My Mercedes lease is expiring in a couple of months. My tires are worn out and needing replacement. The car came with max performance summer tires. Is it OK to replace them with a new set of all seasons because all seasons are generally cheaper? Does MBFS care about tire brand and type as long as tread depth is above the required minimum at lease end? Thanks.
You need to replace them with brand comparable to OEM standard and sizing. Call the dealer to ask to be sure. I put used perilla tires that had enough tread to pass inspection, I think that’s how you say the brand.
Pirelli? 10char
The brand has to match each Axel, so THEORETICALLY you can put Michelins on the front and Toyos on the back, but I haven’t tried that yet.
If they aren’t 4/32s, the inspector will ding you. Note: The ding might be cheaper than new tires.
The brand has to match on all four axels for sure. I’m wondering if I can use lower tier brands like Hancook, Kumho, etc. vs top tier OEM brands like Michelin, Pirelli, etc.
As long as the size / rating matches you should be fine.
Don’t use a lower rated tire though.
Or you may want to roll the dice and ask for charges to be waived from MBFS. I have always succeeded with BMW and I am planning to do the same with Merc when return is due.
Buy used tires from Unitedtires.com. You can find a set for about $150 + free shipping, 6-7/32 thread.
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I definitely would not call the dealer. It’s not the dealer’s car and the dealer isn’t the one that’s going to charge you if the tires are not up to spec.
Dealer’s are notoriously misinformed about this kind of question.
OP, as everyone has mentioned cheaper brands like Toyo, Hankook, etc. are fine as long as the size/specs match OEM.
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The dealer is who gets the car upon lease return for inspection I thought? If I returned my bmw with non run flats/ Chinese tires they would ding me with it. The dealer has the OEM specs for tires and lease return detail. Only reason I recommend calling vs someone saying the wrong thing. Mine told me it just needs the min tread/run flats and have these brands (Mich, toyo etc,). Everyone’s experience is different and unfortunately dealers aren’t great either lol.
The official lease end document mentioned above is the official word on this issue. If you comply with these requirements, there will not be a charge. If you do not comply, you will be charged.
It provides in part:
"The following vehicle conditions will result in excess wear and use charges:
- Tires with less than 1/8" (or 4/32”) tread depth
- Tires that have sidewall damage (which includes plugs and cuts), bulges, or exposed cords
- Tires that are mismatched: Tires on each axle that are not the same size, brand, model, type and/or speed rating, and equivalent in quality and performance to the original tires
Additionally, please note that if your vehicle came equipped with run-flat tires, the replacement tires must also be run-flats."
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I haven’t been brave enough to try putting mismatched brands. I did do mismatched models per axel and that passed.
Does anyone know if MBFS charge a flat rate regardless of tire size like BMW if the original tire is no good at lease return? If so, how much? I’m trying to see if it’s actually cheaper to get hit by the penalty than buying a new tire. IIRC, BMW’s flat rate is $350 per tire which is quite a bargain if you have big tires.
PSA: Buy new tires 6-9 months out if it’s apparent you’re going to be below 4/32” by lease end.
Buy on Tirerack dot com or similar discount stores. No one should be paying retail for tires.
Tires go on sale too so watch out for that by planning ahead.
Even without a big sale at least you’re getting some benefit from that spend.
Don’t drive around on 2/32” just because the penalty from FS is cheaper than the retail price. That’s a nonsensical version of arbitrage.
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