Tire warranties cover three different risks - and each has its own claim process. Here's how to navigate mileage, road hazard, and manufacturing defect claims for the major brands.
Understanding which warranty type applies to your situation determines how the claim works and what documentation you need.
Mileage warranty: Your tire tread wore out before the guaranteed mileage. You receive a prorated credit toward replacement tires - the credit is proportional to how much mileage was 'unused.' Requires original purchase receipt (price matters for proration), tread depth measurement, and odometer reading.
Road hazard warranty: Your tire was damaged by a pothole, nail, or road debris. Coverage varies - some offer free repair or replacement, others prorate. Requires showing the damaged tire to an authorized dealer.
Manufacturing defect warranty: The tire failed due to a defect in materials or workmanship - not road damage or wear. Usually covers full replacement. Requires dealer inspection to confirm defect vs. road damage.
Mileage warranty claims require documentation. The claim can only be filed at an authorized dealer for the tire brand - not all shops handle all brands.
Mileage warranty proration requires the original purchase price. Without it, the dealer can't calculate your credit - and you leave money on the table.
Bawte Consumer Guide
Road hazard protection is often sold separately from the manufacturer's mileage warranty - either from the tire brand or from the retailer (Discount Tire, Costco, etc.). Check both when making a road hazard claim.
Discount Tire's free flat repair program and Costco Tire's road hazard warranty are among the most consumer-friendly in the industry. If you purchased from these retailers, start with them rather than the manufacturer.
Bawte stores your tire purchase price, DOT numbers, installation mileage, and warranty type - ready to share at the dealer counter.
Every type of tire warranty claim benefits from having your documentation ready. Dealers can process claims faster when purchase records are immediately available - especially for mileage claims where the original price is needed for proration math.
Bawte stores your tire purchase price, installation mileage, DOT numbers, and warranty type - shareable in seconds during a dealer visit.
Purchase price, installation mileage, and DOT numbers stored - the three things needed to calculate prorated mileage warranty credit.
Road hazard coverage details stored per tire - know which plan covers your tires before arriving at the shop.
Warranty claims aren't the only risk - tires get recalled too. Bawte monitors your DOT batch codes against NHTSA recall data.
Bawte stores everything needed for tire warranty claims - purchase price, installation mileage, DOT numbers, and coverage type.
Connect →UMich UMTRI-2015-26: Consumer Product Registration Behavior Study, University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute, 2015.
Registria/GlobeNewswire: Consumer Product Registration Survey, 2017.
Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, 15 U.S.C. §§ 2301–2312.