Car Tire Longevity in Metro Phoenix

[Potential_Landlord]

Overall, our rubber car parts hold up better than I thought. Things like tires and engine mounts break faster, but everything else seems to hold up really well. The one thing I would do (not that that's a problem for most people anyways) make sure that at least once a month you drive your car at highway speed for 30 minutes, with AC on. A lot of rubber parts get lubed by engine oil or transmission fluid etc. and if the car just sits they may dry out. We have a minivan that I have to move around some months.

[john3232]

Three times a week my wife takes the 60 west towards Phx. maybe a twenty minute commute during rush hour. Almost daily she can see a car parked on the side of the freeway because of a problem. The last thing I want is for my car to break down on a freeway esp. during the summer months.

My car and the AC in the house... I make sure I check and maintain both.

My wife and I enjoy living in he Phx metro but the sun can be deadly.

[Potential_Landlord]

Originally Posted by john3232

Three times a week my wife takes the 60 west towards Phx. maybe a twenty minute commute during rush hour. Almost daily she can see a car parked on the side of the freeway because of a problem. The last thing I want is for my car to break down on a freeway esp. during the summer months.

My car and the AC in the house... I make sure I check and maintain both.

My wife and I enjoy living in he Phx metro but the sun can be deadly.

I'm the same way, but even more for my wife and kids. I can deal better with this crap, but my wife would completely freak out if she was stranded or hot in the house. Every winter I do preventative maintenance on cars and AC and I have all kinds of spare parts on hand in case of a break-down. I even installed an additional mini-split AC so we can cool one room when the central AC goes. OK that was probably too much.

[elcajones]

Originally Posted by Potential_Landlord

I'm the same way, but even more for my wife and kids. I can deal better with this crap, but my wife would completely freak out if she was stranded or hot in the house. Every winter I do preventative maintenance on cars and AC and I have all kinds of spare parts on hand in case of a break-down. I even installed an additional mini-split AC so we can cool one room when the central AC goes. OK that was probably too much.

That was actually a great idea. One day it will happen. It's inevitable and during the peak months, you likely won't be able to get an AC guy out right away.

[Casey73]

Originally Posted by ajonesaz

I always go for the mileage warranties on tires and car batteries, those warranties are not adjusted for Arizona

My 65k tires went about 45k, I got a $50 credit per tire when buying new tires.

If you buy a car battery with at least a 3 year or better warranty, your next battery is free, guaranteed

I second the advice on batteries. I'm not certain but I sometimes think the cheapest and most expensive battery of the same brand (i.e. Duralast) are the same batteries with different labels. The last two I purchased for our two Hondas that take the same battery, I got their top of the line. They didn't last any longer than the cheap ones, but I've replaced both of the "premium" batteries at no cost.

[Valley Native]

I have a two year old car which recently had its regular 5,000 mile oil change & inspection at the dealer. Everything checked out in the green, except the tires. It's not an urgent matter to have them replaced at this time, but it was a cautionary advisory that the tread is starting to wear, and replacements could be needed on a future visit.

This is what I mean about having regular maintenance. I'm sure the service department desiring some extra bucks could be a factor, but I'd rather pay for new tires than be driving around on worn tires & take a chance on them failing ... especially with summer approaching!