My wife just reported that when going uphill and downhill today the tires skidded and the yellow warning light for VSC comes on for a few seconds. She was driving in San Francisco and currently a light drizzle. It concerns me as she is not driving very fast and it never happended with our other car on the same location. Did it happend to you also?
I've gotten it a few times I wasn't expecting over the past few weeks. I predict that she was driving on a cement road, as opposed to asphalt?
My wife noticed the same thing the first time it rained here in "flat" central WI. I had expected it with the tires that came on our 05. I put on a set of Good Year Comfortreads and now she doesn't slip when breaking hard. The ride is also mre stable at highway speeds. Doug
As a long time bay area person, I'm sure you know that the first rain always brings a lot of oil to the surface of the road. More accidents occur during and after the first rain of the season here. It makes a big difference! I remember seeing a car do a 360 spin in front of me in just these same conditions.
Factory Spec'd Goodyear Integrity tires rate next to DEAD LAST in Wet Performance (29 out of 30) on Tirerack.com user surveys. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE!!! Also on Tirerack.com's website you'll find Goodyear Assurance Comfort Treds' Rate #3 (out of 30, with the #1 choice Goodyear TripleTred not avail in the stock '05 Prius size) in Wet Performance (see Graph Enclosed). And no, I don't work for Tirerack or Goodyear. Look below to see for yourself yet another reason we all are a slippin' and a sliddin'! http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?pa...are1=yes#Survey Goodyear Integrity User Survey Results: http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?pa...are1=yes#Survey In short Toyota, for $22/tire, has sold it's drivers short, dangerously short indeed. The Toyota spec'd tires are a danger. TAKE ACTION LIKE I DID!!! I called Goodyear directly at 800.321.2136x1x4 and I spoke with Maria and complained LOUDLY about their terrible, danger-prone tire. I also called up both of the Goodyear dealers, found a friendly ear at one. I told Goodyear corporate that I wanted the tires replaced IMMEDIATELY before someone got killed. They call the local dealer I pointed them towards and while the new Goodyear Assurance ComfortTreds wont be free, the dealer is installing them at their cost with Goodyear Corporate picking up the difference. SCREAM REAL LOUD!!! DON'T GIVE UP!!! BE A PEST, gently of course! TELL THEM YOU ACTUALLY LOVE YOUR TOYOTA, YOU LOVE BEING ALIVE (so do your loved ones) and you need their help to live another day!!!! Good Luck, Now, if someone could just find a way to DELETE the BEEP on/thru the MFD SCREEN (besides using the steering wheel controls for as much as possible)!!!! Ken
As a driving instructor I will advise this. ALL cars handle differently. If she is "new" to the prius, she will need to learn how it handles. I can turn corners a lot fast in a sporty mustang than a mini van. Don't blame the tires. However, that being said, there are better tires out there than the OEM's.
Agreed. I thought the OEMs were fine until I had the TRAC come on on a damped surface while making a left turn. Also, tread depth is horrible. Compared to the Integrity, my dad's Camry's MXV4 Plus treads are like a canyon!
Anybody have any luck on taking delivery of a new Prius and getting Toyota to swap out the tires for something better before any miles are put on them? I'm wondering if I could get my dealer to do this (even if I have to pay a small difference in price for a better tire)? I take delivery in January.
I tried it with my dealer however they didn't have any other Prii on the lot otherwise they were willing to at least discuss it. So, bring it up to them and see if they are open to it. Show them the tirerack.com surveys. Maybe that will help. I called Toyota and that was an exercise in head-banging futility. "But sir, the OEM tires are not 'defective', are they? No, they are just another example of bean counters running the show. What could Toyota be thinking. "Hey, we saved $13 on that car and put the drivers and families at peril", &/or "Well, it's 5 o'clock, time to go home. Another successful day at Toyota worldwide." Corporate stinkin' thinkin' me thinks. It's what's running the show. I do love the Prius and the hybrid it rode in on! Ken
i live up a steep hill and my vsc used to always kick in, pretty unnerving, especially if another car is coming from behind. one time my wife was driving and it was raining, started skid, vsc kicked in and car totally stopped. it was kinda hard trying to get it going again, especially in the middle of a steep incline. i've never had this problem with my celica, so traction of the tires is really a big factor. but we've since then learned and adjusted to the way the prius tires handles our daily uphill climb and dont skid or slide anymore.
"PERIL" ...are you kidding....Goodyears are good tires. What peril????? That statement is both outrageous and shows a complete lack of understanding as to what defective, perilous, workmanship is...........I am flabbergasted. The OEM tires are perfectly acceptable. You are just looking for a reason to blame Toyota should you get into a crash OR your inability to adapt to the world of driving.
I think if you drive quite conservatively and never get into emergency situations, the OEM tires are fine.. They roll and let the car go from one point to another, so in that regard, they're perfectly functional.. On the other hand, I had an accident in the past where an emergency manoeuver in very wet conditions resulted in the tires hydroplaning and the car losing control, so any tire that does not have absolutely stellar wet handling is completely unacceptable to me. Chances are that I'll never ever get into a situation like that again, but I will no longer take that risk- whatever tires I choose must have superior wet traction. I've got the Hydroedge tires on right now, and in my experience, they do live up to their TV commercials- it is very difficult to get these tires to lose wet grip, and even when they do, they regain it rapidly and in a controlled fashion- they are easily the safest feeling tire I have ever driven... I had the Harmony on a previous vehicle, and while they were decent tires and far better than the Integrity, the Hydroedge are heads above both models in every respect.. Just because a tire is OK and comes with the vehicle, doesn't mean that you should meekly accept it.. Remember that like every design decision, tire choice is a tradeoff between cost and performance targets and quite often, when finances get involved, cost becomes the overriding factor, this is true even in Japan, and even in a company where Deming ruled... Bottom line- there are much better tires out there, and choosing a different tire can improve your entire driving experience, from performance to safety, and *THAT* is the proper response..
I had some scary incidents last year when I first purchased my Prius. We had record-breaking rainfall in 2004 and if not for the VSC I would have lost control. After checking TireRack and the user reviews of the Integrity, I swapped them for Michelin Harmony. Far better in the wet and a bit quieter too. More record breaking rainfall this summer and coming upon a sudden water-filled dip in the road was no longer a concern.
Yup, the OEM Integrity tires aren't great, but they are typical of OEM tires. I've found that VSC and trac are triggered regularly on slick surfaces, especially on rain. Usually this happens when launching at a turn, escpecially when there is a big painted stripe to drive over. Those painted stripes are like glass when wet. I haven't fount it dangerous, just a little surprising sometimes.
I've also had some traction problems with the OEM tires, and would NEVER buy them willingly. That said, however, let's remember those San Francisco hills are only for VERY experienced drivers, and after the first rain in 8 months one must expect a certain amount of oil on the road surface. Oil plus breathtakingly step hills are bound to create traction problems even for those experienced with such conditions. I'm relieved your wife didn't get into more serious problems.
There's a huge amount of variation in the tires a single tiremaker puts out. The Integrities are completely bottom of the line and as you can see from the responses on Tire Rack, extremely poor performers. I have to agree, ours are downright dangerous in the rain. Doesn't mean all Goodyears are that way, but these certainly are. All tiremakers have tire models cheap and crappy like these, Michelin, Bridgestone etc. Really no fault of Toyota or Goodyear though. All carmakers have a habit of putting crappy tires on their cars OEM and some people want a $60 tire and don't care how it performs so theres a market. Ours come off next week for Michelin MXV4s. To those who think they're fine, have you driven a Prius on different tires?
The November 2005 issue of Consumer Reports has a review of all season and winter tires, many of which are used by Prius owners (but did not review the OEM tires). Consumer Reports performs an objective test on tires and gives a rating. TireRack seems to rate tires based on what owners believe about their tires. Consumer Reports also rates rolling resistance of all season tires, but not winter tires. I noticed that TireRack rates Goodyear Comfortred tires number 2 in class (or maybe 3, depending when you look), and Consumer Reports rated the Goodyear Comfortred tires number 13.
