upset about the added costs that I'll have getting the tires mounted, balanced, blah, blah, blah...

Has anyone else had this issue so early? I called Mercedes and of course they are hiding behind the "we don't cover the tires" banner.

Not impressed...[:@]

 

I had a similar problem. For some reason my tires only last about 10 months or 15K miles. During a Mercedes event, many people had similar experiences however the overall idea was, you want Z rated performance tires? Expect a season or 2 per set of tires and chalk it up along with oil changes and fuel. Since my OEM tires were the Michelin Pilot Sports which goes for $225+ each, I turned to tirerack.com for alternatives. So now I buy tires every other year but spend only $400 instead of $900. Just keep in mind, you get what you pay for. Especially with tires.

And yes, Mercedes also told me that tires are owners' cost, but the dealer was willing to mount my tires under the warranty for free because I complained. Also note, they'll only mount certain tires - so check with the dealer if they'll do this. If it's a good dealer, they'll do it. You just really have to "sell" them on it, just like they sold you on a Mercedes. Just like the commercial tell you, they want you to be a repeat customer. Talk to your sales rep to shmooze this.

Good luck!

GT 56E4