Tires are just like your cat’s feet. They must support the entire vehicle’s structure and help the car grip the road. The only thing connecting your vehicle and the road are the tires. Therefore, it’s very wise to invest in a good pair of tires for everyone’s safety.
If you have low-quality tires, the risk of losing control of your vehicle is much greater, which can lead to an accident or even death. You will probably also experience a lot of road noise, which can be quite annoying. To top it off, you need to buy new tires a few thousand miles apart because cheaper tires wear out faster.
There are hundreds of tire-manufacturing brands out there, but not every brand makes good tires, unfortunately. Some tires are very cheap, but their low price often means they are not reliable.
Therefore, it is important not to be fooled by flashy tire offers and attractive prices. Only buy tires from well-known manufacturers. Let’s check out some of the worst tire brands to avoid on the market!
This article represents our own opinion from many years of experience. These tire brands may have improved since writing, and we would love to be proven wrong, for the safety of all of us.
What are the Worst Tire Brands?
There are thousands of different tire brands to choose from out there. Some of these brands have already been recalled and are no longer on the US market, but they could still be sold in other countries or be imported, so be aware.
The worst tire brands you should avoid buying include:
- Goodride
- Westlake
- Chaoyang
- Compass Tires
- Telluride
- YKS
- AKS Tires
A lot of Chinese manufacturers are developing a lot of brand names for almost the same tires. One big manufacturer from China is Hangzhou Zhongce Rubber Company. They are selling many cheaper tires without good safety checks or tests before they leave the factory and are, therefore, also some of the worst tire brands that you should avoid.
Cheap Chinese Tires
China exports 65 million tires out to the world each year. Therefore, most of the cheap tires you will find on markets will be Chinese-made, often the worst tire brands to avoid at all costs.
Without good safety checks and bad materials before leaving the factory, it’s already set up for a disaster.
If you take a look at them, you probably won’t be able to differentiate them from more expensive branded tires made by Michelin or Dunlop. But that’s the thing. These tires look good to an untrained eye but are often not good in quality, safety, or durability.
However, there are also some reliable Chinese tire manufacturers out there. But unfortunately, from our experience, we found that the majority do not perform well.
Why you should not buy cheap tires
If you think you should save some money by buying cheap tires or continuing to drive with old tires, you should consider some of the following.
1. Safety
The biggest concern with cheap tires is safety. What happens if your tire explodes because you ran over a small nail in your tire while driving at 75 mph? Incidents like this can cause serious accidents, and are much more likely to occur with cheap tires, compared with tires of higher quality.
2. Longer Brake Distance
The braking distance and the grip between good and bad tires are very different, which can be the difference between life and death. This is something you should really think about before buying cheap tires.
3. Durability
Another aspect to look for is quality with durability. Cheaper tires will most likely have a much shorter life, so if you buy cheap tires, you will need to replace them more often than quality tires. Therefore, you may not actually save as much money as you think buying a cheaper set.
Cheap tires often also have weaker sidewalls. If you get sidewall tire damage, it’s not repairable, and you will have to replace the whole tire.
4. Environment
Cheaper tires are often bad for the environment. This applies to both the manufacturer environment and the road wear environment. Tires that wear out more quickly release more particles into the air, damaging the environment.
What tires should you buy instead?
When you know which ones are the worst tire brands to avoid on the market, you probably also want to know which brands are a better choice. We usually recommend buying tires from known brands, often made in the US or Japan.
Here is a list of the best-performing tire brands we recommend buying instead:
- Michelin
- Goodyear
- Continental
- BF Goodrich
- Bridgestone
- Cooper
- Hankook
- Nokian
- Pirelli
- Toyo
- Yokohama
You can also check out our other posts if you want to find good, high-quality tire brands and want to learn a little bit more about what to look for before buying tires: 5 Best All-Season Tires.
Tire Brand FAQs
What is a good inexpensive tire brand?
There are a few brands that come to mind when looking for good, inexpensive tires – Cooper, Hankook, and Toyo. However, it really depends on what you’re looking for in a tire and what you consider inexpensive. Don’t go too cheap on your tires! You often get what you pay for.
Does it matter what brand of tires you buy?
Yes, the difference in quality and performance between different tire brands is huge. Some tire brands may be better suited for certain vehicle types or driving conditions than others.
So, while it might not always be necessary to buy tires from a specific brand, it could be worth considering based on your individual needs and circumstances. Ultimately, what matters most is that you find the right tires for your car and driving style.
Are Chinese tires good?
There are both good and bad Chinese tires on the market. Unfortunately, a large number of Chinese tires lack quality controls when they leave the factory, and therefore there are a lot of bad Chinese tires on the market.
How much should a good tire cost?
A good tire should cost around $80 to $200 each. With that said, there are a few things to take into account when trying to determine how much a good tire should cost. The heavier and faster your car is, the more expensive your tires will be. Cars that require high-performance tires or have larger diameter wheels will also be pricier.
Conclusion
The worst tire brands on the market that you should avoid are cheap tires from Chinese tire brands such as Goodride, Westlake, Chaoyang, and Compass Tires. Telluride, YKS, and AKS Tires are also some brands you should avoid.
These brands may have improved their quality since our tests, but this is our experience from the past. We would be happy to be proven otherwise
In general, avoid buying tires from the brands on this list. While there may be some individual models that are better than others, generally these brands produce bad products without good quality checks.
There are plenty of other affordable tire brands out there that make great products – you don’t have to settle for a poor quality tire just because it’s inexpensive.
Learn more:
- How Often Should You Rotate Your Tires?
- 8 Best Performance Tires
- Stretched Tires – What is it and Is it Safe?
Categories: Tires
