My 2018 LS500 is currently at the dealership for some routine service and I received a recommendation from the dealership to replace the tires because the inside sidewall is worn. The alignment is all within spec and the tread depth across the tire is still good, but there is a wear pattern on the inside of each tire where the inside block of tread merges with the sidewall of the tire. The tires have never been run underinflated and this wear is extremely disturbing. The tires are not run-flat and are Continental brand with 31k miles on them.

Has anyone else run into issues with inner sidewall wear on non run-flat tires on their LS500? Any idea what could be causing this wear to the sidewall of the tire? I wish I had pictures, but the car is at the dealership waiting for me to decide what to do with the tires. The only thing I can think of that would cause sidewall wear is if the tire is flattening to the point where the sidewall is hitting the road. It certainly doesn't look like that when the car is standing still.

I'm inclined to just get the car back on Monday and see for myself, but the tech said it really isn't safe to drive in it's current state and the dealership is 140 miles from my home. Any guidance would be greatly appreciated.

 

Yes, I have the same issue with my 2020 LS500 AWD.
My 245/45/20 runflats are almost worn out at 13,000 miles. It’s the inner edges of the tires that are worn.
Lexus dealer tells me these cars run a lot of negative camber in order to enhance handling. I can believe this as I owned Mazda Miatas for years. Negative camber was pretty normal, but handling was fantastic.
I run 37-38psi in my Lexus tires, would even run more but hate to destroy the ride. I plan on going to conventional tires soon. I will be disappointed if I get any less than 40,000 miles from them.
Smoother riding conventional tires should permit me to run higher pressure without destroying the ride.
I hate to start tinkering with factory alignment settings.
I would be interested in knowing if any one else has does so with any success.

 

Grab a set of used tyres on eBay and have a small mom and pop shop install them.

Also swing by to get an alignment done.

 

I have been trading information with the Lexus dealer today and the general feedback is that I got really good life out of these tires. I don't agree that getting 31k miles out of a tire that is supposed to last 50k miles is really good life, but it is what it is. They checked the alignment and the alignment is good. They checked all suspension components and the suspension is good. I compared the load rating on the Continental tires to the OEM Bridgestone tires and the load rating on the Continental tires is higher than the OEM tires. So excessive load shouldn't be an issue. I did look for tire wear examples on the internet and the closest thing I could find was called "heat ring" which is caused from either severely underinflated tires or from worn out suspension components. The dealership said the suspension components are fine and I know that the car was never driven with underinflated tires.

The dealership said that the double wishbone suspension on this car will wear the tires that way typically. When I asked if they could adjust the camber to be more neutral and was told that it would likely cause the car to handle poorly and induce bump-steer.

I guess at this point my only option is to get new tires and then potentially submit a warranty claim with Continental to see about a possible manufacturer defect. I'm not optimistic. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

31k on a set of tyres is really questionable.

I have 30k on my factory set of Bridgestones and still have 6.5/32" left. I've done 2 alignments to ensure that my car is straight and check the tyre pressure cold monthly

 

I'm not happy with the way OEM's write their alignment settings for their vehicles. Their limits are too large. Idk what the alignment specifications for an LS500 is, I would look that up first. Then I'd ask to see your current alignment. I'd imagine there will be one or two measurements that are right at the limit of "acceptable".

For example with my 2016 MX-5 the front camber is allowed to be -1.0 to +0.7 from Mazda. Let me tell you for a 2400 lbs car ever little wheel adjustment makes a big difference in response. I needed to get a "precision alignment" from a shop with my own, tighter specs until the car felt right. With a larger/heavier car you won't be able to feel it as much, but it's still important.

Generally tire wear is more about toe (or total toe) than camber. If you have lots of toe youre basically scrubbing rubber as you roll. If it were me I'd take it to a reputable tire shop or a speed/tuner shop to do a precision alignment. Then give them tighter than OEM limits, and be insistent that from right/left they match. Just shooting from the hip +1/16 total front/rear toe (1/32" each tire), then -0.7 to -0.4 for camber front and idk for the rear -1.2 to -0.7? Front caster can be whatever it needs to be.

 

Update: I picked up the car from the dealership last Wednesday without having them do anything with the tires. I then drove about 1 mile on "unsafe" tires to the nearest Discount Tire store for a second opinion. I explained the feedback the Lexus dealer gave me and the service person at Discount Tire came out to look at my car. He did say that there was a little more wear on the inside and outside edges of my tires but said that there was too much tread left on the tires to warranty them out. He said they are perfectly safe to drive on and suggested putting a little higher tire pressure to slow down the wear on the outside edges. I normally run around 36psi and he bumped it up to 40psi. He also confirmed that once the tires wear down a little more, they will be eligible for warranty replacement since they will not reach the 50K mileage. He said drive another 4-5k miles and then come back.

I have provided this feedback as well as my frustration back to the Lexus dealer and explained that the next time they try to pull a fast one on me, it will be the last time they service my vehicle. Trust is hard to earn and easy to lose.

 

I have been running 38 psi in mine (cold), think I will up it to 40 psi.
I would think that Runflats would have more rubber on the tire edge than a regular tire, even when the tread depth is low. I’m down to about 2/16”. Guess I will find out.

 

In my world complaining about not getting 50k miles from a set of tires is never an issue. Never come close to getting that kind of wear!
Wife drives easy but her Audis do about 35k which is about 3 years. Maybe not as easy as I think?
My GS350 at 25k when I sold it with the Mich Primacy were prorated to about 40k. that would be a record.

I can't imagine the tires on my LS500 were original but I bought the car with 28k miles on it. it has 38k on it now but I doubt it will make it to 50, and im not sure I want it to. Im going to order a "modern spare" and some Turanza quiet tracks as per PGA71. I'd like to see what this car feels like with some smooth rubber.

Sajack, you still jonesing for the Crossclimates? Love them on my wife's Audi. Very smooth and quiet. As said before, they just look too "butch" for the LS500. Great tire though. Like you my LS is AWD but in NC we don't get much snow.

 

I have pretty much decided on the Bridgestone QuietTracks. We have always bought Bridgestones for our LS430 and love them. Local Discount Tire wants $1,296 for a set. Gonna hit the road soon on a 2,000 mile trip. Debating over whether I should dump my 12,000 mile run flops before the trip.

 

Can you grab a used set off eBay?

 

Ran into the same issue at Lexus dealer in San Antonio. After 20k service, I was told the tires should be replaced due to the wear on the inside edges. I took the car to a tire shop that I used for years (bought tires there for an RCF and LC500 in the past). They confirmed the negative chamber issue on the Lexus, but told me the tires have plenty of wear left. Later I took the car into the tire shop to rotate the tires at 25k miles and they said the tires are still good.

 

Just picked up an LS500 and within 1 oil change, the inner part of the front tires are worn. 0mm left on the inner tire with 7mm in the center. They recommended in the work order for $1600. That's more than 65% of tread lost to some camber. The vehicle was also Lexus certified.

 

How is the alignment?

Can you grab a set of used tyres off eBay?