Used Dealer sold me a 2012 with only 3000 miles but old tires. Advice

Here is the whole story. First off, I am new to the ins and outs of tires. I just stopped off at my local garage to inquire about getting some beefier tires for my 2012 tacoma trd off road. I bought it December 1 from a local large volume used car dealer. It had 3042 miles on it. I noticed it had smaller tires than my first taco with a less aggressive tread but thought that maybe it was just a different tire that Toyota was using that was more road friendly. It was a bf Goodrich long trail t/a tour. I am not very knowledgable on tires to begin with so I figured it was bf Goodrich so it was right. My mechanic proceeds to tell me it is not even a proper size and the treads are at least 1/2 gone and he shows me it was manufactured in February of 2009 and has dry rot. The tire was only a 235/70/16. He said this effects my speedometer and odometer.

Calling them this evening I was met with some serious attitude. My contention is that I should not have been sold a vehicle that does not have the correct size tires on it, secondly if I buy a vehicle 2012 vehicle with 3042 miles on it, I expect that the tires should also have that amount of miles on them as well.
The sales manager was insinuating that I didn't know what I was talking about. And needs to see the tires first hand to determine if there is a problem. He also said on any used car if 50% of the tread is left it is acceptable. He skirted the wrong size issue. And constantly said that he was in no way promising new tires if there was a problem.

So now Tuesday, I need to take a half day of work to make the hour drive to go to battle for the tires I rightfully have on a 2012 tacoma trd or with only 3000 miles.

I am looking to the taco nation for advice on covering all my bases and handling this situation. What do I need, what do you think the dealership is going to try and pull? Should I contact the BBB, Toyota themselves about the dealership. What hand do I have to play?

Thanks for reading my novel and any advice and insight would be appreciated.

Thanks.

 

Do what you can. Be polite and firm. You did sign the papers and drive off so the dealer is mostly covered unfortunately. It's a shame car sales is the shady way it is.

 

IMHO..... They probably wont give you shit. They are just going to give you the runaroud. You are determined, so maybe they will meet you half way ... doubt it tho.

If I were you, I'd go and just get new beefy tires and forget the dealer.

my $0.02

 

Well as I see it, its a used vehicle, you bought it as is. You bought a used 2012 with 3000 miles on it so if the previous owner decided he wanted the 235/70/16s on it and thats what it was sold in as then there is nothing you can do. You cant go demanding for new tires if you bought the truck as is. Its the same as if you bought a modded taco and demanded for stock parts. You bought it with modded parts on it and even though those parts may look better (or worse) they are not the original parts the truck came with but they are the parts that were on the truck when trading in, therefore you would have no right demanding stock parts.

Honestly instead of begging for new tires you are better off just buying the beefier tires that you wanted in the first place.

 

Am I in the wrong assuming buying a 2012 vehicle with 3000 miles should have tires with 3000 miles as well? Or less, but not more? Maybe that's just my ignorance.

 

No I agree however if the previous owner traded it in that way thats how they are going to sell it.

 

Unless they changed the tires between the time you signed for the purchase and the time they delivered it, I'm not sure I see your point. You bought a used Tacoma with used tires. In most states, and under most used car sales contracts: you got what you agreed to pay for. That doesn't make it ethical, but neither does it make it illegal. If you don't know much about vehicles, you should consider having any used vehicle inspected by someone who does.

 

Used cars are sold "As Is", do the tires fit? Then who is to say they are not for your truck? Unfortunately you may need new tires, did you at least get a good enough deal to make up for the difference?

 

Honestly instead of begging for new tires you are better off just buying the beefier tires that you wanted in the first place.[/QUOTE]

I wouldn't call it begging, everything on it was stock, apparently except for the tires. I don't feel you should have to be highly knowledgable about tire size and wear to buy a vehicle with only 3000 miles on it. I feel my expectations were reasonable.

 

Not when it's marketed and sold as a used vehicle. If you bought a new vehicle, it should have new tires. Once you buy used, all bets are off. The only thing you can hope to get out of this, in my opinion, is a really nice deal to get you back to a set of stock sized tires but the dealership did not do anything wrong here. The previous owner took the tires off and swapped them out for a different size, traded the truck in and the dealership sold it as used. They didn't pull a fast one on you or do anything underhanded in my opinion.

 

The tires are not even close to the size inside the door jam. The size that is supposed to be on the truck is 265/70/16's, not 235/70/16. They also throw my speedometer off by a full 6 mph, I tested that this evening.

 

The key word here is used. You didn't buy a new truck so what tires came on it is irrelevant. Buyer beware in this case and a thorough inspection before a purchase of this magnitude would have uncovered the condition of the tires. Unfortunately, you are out of luck on this one.

 

Again it doesnt matter, 285/70/17s isnt noted on the door but people run them. The only difference here is smaller tires. If the tires were big and beefy would you complain that they are not stock? no you would like them and not say a word.

 

Understood, they are the wrong sized tires. The best you can hope for from the dealership is maybe them throwing you a good deal to get you back to stock sized tires.

Also, they throw your speedo 5.5%, it's not a constant 6 MPH difference across the board. The stock speedo reads slow to begin with, even with the correct sized tires.

You started this thread stating that you were looking into new tires anyways so you bought the truck knowing you weren't happy with the tires. I don't mean to be a dick but if you are in the market for new tires anyways, just get new tires and move on. The tires on the truck didn't change since the day you bought the truck and you were happy with them then, otherwise you wouldn't have made the purchase. I'd just get the new tires you want and not waste your time with the stealership.

 

Well, thanks for the input, sounds like the odds are not good in my favor, still going to go to battle and see where the chips fall, I'll update next week after my appointment. Thanks again for the honest opinions.

 

Sucks man. If the dealer does anything, it would be out of the goodness of their heart. They didnt do anything illegal.

Look at the bright side. You would probably still be replacing the tires anyways.

 

Good luck but if anything they might give you stock tires or a deal on them at least but if you are gonna replace them anyways then that is pointless? just my .02

 

It's certainly off. Guess the former owner took em' off another vehicle. Unfortunately, the dealership's tail is covered since you signed. They always find a way to get out of haftin to fork over more. Do let us know how it goes, though- I hope you can get something out of this, because it's certainly not fair.
Dealerships will sell you crap they shouldn't, lemme tell you. My sister bought her 07 Chevy Cobalt from Hutchins Chevrolet in Newport News, and they sold it to her with an illegal exhaust on it. (apparently it is illegal because it is too loud.) She got a ticket for it last year, though the judge dismissed her case. They won't usually make modifications to a vehicle that they have gotten pre-owned, even if it really means bringing it back to stock. It's stupid, but that's generally the way it is.
Good luck, though.

 

I have had the truck for two weeks and didn't decide these wheels were not cutting it until we had a little snow up here in NY and they were terrible. Until this point I thought i had smaller factory tires with 3K miles on them that would do the job for the next 30000 miles.

 

It was actually a repo. So I don't know who swapped the tires, first owner or the stealership. Saw a couple salesmen running tacomas. But I have no proof of who or when. We shall see.