Why 'Made in China' Doesn't Matter in 2024

What you tire retailer isn't telling you, might surprise you.

While you might frown on the idea of buying "Chinese tires," you might be surprised by how many brands are actually "Made in China."

- Why do companies make tires in China?
- Why are Chinese tire brands more affordable?
- Are all Chinese tire brands good or bad?
- How much can you save by buying Chinese tires?

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DISCLAIMER: This is NOT a sponsored video. All opinions expressed are my own, and are based on interviews with industry experts, and/or my experience as a journalist and editor covering the automotive industry for over 20 years, and/or research I conducted on the specific topic covered in this video.

#chinesetires
#sailun
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#dynamictire

[xcmskim]

I’ve had Michelin tires blow out and also leak from the tread seams when it was brand new.
They are much better in terms of handling, comfort, ride, noise, etc in comparison to other brands.
The Michelin’s I’ve owned were made in America. Any tire brand regardless of quality can all have its problems

[chrisbryden]

A large agricultural farm here and we’ve made direct comparisons between Chinese tires and Western varieties and they’re every bit as good. I don’t even question it anymore.

[dangergunner]

It absolutely makes a difference where a product comes. I ran the 6 sigma program for an international company. The product coming from China was so bad the company actual pulled out of China. We spent months working with the factory lines in an effort to bring the quality up. It did improve but the quality was much lower than the same product made in the US or Germany or Mexico.

[vincenzodigrande]

My uncle is in a tyre recycling company. His catch phrase would always be nobody knows tyre quality better than him, just because he sees where they have failed. His favorite brand is Michelin, just because of consistency, his least favorite is Continental, due to strange fails that occur most often with them. Pirelli he says, has tops and flops. He also says there are bad tyres amongst almost all brands, cheap and expensive. His take on Chinese tyres is if they can be sold in the US or EU they have to meet very strict safety, environmental and performance tests before they are even allowed to end up on the shelves.

I can see comments here claiming double or triple brake distances with Chinese tyres, well, look up ANY real reputable tests and you may see a few percent deviation, but that'll be it, higher deviations would lead to fails in US and EU safety tests already.

[NVRAMboi]

I learned this lesson about 10 yrs ago. I replaced a set of TOYO (Japan) tires with the "same" tire, as I'd been happy with the product. I didn't ask my local tire man about MFR location, assuming it was still Japan. Some weeks/months later, I discovered they were actually produced in China (right there on the sidewall, but I had not looked). No horror stories, but it did seem these needed replacement earlier than the previous set. I avoid Chinese products whenever possible for multiple reasons.

[The-Fat-Kid]

I bought a set of Michelin a few years back. Two of them wore out quickly and the threads were showing on the sidewalls. The other two had plenty of tread left and the sidewalls were fine. Before this the only tires I saw sidewalls like that were over 20 years old being used as planters. I was curious and looked them over close. The two good ones said made in Israel and the two junk were made in Korea. all the same size, model and sold as set. Now I always ask where they were made and look closely before leaving the dealer.

[bobrad]

When I take my sports car to the track, I'm glad I have Michelin tires made in France on it. I have never seen a good review about a Chinese tire in the max high performance category. Maybe they're OK for daily driving, but I don't know. Consumer Reports don"t rate them high on their list.

[chriswannamaker]

I've been using them for 5 years. No problem at all.

[actualfacts]

I have Roadx and Auto Grip Chinese tyres on my two cars, they were dirt cheap but I have no complaints at all, they are fine.

[stevepettersen]

One point you didn't touch upon is it does matter where tires are made to some (many?) people as I will always support domestically made/grown products because of jobs. If a country is unwilling to buy its own products how will the economy support its people? I think decades of declining industries in the USA have lead to many hardships.

[ronaldwhite]

Most RV'S specifically trailers are built with Chinese tires. They are known in the industry as" May Pop's or China Bombs". When they fail they don't simply lose air they explode. The thin side walls balloon out and shatter sending large slapping chunks of rubber damaging the trailer.
They are either not speed rates or rated for speed less than posted American highways.

[wam]

I remember when 60 Minutes did an expose on Chinese manufacturers for US delivery. Undercover stuff. They had no quality control discipline and made all in-process decisions based on short term profit/loss. So out of date adhesives were retained beyond their expiration date for example. Industrial ovens had no periodic temperature calibration. No one was monitoring them to ensure minimal compliance with any standards. And the stuff sent to the US was junk. We all have heard about poisoned baby food, dog food, toothpaste etc. I wouldn't have a Chinese tire if they paid me. I buy from or at least research tire buys from Tire Rack where their Specifications page lists the country of manufacture. I try to buy US or Canadian but actually Mexican tires are pretty good because they're firmly monitored by the US home companies. Would be okay with EU tires but few are available anymore. I've had to change my trailers to Light Truck tires because I found no...ZERO...adequate ST tires. Even my US made Goodyear Endurance turned out to be short-lived junk which had early tread delamination and failures. Have had no problems since I changed to US made LT tires except it's difficult to find high enough load ratings. But not impossible.

[matthewhuszarik]

One thing I found is their warranties aren’t worth the paper they are written on unless you drive much more than average. All these large milage warranties only apply for the first year or so.

[jameslovering]

There are many brands, they must all be certified and meet your countries specifications. Buy from someone recommended that you trust and ensure they advise which brands are good.
If they have been selling them for years and stand by them then I think they are ok.
I took a punt as the price was under 50% they are made in China, they are quiet (more than the original high end tires). They feel and are wearing well after 6 months....
I know others who have purchased tires made in China which are Chinese brands and they are happy also.
Again use a reputable tire shop is key.

[calgary]

About to buy my 2nd set of Chinese tires. Sentury Touring. Lasts about 40k. Its been great. No issues any weather or light snow.

[hjehje]

I have bought Michelin tires for years but I decided to buy Continental tires as a replacement for the Bridgestones that were installed on my Honda CR-V at the factory. The Continental tires are excellent. The ride quality is much better than the originals and they are all-season tires but they perform quite well in the snow. I recently returned from China and I see a lot of tire shops advertising Continental and Bridgestone tires. I have no issues with buying Chinese tires as long as the price is good and they get good reviews. My only complaint is that I live in Canada and cannot purchase a Chinese car to put them on :-).

[COtrucker]

I'll settle on a private label tire from Big-O... if u research the DOT manufacture code there's a good chance it was made by Goodyear, Firestone, Michelin etc.

[Winncoot]

I have just bought my second set of chinese tyres. With the first set, I never had any safety problems, it handled the corners really good, and on rainy days, the grip was the same as on the dry.

It is true that they wear out quickly, but you can just buy another set of the tyres which will still be more affordable than buying one set of big brand tires.

[itshvelpen]

We have had all sorts of brands. But after getting a ridiculous price, on some RoadX winter tires I had to try them out. They are a subsidiary of the Chinese Sailun Group. So far I've driven 15.000km with minimal wear and I have to say, they are standing pretty firm.

[sizzlacalunji]

I had a very tight budget and had just started a new job. I got Sailun winters and truth is it served me well and I never failed me in winter storms. Best of all it was very affordable.