The Tire Wear Problem Thread

I'm sure most have noticed by now that our 5's seem to wear tires down very very fast (and some have luckily not had this problem). It's about time to do something about it. I know that a bunch of people posting about their problems with their 5 isn't going to do much, but we can at least toss around some ideas on how to get this problem solved for good as well as give good leverage to others when dealing with dealerships. Perhaps everyone can post the details of their problems with the tire wear and we can go from there.

My problem began around 16k miles when I noticed a rotational noise when driving. I was unfortunately unable to get my tires rotated from 6000 miles to 18k miles. While rotating at the 18k mile range, I noticed that my rear Toyo tires were severely worn on the inside. So the status turned into 2 bad front tires w/ 2 normal rear tires. I ordered new tires and had them installed a couple weeks later. So now I have 2 good rear Toyo tires, and 2 brand new fronts. I took my 5 to Mazda and asked them what they could find and they told me that they would charge me for an alignment and would not cover the price of the tires that I had to replace because I was past the 12k mile mark. So I pretty much decide that they are not going to help me and I leave, waiting to see what will happen.
Today I rotated my tires again at 28k miles (I know it's a little late), and I found that my 2 good rear tires are now worn practically to the point of the tires I had to replace, while my 2 newest on the front are perfectly fine. I now need to replace the last two Toyo's. I took my 5 to another tire shop and asked for an alignment. They put the car up and find the alignment is perfectly fine on the front, a little off on the left rear, and the right rear camber is waaay off. It has a very negative camber (over 2 degrees), and there is no kit available for adjustment so they cannot do anything about it. I think it is safe to say that the negative camber on the RR is so bad that it is affecting the wear of the other side to some extent.

This has to be resolved. I am not in the business of changing tires every time I fill up for gas. Mazda needs to know that it's consumers are not going to take this laying down (they're a smart bunch. I'm sure they know about it and that people won't like it). Let's pout our heads together and find out what we can do to get justice out of this mess.

Are you saying that there is no adjustment for camber on the back?

I rotated mine late also and have the insides worn down & cupped. Aggravating! At 31K miles, I just may be in the market for new tires now. But I was hoping a rear alignment could help ease up the negative camber a bit for my new set of tires.

I have 41,000 miles on mine and I expect them to make it to 50,000. I check the pressure weekly and rotate every 10,000 miles...

Some of the wear problem can also be alleviated by raising tire pressures. 32 psi is pretty low for such narrow tires on a 3300 lb car IMO. Anything less than that is going to accelerate wear considerably.

They are rated up to 44 psi. Take advantage of it if wear is that big of an issue to you. The compromise is possibly a slight decrease in traction (though unlikely) and a slight increase in road noise and harshness.

Well the place I took it to to get the alignment did not have a way to adjust the camber the way it needed to be adjusted. I need to go to Mazda and find out what exactly they find.

I will double check the tire pressures and try increasing it, but while it may alleviate some of the wear, it is still not going to fix the problem that my rear right wheel is leaning massively.

Here's some pics I just took. You can see the difference between the left and right.

How much of a load do you typically drive with? I've seen after-market camber adjusters for those that lower their cars. Any car with negative rear camber, will wear tires in the way you describe. I had a Saab 9-5 that I rotated tires on every 3000 miles. Saab even recommends increasing tire pressure when the vehicle load is abouve 750 pounds.

I have nowhere near the wear issues with my Mazda5 stated here. I just rotate my own tires every 3-5K miles. It takes me 30 minutes with a jack and two jack stands... and no power tools.

You admit to rotating your tires too late. Who is to blame for that? Take some responsibility for your actions, and you might make MSgt. (lol)

I have a tough time sympathizing after reading what the Brits go through.

airman_slacker said:

Well the place I took it to to get the alignment did not have a way to adjust the camber the way it needed to be adjusted. I need to go to Mazda and find out what exactly they find.

I will double check the tire pressures and try increasing it, but while it may alleviate some of the wear, it is still not going to fix the problem that my rear right wheel is leaning massively.

Click to expand...

Maybe it's me, but I've never gotten more than 25-30K out of OEM tires. I just accept that manufacturers equip their new cars with lousy tires and move on. I got 24K out of my original Toyo tires on my Protege and had to be talked into getting a different set of Toyos--the tire guy said the original Toyos that came with the Protege were not representative of the entire line. He was right--I have 53K on the replacements and considerable tread left. (I did have to replace one pair after a Baltimore pothole destroyed a tire.)

I do think rotating (every 7500 miles here) and regular alignments help, plus maintaining tire pressures. I don't wait for the steering wheel to be off--I've worn tires unevenly with a straight steering wheel. We have 17K on our 5 so far and I admit I don't think the tires will last past 30K, but they're wearing evenly. I do keep the pressures at least 36 psi.

I don't carry much load. At most, my wife and I, and 3 kids, all under 6. We do make road trips to NY which adds luggage, plus a roof rack carrier (no more than 100lbs up top though).

Yeah, I do know that the late rotations are my own fault but that should not cause this big of a problem. I'm not trying to pass the buck here, I'm just trying to make sure I am not going to have to replace my tires like underwear. If Mazda has given me a faulty product, I expect them to fix it, especially when it's such a large purchase and it's costing me so much to recover from the problem.

For the size of the Mazda5, you should increase your tire pressure with that load. Recommended tire pressures usually take into consideration you will be alone or with one passenger on an average trip. Your 3 kids still add up. My 6-year old is over 50 pounds + a booster seat. Each smaller kid as a heavier seat and a diaper bag. My wife is tiny, and we don't carry much luggage. I still put in 36 psi.

And the previous poster is right about getting mileage out of OEM tires. You won't get it unless you really take care of them. I had two 4Runners and 3 Saabs that went threw their fisrt sets of tires in no time. Go get a set of hard rubber (I have a set of Yokohama YK520s) that will last you a while.

Think like an NCO. (I used to tease NCOs that it meant "No Chance Outside" (nervous) ... Officer was just "Orifice", misspelled. (cryhard) )

My avatar is my actual Mazda5 plate backwards.

airman_slacker said:

I don't carry much load. At most, my wife and I, and 3 kids, all under 6. We do make road trips to NY which adds luggage, plus a roof rack carrier (no more than 100lbs up top though).

Yeah, I do know that the late rotations are my own fault but that should not cause this big of a problem. I'm not trying to pass the buck here, I'm just trying to make sure I am not going to have to replace my tires like underwear. If Mazda has given me a faulty product, I expect them to fix it, especially when it's such a large purchase and it's costing me so much to recover from the problem.

Click to expand...

I'll try to tire pressure, and see what happens, but I still think I need an alignment. I got a lot more miles from my stock tires on my ZX2 and they didn't wear unevenly either, but that's apples and oranges.

I have replaced two of the Toyo's with 2 Sumitos (or something like that) with treadwear of 180 or something. I know that's very low and didn't realize it until I got them, so they are very performance oriented and not as hard of a rubber. I got them because I couldn't afford anything else at the time.

We have the exact same problems as airman with our 06 mazda5. I didn't rotate the tires until 15,000 and found the inside tread on the rear tires severely worn and scalloped. The middle and outside of the rear tires showed almost no wear at all. I didn't notice the bad wear pattern after looking closely one day. Anyway, I swapped them front to back and they are sooo noisy on the front! I am pretty pissed over this issue. Anyone have any success on dealing with Mazda on this issue? I don't think rotating will help much with this problem. I refuse to change tires every 15,000 miles. I guess this is what we get for buying a cheap Mazda.

Just rotate them. Did you read any of what I wrote? Mazda doesn't owe you anything.

cfw3 said:

We have the exact same problems as airman with our 06 mazda5. I didn't rotate the tires until 15,000 and found the inside tread on the rear tires severely worn and scalloped. The middle and outside of the rear tires showed almost no wear at all. I didn't notice the bad wear pattern after looking closely one day. Anyway, I swapped them front to back and they are sooo noisy on the front! I am pretty pissed over this issue. Anyone have any success on dealing with Mazda on this issue? I don't think rotating will help much with this problem. I refuse to change tires every 15,000 miles. I guess this is what we get for buying a cheap Mazda.

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I mean, it could just be the kind of car where you have to pay close attention to the rotation schedule or else. It could just be very picky when it comes to that.

Don't get me wrong, I love our Mazda. I just want to be able to know exactly what's causing this problem and what can be done about it. I will try the tire pressure, alignment, and paying closer attention to the rotation schedule, but if it still persists after that, I want some answers and compensation from Mazda.

It's negative camber...

This is common on FWD cars with neg. camber on the rear. If it happens to you once, don't let it happen again. It can be prevented.

airman_slacker said:

I mean, it could just be the kind of car where you have to pay close attention to the rotation schedule or else. It could just be very picky when it comes to that.

Don't get me wrong, I love our Mazda. I just want to be able to know exactly what's causing this problem and what can be done about it. I will try the tire pressure, alignment, and paying closer attention to the rotation schedule, but if it still persists after that, I want some answers and compensation from Mazda.

Click to expand...

had it fixed ?

airman_slacker said:

I'm sure most have noticed by now that our 5's seem to wear tires down very very fast (and some have luckily not had this problem). It's about time to do something about it. I know that a bunch of people posting about their problems with their 5 isn't going to do much, but we can at least toss around some ideas on how to get this problem solved for good as well as give good leverage to others when dealing with dealerships. Perhaps everyone can post the details of their problems with the tire wear and we can go from there.

My problem began around 16k miles when I noticed a rotational noise when driving. I was unfortunately unable to get my tires rotated from 6000 miles to 18k miles. While rotating at the 18k mile range, I noticed that my rear Toyo tires were severely worn on the inside. So the status turned into 2 bad front tires w/ 2 normal rear tires. I ordered new tires and had them installed a couple weeks later. So now I have 2 good rear Toyo tires, and 2 brand new fronts. I took my 5 to Mazda and asked them what they could find and they told me that they would charge me for an alignment and would not cover the price of the tires that I had to replace because I was past the 12k mile mark. So I pretty much decide that they are not going to help me and I leave, waiting to see what will happen.
Today I rotated my tires again at 28k miles (I know it's a little late), and I found that my 2 good rear tires are now worn practically to the point of the tires I had to replace, while my 2 newest on the front are perfectly fine. I now need to replace the last two Toyo's. I took my 5 to another tire shop and asked for an alignment. They put the car up and find the alignment is perfectly fine on the front, a little off on the left rear, and the right rear camber is waaay off. It has a very negative camber (over 2 degrees), and there is no kit available for adjustment so they cannot do anything about it. I think it is safe to say that the negative camber on the RR is so bad that it is affecting the wear of the other side to some extent.

This has to be resolved. I am not in the business of changing tires every time I fill up for gas. Mazda needs to know that it's consumers are not going to take this laying down (they're a smart bunch. I'm sure they know about it and that people won't like it). Let's pout our heads together and find out what we can do to get justice out of this mess.

Click to expand...

Had first set off new tyres at 14000 miles. Paid for in full by MAZDA UK all so had full GEO check all with in limits. Tyres are DUNLOP sp2050 205/50 17.Now done 20000 miles inside edges wearing excessive again all round.Been in dealer since monday just got it back. They have adjusted front and rear toe angles as tech note from MAZDA japan. Hope it works will let you know in time. ps its a 5 turbo diesel sport (what a great engine)

had same prob with my 5. new set off tyres at 14000 mile .paided for by mazda uk in full. also had full geo check all ok. done 20000 mile and inside edge starting to wear again.been in dealer since monday i told them to check camber angles.they told me there is no problem with geo on mazda 5s.told them i was a vehicle tech do not lie to me.they rang mazda uk.mazda came back to them with tech note from japan.so they checked and adjusted geo all round. adjusted toe angle front and rear . +1.00 front and +1.50 degrees rear.how this helps with camber i do not know.no one at dealer could either just said thats what mazda has told us to do.my car is mazda 5 sport 6speed diesel. tyres are dunlop sp 2050 205/50 17.will let you know if this helps over time.

I'll tell you this - the tires are not perfect after 41,000 miles. I can tell the inside edges are a bit worn. And 34 psi is not quite right. It seems that my tires, which have been religiously maintained at 34 psi show signs of under inflation. I just changed them to 37 psi. I'll see how that goes.

I am in the process of shopping for new tires, and I am considering summer tires since snow is about as common here as, well snow in South Carolina...

JWGB said:

. . adjusted toe angle front and rear . +1.00 front and +1.50 degrees rear.how this helps with camber i do not know.no one at dealer could either just said thats what mazda has told us to do. .

Click to expand...

Imagine a bicycle tire rolling completely vertically. It rolls nice and straight. Now imagine the same tire rolling at an angle. It turns toward the minor angle side in proportion to the amount of lean.

It's the same effect with car tires as well. Inducing positive toe counteracts the turning effect - however it also induces some scrub. So I doubt it will do much to alter wear, but rather it may improve high speed stability instead, to the detriment of low speed turn-in response (for those who might care about such a thing).

I just passed the 15,000 mile mark on my 06' Mazda5 AT Sport Touring, and made sure that the tech inspected the inner walls of the tires as well as the middle and outside...My 5 also has the negative camber on both rear tires...I also have regular torque steer both when taking off and accelerating heavily, and passing at higher speeds going from fourth to third gear...My torque steer is the same almost everyone claims to have in which their 5 pulls slightly to the right...The steering wheel has never been dead center either...It is about 1.5 degrees slightly to the left while driving straight... I have never had the allignment checked or adjusted...

The tires were rotated again (this is now the third time as I get them rotated at every oil change - every 5,000 miles)...I have zero problems with wear, zero vibration or bouncing at any speed, and no excessive noise either...In fact, the dealer printout from my 15,000 mile oil change and service shows all four of my stock 17" Toyos rated by the technician as 9 out of 10 and wearing evenly all around...

So what is the magic solution??? Why is my car so different than the others exeriencing these wear issues??? I can't say for sure, but in case anyone would like to know what I do to maintain my tires here it is:

1. Get a really good tire gauge...Pass on the often unreliable digital and pencil styles and opt for a good expensive analog pressure gauge...Trust me, you get what you pay for, and you'll want a gauge you can trust...

2. Invest in a portable air compressor...They can range from big industrial tanks, to the one I personally use which is a small box style that plugs into my car's cigarette lighter/AC outlet...These small ones are great because they fit perfectly into the small storage compartment by our spare tire and jack...Very good to have on hand along with an emergency kit...

3. I always check my tires when they are cold...I may have to freeze my butt off in the early morning hours, but it gets you the most accurate reading you can have as your tires have not been driven on and the rubber has had ample time to settle in one position...

4. I run all four of my tires at 36 PSI when cold...Bearing in mind that the stock Toyos are rated at 44 max PSI, and by running them at 36 I've found the tires to only expand to 41 PSI when hot...Nowhere near the blowout or failure stage, and perfect for heavier loads of luggage or multiple passengers...

5. Rotate your tires at least every 5,000 miles with no exceptions...

6. NEVER EVER EVER let the service techs adjust your tire pressure when it's in for service...Even when the tires are being rotated, don't do it...Remember your tires are now considered hot, and the readings will be horribly inaccurate...They will set your tires to the factory specs listed on the door jam sticker, or even worse wherever they assume your tires should be set at...Simply let the tech rotate or do whatever they have to do to inspect the tires, and check/adjust your pressure settings yourself the following morning...