Bought 2nd hand car with 4 different tyres

Duffycon

HI bought a 4 yr old Toyota Corolla Luna Hybrid off of a - so I thought- reputable Toyota dealer in July last year. Got it serviced just now to find out that ALL 4 tyres have different threads on them and 2 budget tyres were fitted on the front which meant that my service cost me well over what I expected it to. I would imagine that selling a car with different thread tyres is an extremely careless thing to do. Any comments before I talk to my solicitor?

Magown3

Solicitor?? Are you having a laugh?

You bought the car last July and never once looked at the tyres. Which leads me to believe you've never checked the tyre pressures either. And you think the DEALER is careless!

Check the mirror bro.

dobman88

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058347382/bought-2nd-hand-car-with-4-different-tyres

Sold as seen. Contact your solicitor but expect him to laugh at you. Become better at your own car maintenance which sounds non-existent.

Duffycon

I assumed their reputation was sound - they are well known-and I am not a mechanic. I am asking for some salient advice that’s all. If all you do is throw it back in a person’s face when they have a genuine concern then don’t respond. It makes you look like a di€k!

Lewis_Benson

Dont bother with your solicitor, it will be a waste of his and your time.

Best to just chalk it down to a bad experience and move on.

mickdw

The dealer is not bound to supply matching brand tyres all around so there is no case to answer, solicitor or no solicitor.

Did you actually need to change the tyres though. Maybe you fell for the sales talk at the service centre.

Duffycon

How many people know how to inspect threads of tyres? I’m not into cars especially. Why do you automatically take the dealership side as opposed to seeing that selling a car like that could be dangerous. I bought it from a reputable Toyota dealer! I didn’t buy it down some alleyway!

prawnsambo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122032365#Comment_122032365

Were the tyres below the legal tread limit? I assume since you drove it for 8 months after buying it that they were. In which case the dealer has no case to answer. They were road legal.

Dakota Dan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122032329#Comment_122032329

Sush, the only one getting tyres out of that deal will be the solicitor.

Duffycon

I have an NCT coming up. I bit the bullet but figured it would save me grief going forward

Mehaffey1

Check the spare wheel to see if it is another different tyre. Must be 5 out of 5 tyres mis-matched for a solicitor to take it to the Small Claims Court.

prawnsambo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122032435#Comment_122032435

Also worth checking to see if they're all going in the right direction. Can happen.

Duffycon

The service centre said that the tyres were ok- ish and might pass the NCT but they would probably give me grief down the road. For better or worse at least I have new tyres and I have the date they were fitted going forward.

Duffycon

yep got a tracking test done

Duffycon

no spare wheel on a Hybrid! Just a foam injector that will see you good for 30 km!

mickdw

You.could have held on to them but chose new tyres. Good decision but certainly no case to answer from dealer

Duffycon

Yeah lesson learned. Thanks Mick! Will know for again!

enricoh

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122032435#Comment_122032435

Also get the dearest solicitor you can afford, better results than a bog standard one. Mention Joe Duffy and a one star review for 4 new free Goodyear's!

Magown3

Did you check if the 2 new tyres match the 2 existing tyres?

What was the brand of these "budget" tyres? They may not have been as bad as you think and you just fell for the upsell after the service centre bad-mouthed them.

EDIT, did you get 4 new tyres?

Mehaffey1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122032460#Comment_122032460

Again check the brand then refer to your legal professional.

Flinty997

Afaik there is no legal requirement to have matched tyres on an axle in Ireland. There is in the UK.

Flinty997

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122032435#Comment_122032435

Where did you get that from...

Duffycon

in fairness I am not a mechanic or tyre expert so no. I put 4 new tyres on to save me future grief!

Duffycon

good to know! I think they look after their cars better over there and the laws are in place to ensure it!

JVince

As well as a solicitor, maybe engage a senior counsel too, just to really frighten the seller.

Obviously European court is the target and definitely €1m + compo.

How dare they purposely hid the tyres from you when you were purchasing the car and obviously as you have only found out now that they were different makes, that they somehow managed to hide this from you for several months whilst you were driving.

Hint - when making a post, avoid such stupidity as saying you are contacting a solicitor. Btw, if you threatened a dealer with such a ridiculous comment they'd laugh very loudly into your face.

Magown3

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122032499#Comment_122032499

Then be safe in the knowledge that you have good tyres, drive it on. Tyres are consumables and need replacing.

What are the new tyres?

Mehaffey1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122032496#Comment_122032496

I believe it is to have the same tyre size on the same axle, don't think the brand would matter if they are in legal condition.

Detritus70

If that's the worst thing that is wrong with the car, you're doing alright. Tires are easily fixed.

In my experience people are terrible for having only one tire changed with whatever is cheapest at the moment. One can only hope that the previous owner wasn't the type to only get the car serviced for the NCT. The dealer will just give it a quick check and sell it on.

As long as it's legal and not dangerous, I don't really see any kind of case.

Anyone buying a car and they don't know what to look for should either bring someone along who does know or bring the car to a mechanic to have a pre purchase inspection done. Post purchase inspection is the worst one can do, because once it's bought getting anything fixed after the fact will be an uphill battle.

enricoh

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122032520#Comment_122032520

Giving 2/1 odds on linglongs or triangles!

prawnsambo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122032522#Comment_122032522

I think back in the day of radial and cross-ply tyres, it was illegal to mix them on the same axle. I think you were ok front and back though.

Mehaffey1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122032497#Comment_122032497

I worked in a solicitor's specializing in the motor trade. I can refer the O.P if needed. He's like Robert Downey Jr. on the stand. After 12 month's of winning cases he walked out and bought a brand new Porsche. Was a very Goodyear in fairness