There’s no shortage of tire brands to choose from, with notable online retailers like TireRack and TireBuyer offering dozens of reputable options, such as Michelin, Pirelli, Continental, and more.
Yet, the landscape is also saturated with “inexpensive” brands that forego quality to reduce costs and undercut the market.
What are the worst tire brands? Considering factors like construction quality, material composition, owner reviews, and more, the following brands produce some of the shoddiest tires to purchase:
- Accelera
- Chaoyang
- Triangle
- Westlake
- GeoStar
As the only part of your car that touches the road, you really shouldn’t skimp on tire quality. Generally, inexpensive tires wear faster, make more noise, and take longer to come to a stop. Moreover, budget tires are far more likely to fail at highway speeds.
This guide covers seven tire brands you should avoid at all costs. But first, I will explore what to look for in a superior tire brand.
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What To Look For In A Tire Brand
Meets Government Standards
For a tire to legally be sold in the US, it must meet government standards. Simply put, all tires must pass a series of endurance tests measuring how they hold up when force is applied from various angles over time.
Additionally, tires should display a Department of Transportation (DOT) stamp on the sidewall, showing size, load ratings, tread depth, and additional information.
Ample Customer Reviews
Customer reviews are an excellent resource for determining which tires to stay away from. Stick with reputable sites like TireRack, TireBuyer, DiscountTire, and TyreReviews, which all require users to register before posting, increasing feedback quality. Be especially cautious with brands having limited customer reviews or where feedback appears fake.
One common mention among budget tire reviews is that they’re best for drivers that don’t exceed 45 mph. But ultimately, we don’t feel this inspires much assurance even within the specified speed rating.
Industry Standard Construction
Quality tires should also have industry-standard construction components, like gum strips, belt stiffeners, belt wedges, bead fillers, and more. Each enhances tire performance, durability, and longevity, which directly benefits driver safety.
While inexpensive tires may look similar on the outside, they often lack the same construction components as more reputable brands on the inside.
Quality Materials/Research And Development
Tires are made from various compounds, including natural and synthetic rubber, nylon, steel, and more. Esteemed tire brands invest heavily in research and development to produce a resilient, long-lasting combination.
Budget tire brands, often imported from overseas, usually cut costs by using less natural rubber. Instead, they use rigid-compound rubber that’s less pliable and more prone to crack.
5 Worst Tire Brands To Avoid Buying
Accelera
Accelera is an Indonesian tire brand that’s been around since 1996. The brand is marketed as a producer of top-quality radial tires. Unfortunately, performance rankings from TyreReviews show even its most popular PHI tire performed poorly, landing in 152nd place vs. 192 rivals in the same category.
Moreover, looking at the budget brand’s website, our confidence did not improve. Nothing is listed about standard warranty or construction design/materials, just a few comments on tread patterns.
Owner complaints across various sites consistently mention Accelera tires having a weak grip and requiring exceptionally extended braking distances.
Chaoyang
Chinese budget brand Chaoyang is primarily a manufacturer of bike tires. However, the brand also sells tires for passenger cars and trucks. Alibaba seems to be the primary outlet for Chaoyang tires, thanks to a 2015 partnership with the e-commerce platform.
While researching Chaoyang tires, we found no information about construction materials, design, or standard warranty. What’s more, many of the scant customer reviews appear counterfeit.
Ultimately, nothing about Chaoyang makes us feel they are anything but tires to avoid.
Triangle
Triangle is yet another Chinese budget company producing some of the most unsavory tires to purchase. Similar to Accelera, Triangle’s most popular item is a high-end summer tire. Regrettably, in comparison to 192 competitors, Triangle’s TR968 tire achieved a ranking of 179th.
The company’s site shows some design features such as enhanced sidewall protection and refined tread patterns. They also mention a fundamental guarantee that lasts for two months. Other particulars are not given.
While we found more retailers selling Triangle tires, the bulk of customer reviews are negative. Most frequently, owners mention inadequate traction and noisy road noise.
Westlake
Westlake Tires is part of China’s ZC Rubber Group, which also owns Goodride, Chaoyang, and other inexpensive tire brands. In general, Westlake is marketed for the global market, making it likely the most prevalent name on this list of worst tire brands.
While Westlake does have more customer reviews, they reveal some substantial flaws, like high road noise, poor traction, and a harsh ride. Common phrases echoed by owners include “unsafe,” “risky,” and even “never again.”
We found a few diehards among reviewers, but generally, customers seem to regret owning Westlake tires due to their substandard materials.
GeoStar
Part of Taiwan-based Nankang Rubber Tire, Geostar is the group’s “budget” brand, so quality is neglected to allow for cheap pricing. Moreover, like other imported brands on our list, their online presence is almost non-existent.
A 2014 report by Consumer Reports puts a set of GeoStar tires against other inexpensive brands. Ultimately, Geostar comes out as the most balanced, but the site concludes that “bargain-priced tires such as these Chinese models isn’t the suitable choice for the long haul.”
According to Mavis, the brand’s most favored product is an all-season touring tire, the S6065, with a total rating of three stars out of five.
Consider A Quality Tire Brand For The Best Experience
Unfortunately, there are a many of cheap tire brands to weed through. Thankfully, if you follow our guidelines for what to look for in a tire brand, you should have no trouble spotting which tires to avoid.
Consider Hankook tires as one example of a top-quality brand, which also happens to be known for its economical pricing. The brand’s user-friendly website lists the entire product lineup and covers each tire in detail. Tires are split into categories, and you can find a retailer using the integrated tool.
A simple Google search shows numerous reviews to look at, something that can’t be said for many inexpensive brands.
