Who's responsible for putting the wrong tires on my car?? (insurance, vehicle)
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Few months back, got hit by a lady who didn't check her blind spot going through town. Happily no one hurt, but my car took a beating. She admitted fault and it was to be sorted out by her insurance, Geico.
Took a month to fix the car, then a few weeks ago my tire pressure light was blinked then went off. Stopped at American tires for a check and the guy said the pressure was fine, but told me I had the wrong tires on my car! I have Avid Ascend, and he said I should have "60s", but I had "50s" on my car. He said my car was too heavy for the tires, as the "50s" should be for a sedan, and I have a Subaru Outback. He told me not to be overly concerned as I wasn't in any danger, but it should be corrected.
Stopped at the local Baru dealership and the guy there confirmed I had the wrong tires. I called the tire shop I used while living in the previous town I lived in and it was confirmed the full set of tires I bought in October '21 were the correct tires. "60s"
Called the guy at the body shop who did all the work and he checked the adjuster's estimate with the part orders and turns out that she's the one who wrote down the wrong tire. He then cluelessly ordered the tires from Big O, claiming he let them know what car they are for, they didn't catch the mistake so they were delivered to the shop who then had a different tire shop across the street install them on my car!!
The body shop guy tried patting me on the head, saying it was no big deal, it's not unsafe to drive, blah blah blah. That ticked me off! I was told it affects the odometer, and if I get a flat tire, what am I supposed to do replace it with the wrong tire? I insisted I get the correct tires on my car!!! Geesh!!
So...guy at the body shop called the adjuster who basically said "too bad". So then I got in touch with her supervisor and he agreed a mistake was made, but only offered to pay the shop for labor, however not for a new set of tires, because according to Geico, the body shop assigned the job are ultimately responsible for making sure the car goes out the door with with all the correct parts.
So now I'm waiting to hear back from the body shop after leaving a message letting them know what the Geico supervisor said, (plus I had him send me an email stating his position).
So dang frustrating. I'm really annoyed this isn't taken care of right away and have to be in the middle of a bunch of finger pointing. I would rather not have to start calling the better business bureau in town, or think about small claims court. I usually don't "sweat the small stuff", but this is my one and only car! Grrrrrrr!
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
34,690 posts, read 57,994,855 times
Reputation: 46166
Some of us LOVE to have 50 series tires as replacements for 60's, but.... If you insist on OEM, then the Repair Shop that ordered the wrong tires must eat (and replace) them, and your insurance CO is to be your advocate. (to assure you get replaced with 'in-spec-replacements'.
Your friendly agent should be all over this. They need happy customers.
Don't sweat it, just tell them they must FIX IT.
It is entirely possible to have the correct diameter in a 60 or 50 series tire, but they will be different sizes to accomidate for the profile change. Usually the rub... is the 50 might be too wide for fender clearances when turing sharply, or in a Subie, you might prefer the taller 60's for off-road use. Actually... 50's are a 'safer' tire (better handling), but not as forgiving (tire damage with road hazards). If the wrong diameter, your speedometer will be reading slower with a 50 series of same size. VERY important on awd (Subie) is all tires in the matched set to be identical dia (Outside Diameter)
Some of us LOVE to have 50 series tires, but.... If you insist on OEM, then the Repair Shop that ordered the wrong tires must eat (and replace) them, and your insurance CO is to be your advocate. (to assure you get replaced with 'in-spec-replacements'.
Your friendly agent should be all over this. They need happy customers.
Don't sweat it, just tell them they must FIX IT.
I would need to contact Geico's agent. My insurance wasn't involved.
Your insurance company is your advocate and can easily get involved. They should offer to replace your tires with the correct ones then GO AFTER the guilty party for a settlement. It could take some time, therefore they should foot the bill and get reimbursed once the case is proven and settled.
Be prepared to do a bit of prodding to get them moving.
Your insurance company is your advocate and can easily get involved. They should offer to replace your tires with the correct ones then GO AFTER the guilty party for a settlement. It could take some time, therefore they should foot the bill and get reimbursed once the case is proven and settled.
Be prepared to do a bit of prodding to get them moving.
Yes, thank you! I will call my insurance company tomorrow morning. I was hoping to hear back from the guy at the body shop this afternoon, but he hasn't responded to my email yet.
Slow down everyone. What kind of car is it and have YOU looked at the recommended tire sizes yourself?
While it is likely that going to 50-series tires is not a proper fitment for your specific vehicle there is only one way to know definitively. Look up exactly what the mfgr says. It's in your OM or in the doorframe of the driver's door.
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
34,690 posts, read 57,994,855 times
Reputation: 46166
Quote:
Originally Posted by rokuremote
Slow down everyone. What kind of car is it and have YOU looked at the recommended tire sizes yourself?
....
as stated in OP... Subaru Outback
Quote:
He said my car was too heavy for the tires, as the "50s" should be for a sedan, and I have a Subaru Outback. He told me not to be overly concerned as I wasn't in any danger, but it should be corrected.
Stopped at the local Baru dealership and the guy there confirmed I had the wrong tires.
Such a rookie mistake. Tire size is as simple as ABC. Correcting reading errors obviously isn't so simple. Good luck, I'm sure the proper amount of pressure (haha) will get this sorted out.
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