1. Home
  2. Lexus Automobiles
  3. 2003 ES300 Tire Noise

2003 ES300 Tire Noise

My wife has a 2003 ES300 with 15k miles, hardly driven at all since new... I followed the routine maintenance by the dealer... oil change, tire rotation etc...

The Toyo tires that came with the car has lots of treads left. Since last year, around 11-12k, I started to notice some whining noise as the car is warmed up and is doing 40+ mph. Took it to the dealer to check a couple of times. The verdict is : the tires have been worn unevenly. I have not done any alignment on this car before. The dealer suggests to replace the tires and to do alignment. The dealers have confirmed that the car is mechanically sound... suspension, steering...

An experienced mechanic thinks that the car has been sitting in the garage for too long and the tires have developed "square" spots on the wheels... hence the noise. Otherwise the noise is harmless.

I think the noise problem could be something mechanical... drive axle, wheel bearing etc...

I want to get rid of the noise... should I replace these Toyo tires? I have a lot of luck using Michelins and is thinking of the Hydroedge for the claimed comfort, quietness, dry/wet traction and long mileage warranty. but it does not come with the 94V speed rating (onloy 94T). Frankly my wife and I are unlikely to be driving the ES300 like a race car, even on freeway. The most we would do is about 80mph.

I have done some research on the Tirerack.com... a lot of their customers like this Hydroedge but of the 2 Lexus users' comments... they both complain excessive road noise.

Can anyone offer some suggestions? will replacing the tires fix this problem?

Reply to
GT LexTex
Loading thread data ...

One of the disadvantages of having such a quiet car is that when something does make noise, it tends to be very noticeable.

Other possible causes of uneven tread wear besides the vehicle being out of alignment are improper tire inflation and uneven or over-loading the car.

I have never heard of "square spots" on a tire but they can theoretically develop flat spots, either from skidding a long distance or sitting for a long time while under-inflated. Since your car has antilock brakes, the long distance skid is unlikely. If the car is driven at least once a week, then the tires are unlikely to develop flat spots. If you are going to park the car for a month or more without driving it, I would inflate the tires to the maximum listed on the side of the tires, and then let the air out to the proper inflation when you are going to start driving again. Automakers inflate the tires to the maximum when they leave the factory so that they will not develop flat spots while in transit or in storage, and the dealer is supposed to adjust air pressure as part of the pre delivery service.

If you are willing to give up a little ride quality in exchange for longer tread life, then inflate the tires about 4 PSI over the automaker's recommended tire inflation for normal driving so that the treads at the inner and outer edges of the tire will last a little longer.

Tire noise is generally different from noise caused by a mechanical problem because a tire noise will change in volume or pitch on different road surfaces like asphalt or concrete, while this will not happen with a mechanical problem.

If 2 out of 2 Lexus users complain of road noise with a particular tire, I would look for a different tire.

Reply to
Ray O

Tires that sit too long in one spot will develop a flat spot where they are in contact with the ground, but when driven, they don't 'whine,' there is a very noticeable 'thumping' sound not to mention shaking of the steering column (if flat spots are on front tires) or the thumping is felt through the seats (if flat spots on rear tires).

Reply to
Mike Piacente

MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.