VW Tiguan Tyre & Wheel Bearings Issues

alonsof1 on 10/12/2021 - 08:20
Last edited 10/12/2021 - 11:44 by 1 other user

Hi Guys, I have a 4 year old Tiguan 110TSI Comfortline model.

Service advised to replace tyres and the front 2 wheel bearings. Looking for recommendation on tyres and wheel bearing replacements shops and costs.

Can someone suggest which tyres to go with to reduce the cabin noise and ride comfort and the shop, as Tiguan is known for worst comfort as we can feel even a minor cosmetic defect on the road (doesn't even need a bump). I know it is not a silver bullet for all the ride comfort..

Here are the tyres recommended to me:

  1. Continental ContiEcoContact 5 (by VW service costing $1150)
  2. Michelin Primacy(by Costco $820)

Further is it normal to have wheel bearings to be worn out so quickly. I just did 57k kms in normal suburbs (with decent roads) driving and highway driving.

How much it costs to replace them. I was quoted $1750 for replacing the 2 front wheel bearings.

Automotive Car SUV Volkswagen

Comments

  • Muzeeb on 10/12/2021 - 08:34
    +8

    is it normal to have wheel bearings to be worn out so quickly.

    No but it is a VW so anything could happen.

    Just call around for some quotes.

    • JimmyF on 10/12/2021 - 09:34
      +8

      I still struggle to understand why VW sells so well. Everyone has horror stories of costly repairs that shouldn't happen.

      You never hear of a Toyota with failed wheel bearings on a car with under 60k/4yo.

      Lets not even start on the endless DSG issues.

      • Muzeeb on 10/12/2021 - 09:38
        +6

        For some reason in Australia VW is perceived as a semi luxury brand.

        • [Deactivated] on 10/12/2021 - 14:38

          lol. made my day.

      • brendanm on 10/12/2021 - 10:22
        +2

        I've had an excellent run out of multiple VW's. Though I purposefully don't buy the problematic ones. Great price point used for what they are.

        • Muzeeb on 10/12/2021 - 10:24

          Touareg?

          • brendanm on 10/12/2021 - 10:31
            +1

            @Muzeeb: Golf, couple of passats, touareg. Had an Audi S3 that was alright as well, that was the only petrol one.

      • [Deactivated] on 10/12/2021 - 10:56
        +2

        @jimmyF

        people with SUV's love to not slow down for speed humps (most people in general actually) and tend to want to mount kerbs at a slow speed to test their offroading capability

        this is what happens

        and yes , the costs for VW let alone euro cars will reach this price.

        it cost me $500 just to change the transmission and haldex fluids in a DSG here from a Stealership. LOL

        …Fluid

        • brendanm on 10/12/2021 - 11:19
          +3

          and yes , the costs for VW let alone euro cars will reach this price.

          Lol, proper FAG bearing kit for ops car is about $120 a side, and they are a bolt on hub, so take all of about half an hour, an hour max, per side.

        • JimmyF on 10/12/2021 - 12:25
          +3

          people with SUV's love to not slow down for speed humps (most people in general actually) and tend to want to mount kerbs at a slow speed to test their offroading capability

          I don't disagree, but as you said, MOST drivers don't slow down for speed hump……. Have you seen Camry drivers taking speed humps!? They take them faster than any soft SUV I've seen! Yet they front wheel bearings don't fail under 60km/4yo.

          • [Deactivated] on 10/12/2021 - 13:58

            @JimmyF:

            I don't disagree, but as you said, MOST drivers don't slow down for speed hump……. Have you seen Camry drivers taking speed humps!? They take them faster than any soft SUV I've seen! Yet they front wheel bearings don't fail under 60km/4yo.

            because its a Toyota ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) haha

            absolutely right.

            tis the price to be paid for wanting to drive in a luxury branded vehicle and driving it like you stole it compared to driving it with due care.

            • JimmyF on 10/12/2021 - 14:06
              +2

              @[Deactivated]:

              tis the price to be paid for wanting to drive in a luxury branded vehicle and driving it like you stole it compared to driving it with due care.

              Its questionable if you can call it a 'luxury' brand when they use sub standard bearings that don't last compared to a car half the price.

              Its nothing to do with 'due care' when just about every other car maker doesn't have the issue.

              because its a Toyota ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) haha

              Bingo…. and even when you drive it like you stole it, the bearings don't fail.

          • Matt P on 11/12/2021 - 11:15

            @JimmyF: I hear plenty of camrys with noisy bearings. In my experience, once a camry goes past about 8 years old they migrate to owners that don't fix anything, they just turn up the radio to cover up the noises. This is in SA at least, no yearly rego checks

            • JimmyF on 11/12/2021 - 13:12
              +1

              @Matt P:

              In my experience, once a camry goes past about 8 years old they migrate to owners that don't fix anything, they just turn up the radio to cover up the noises

              Well there is a point for any car that repairs cost more than the car is worth, so you just drive it into the ground!

              No matter of the brand, bearings failing under 60k and 4 years isn't acceptable.

              • brendanm on 11/12/2021 - 14:55
                +2

                @JimmyF:

                No matter of the brand, bearings failing under 60k and 4 years isn't acceptable.

                There is most likely nothing wrong with the bearings, and they are trying to fleece op.

      • Brian McGee on 10/12/2021 - 11:02
        +3

        Because its German, it's kwality

        Even if most of their stuff is build in the americas or eastern european countries.

      • Skullytor on 11/12/2021 - 15:09

        They drive well. They are very practical. Fantastic handling at the price point

      • Blithe on 15/12/2021 - 13:41

        Among all the models of Volkswagen, I like the Passat best

    • Blithe on 15/12/2021 - 13:41

      Among all the models of Volkswagen, I like the Passat best

  • oscargamer on 10/12/2021 - 08:49
    +5

    I'd be talking to VW and trying to get them to replace the bearings for free. 4 years and 57k km is not acceptable

    Primacy are good and quiet tyres

    • alonsof1 on 10/12/2021 - 09:03

      I dont think they would accept anything…they already started mind games when i went for service itself..saying the tyres are 0mm thread etc..though i can see its not..but would it be around 1700$ for the bearings?

      • pharkurnell on 10/12/2021 - 09:05
        +1

        but would it be around 1700$ for the bearings?

        WTF?
        https://runautoparts.com.au/optimal-front-wheel-bearing-kit-…

      • oscargamer on 10/12/2021 - 09:07
        +5

        Sorry - should have been more clear. Talk to VW corporate. Not the stealership.

        The stealership only gets a small hourly rate to fix warranty/ex gratia items. They get lots of $$ for full price items.

        Another alternative, is to try another stealership. Some are more pro-customer than others.

        Also - find a decent indie Euro near you. They are worth their weight in gold.

        STOP USING THE DEALER FOR SERVICING

      • Muzeeb on 10/12/2021 - 09:12
        +3

        0mm thread

        Are you reading off the tread wear indicators?

        Just because you can see tread doesn't mean the tyres are usable or roadworthy.

        57k kms is probably about right and ready for replacement on a FWD small SUV.

        Upload a picture if you can with the tread wear indicators (the small knobs of rubber in between the treads)

        Are you sure the $1750 was not for:

        • New front tyres
        • New front bearings
        • Labour
        • GST

        That's probably about right from a dealership.

        • pharkurnell on 10/12/2021 - 09:37
          +2

          57k kms is probably about right and ready for replacement on a FWD small SUV.

          specially for factory fitment tyres.

        • alonsof1 on 10/12/2021 - 09:41

          I had the same doubt. I called the VW service and confirmed it prior to posting here. Tyres are charged 1150$, bearings alone 1750$. So total 2900$ fitted, n wheel alignment extra 120$ on top..so total 3000$

          • Muzeeb on 10/12/2021 - 09:42
            +1

            @alonsof1: Go to a VW Forum and research for a good local independent mechanic and use them.

          • pegaxs on 10/12/2021 - 11:59
            +2

            @alonsof1:

            so total 3000$

            There is a lot of "saw you coming a mile away" tax on that quote.

            Get tyres and wheel alignment from a tyre fitter, not a dealership.

  • gryphn on 10/12/2021 - 09:44
    +1

    On the tyres, Michelin or Contis are a good choice. Ultimately what ever you are comfortable paying for, just don't buy ultra budget ones.

    For the wheel bearings I would be enacting the ACL. There is no way that failed bearings after 57,000 km and 4 years is ok.
    Be firm but polite and have everything in writing.
    From personal experience, VW will make this as difficult as possible and you will get bounced between VW and the dealer each one blaming the other .
    But don't give up.

    • CalmLemons on 10/12/2021 - 10:20

      "Be firm but polite"

      • This.

      What happens is the dealer just ends up charging out to the main office.

  • Chirsy Rob on 10/12/2021 - 10:40

    My Tiguan is 5 years 60K km. I've booked in with Bridgestone tomorrow for 4 new Ecopia tyres. $645.00 + $75 for wheel alignment.

    • oscargamer on 10/12/2021 - 11:14

      Do you need an alignment?

      Is it a 4 wheel alignment you are getting?

      • Chirsy Rob on 10/12/2021 - 12:25

        It's front only. Not sure if it is needed. They recommended it and I took it.

        • oscargamer on 10/12/2021 - 12:57

          Why pay for something you don't need?

          It's called upselling and if your tyres are wearing evenly and the car is driving straight, then an alignment is a waste of money.

          • Matt P on 11/12/2021 - 11:18
            +3

            @oscargamer: IMO its not. At 60k, the car would have hit plenty of potholes and the car would almost surely be out of alignment. If all is out of alignment, tyres will wear faster (shoulder wear etc..). If it makes your tyres last 15% more, its worth the expense.

            • oscargamer on 11/12/2021 - 12:36

              @Matt P: We disagree then.

              An alignment is needed when it's needed. It's not needed before that time.

              It's not a 'service' that prevents anything. It's not recommended by any manufacturer at specified intervals. It's usually recommended by those businesses that benefit from that recommendation, ie. tyre shops

              Many cars go their whole life without an alignment.

              Many cars are driven by people who love to use kerbs to park.

              Your comment that "the car would have hit plenty of potholes" is totally without basis.

              • The Hobo on 15/12/2021 - 00:19
                +1

                @oscargamer: I get an alignment done every time I get new tyres. The only way you can know its off is by uneven wear on your tyres. I see it as preventive to ruining your new tyres.

                • oscargamer on 15/12/2021 - 09:22

                  @The Hobo: I prefer to inspect my tyres every time I check their pressures (every month).
                  If I see unusual wear, I rotate the tyres, if the wear repeats, then it's time for an alignment.

                  My way is free and will hopefully catch an alignment issue very quickly.

                  Yours… I'm not sure what it's achieving.

                  • The Hobo on 15/12/2021 - 11:31

                    @oscargamer: Considering the cost (usually between $50-$75) - it's not really a huge factor when you're spending $1000 on tyres.

                    Perhaps if you're going through tyres every 6 months, then it may not be worth it. I typically go through tyres every 2 -3 years, so it's hardly a massive expense forking out an extra $50-$75

                    • oscargamer on 15/12/2021 - 15:19

                      @The Hobo: But you are paying for something that you don't need. That's what I don't understand….

  • pegaxs on 10/12/2021 - 11:18
    +6

    Front wheel bearings on a 57k, 4yo VW. Either the dstealership is pulling one over you or you drive around in lots of deep water.

    And people wonder why I am always shitbagging Euro "luxury brands" vehicles.

    • Muzeeb on 10/12/2021 - 11:59
      +4

      I don't wonder. I understand completely.

      • pegaxs on 10/12/2021 - 12:03
        +1

        And it's not just the cars that are shit boxes, it's the attitude of the stealerships and VAG, MB and (to a lesser degree) BMW.

        This shit attitude towards customers and consumer law comes all the way from the top and runs down hill all the way to the staff at dealerships.

    • Hybroid on 10/12/2021 - 12:09

      I think part of is there's lots of Europeans here for whom these Euro cars like VW are the standard bread and butter they're used to (as it would be Toyota/Mazda here). But they don't seem to consider it's a completely different market here…

  • [Deactivated] on 10/12/2021 - 14:45
    1. Tyre look up https://www.tempetyres.com.au/ - be prepare to spend the morning there on a weekend, they are busy. The Michelin is good (not the best value option), they are the OEM on our Ford… swapped it over to a set of Dunlop Sport Maxx 050. The Dunlops are holding up well and were cheap compared to Michelin Primacy ($50 each tyre).
      Looks like tyre size is 215/65R17 based on https://www.mycar.com.au/tyres/vehicle/volkswagen/tiguan?veh…
      Tempe Tyre https://www.tempetyres.com.au/tyres?TyreWidth=215&TyreProfil…
      This one looks good $150 per corner, so $600 up all https://www.tempetyres.com.au/tyreproducts?continental-21565…
    2. Get quotes on wheel bearing. Or lodge a complain with VW head office first, citing Australian Consumer Law. 57000km for a set of wheel bearing is amazing… never knew they give in so early.
    • alonsof1 on 10/12/2021 - 15:54

      Thankyou. These guys looks cheaper compared to others. will check with them.

      • oscargamer on 11/12/2021 - 00:39
        -1

        Make sure you check the manufacture date. Tempe often have old tyres. Don't buy if more than 18m old IMO.

        • WT on 11/12/2021 - 10:03
          +1

          unless youre using them in a comp 18 month old is fine

        • brad1-8tsi on 12/12/2021 - 13:05

          Tempe haven't had old stock tyres for 10+years.

          Have you seen their turnover? The Tempe store would do almost 1000 tyres every Saturday plus online and the other stores and their wholesale customers.

          • oscargamer on 12/12/2021 - 13:34

            @brad1-8tsi: I got some last year that were 3 years old. Sent them back. Hence my comment

  • brad1-8tsi on 11/12/2021 - 00:07
    +3

    Why did they say the wheel bearings need replacing? Are they howling?

    • JIMB0 on 11/12/2021 - 08:51
      +2

      Either a misdiagnosis or they're short of work. I find it hard to believe that both have failed at the same time.

    • bbinc on 11/12/2021 - 09:19

      Sounds like ‘standard practice’ bs. “We always replace wheel bearings when we do new tyres” - that way we can guarantee you will have no problems for the life of the tyres - or some such bs.
      I’ve had a dealer advise expensive brake work during routine service. I refused and took it to an independent who quoted half the price. On inspection, he advised no such work was necessary. 3 yrs and 50k km later he and I decided to renew front brakes as preventative maintenance. I did use one Renault dealer for 15yrs only because the service manager knew his cars, did not do unnecessary work, and had very fair prices. Then he went to Hyundai.

    • alonsof1 on 11/12/2021 - 16:25

      Im having noise into the cabin above 30kms/hr and also more at specific speeds like 58-62 & 77-83. I had a test drive with the technician as well and all he hear is the wheel bearing noise & bad tyre, and for the more noise at the above speeds, he says its more revving or reverberations..

      • brad1-8tsi on 12/12/2021 - 13:01
        +1

        The Golf based Tiguan, Octavia, Yeti, etc can suffer from saw-toothing on the inner edge of the rear tyres that makes a bad harmonic in the early stages of wear. It's caused by too much negative camber on the rear combined with rear toe-in. The fix is to set the camber as upright as possible within the green and the toe also very conservative.

        The front wheel bearings are usually quite robust unless somebody drives it with the driveshaft nuts not torqued properly.

        Have you asked for a guarantee the replacement of bearings will fix the issue? I would.

        • The Hobo on 15/12/2021 - 00:21

          Agreed - I would do the tyres first and see if that fixes the problem before doing the bearings

  • OzHunterNSW on 11/12/2021 - 10:05

    Well who told you
    Look at your wheels… jot down what it says or take it to a tyre shop.
    Take it to a mechanic for bearings

  • WT on 11/12/2021 - 10:18

    you wont need wheel bearings unless you use your car off road a lot, through water crossings or you drive your car hard, smash pot holes or speed humps and even then your stock suspension is usually gone before wheel bearings.

    I think I have replaced wheel bearings once on a car used on the track. Rally cars are changed usually once a year but you skip some as bent hubs were replaced more often which can include bearings. There is no way in hell you are driving a tiguan 1/4 as hard as a rally car

  • Matt P on 11/12/2021 - 12:09
    +1

    As has been hammered above, find out the part numbers for what you need and start googling. VW's are mainstream overseas so there are cost effective parts available, you just need to know what to look for and where to look.

    Any of the VWs ive owned have been similar costs for parts to anything else but i've always bought online.

    Avoid anything VW 1.4 twincharged or the older 7 speed dry clutch gearboxes (DQ200). Anything 2.0 turbo petrol or 2.0 turbo diesel is generally very reliable. Both will have the DQ250 6 speed wet clutch in older cars, i'm not 100% up to speed on the model numbers on the newer 7 speed wet clutch.

  • Skullytor on 11/12/2021 - 15:07

    What about Pilot Sports? I hear good things about them

  • PVA on 11/12/2021 - 16:40

    Look at Pirelli SCORPION VERDE ALL SEASON tyres.
    Great price, quiet, and last. Been buying these for years for our suvs we’ve had.

    https://www.tyroola.com.au/tyre/pirelli/scorpion-verde-as/ (I haven’t bought from Tyrolla but I paid the same price at my local tyre place. )

  • Blithe on 15/12/2021 - 13:40

    Among all the models of Volkswagen, I like the Passat best

    • [Deactivated] on 15/12/2021 - 17:12

      Me too. I prefer A5 Fast Line.

      • Blithe on 17/12/2021 - 13:28

        Audi and BMW can also

  • alonsof1 on 23/12/2021 - 14:49

    An update on this post guys,
    First of all thankyou everyone for the replies. It has been very helpful.

    Have changed the tyres with Pirelli Scorpion verde as I could price match them in mycar with price of Tempe tyres and was near to my home.
    Got the wheel alignment done as well.

    But it didnt work, so went to VW service today again, and they confirmed that the wheel bearings need to be replaced, and cost is 1750$. Will check with others n see how much it would cost.. I asked the VW service guys about the reliability, as its just been 4 years car. They didnt heed and said it can happen to 1 yr old vehicle as well, as its moving parts.

    Will raise it with VW corporate and see what response I would get.

  • alonsof1 on 18/02/2022 - 15:57

    Need a help with this guys on whats best way to take this up. Does consumer warranty claim help here in this scenario? How to raise it and whats the probability of getting it successfully claimed? What happens if it gets rejected as well? does the VW honours this discount or asks to pay completely? Will there be any charges incase of rejection?

    VW australia came up with offer of 45% discount on the wheel bearings parts only. I have tried reaching to them multiple times, but thats what they wanted to offer and nothing else.
    So it would cost around 1250$ after discount(1715$ before) to replace them.

Login or Join to leave a comment
Login Join