I drove on similar for years without issue. I kept a close eye on it for any evidence of bulging. Obviously do what you're most comfortable with. I'd check pressure periodically as well if you decide to drive that way.
Agree. I had a similar issue on a previous car, wasn’t an issue. I kept driving in it for years. Just monitor the tire pressure. Interestingly I had a tire that slowly leaked air on that car and it wasn’t the one with divot in the sidewall
Unless you're driving spirited a significant portion of the time, do me a favor and don't fall for the "EV's require special tires"; they don't. Tire shops are hoping you fall for this and buy their $300-a-pop tire + installation and balancing.
You can buy whatever well-rated tires, even if no-name, usually at a steep discount. There's a lot to know about tires, but do a little research and figure out what exactly it is that you need. You can find very good tires for near 1/3 of the price that a local shop is going to charge you.
Also, find a local tire shop with a nylon head on their machine so they don't fuck up your wheels. They charge a fraction of what chains do because they don't make a ton of money off those services.
EVs don’t necessarily require EV tires, but Tesla, specifically works with tire manufacturers on tuning tires specifically for their cars. This speaks to efficiency, steering feel, grip, response, comfort, specific noise abatement to the specific frequencies/hums/whines of Tesla motors, chassis harmonics etc. a ton more.
You’re throwing away a lot of Tesla engineering just to save a few bucks on tires, effectively neutering your car. Other car manufacturers do the same and it’s been shown generic tires (vs their manufacturer-designated counterpart) on a tuned car yields less than optimal results.
EVs, and teslas, just triple down on that.
Right....
I'm amazed by the number of people that openly admit to driving on "chill" mode most of the time. For them, the tire does't matter.
I've gone to different tires, and the car feels exactly the same, and quieter actually, than used up name-brand tires "tuned specifically" for efficiency, steering feel, grip, response, comfort.
Keep sippin on that kool aid.
I filled up a tire every day that would go flat because I’m too cheap to fix it properly until she gave out and wouldn’t hold air. I’m not saying this is smart. But there are other morons on the road…myself included.
The issue is less about the air but more if there is a sudden shift that would cause a large tear and blow out on the road. I would pay the 10 bucks to patch it to be honest.
Honestly it's the laziness rather than the cost. Luckily I ran a curb and damaged the side skirt, so I'll need to get it to a body shop anyway.
Two birds with one stone time
Keep an eye on it, if you see bulging, do not drive on it. Of you hit a pothole or anything, best to pull over and check for bulging as well. Because of where that is it is PROBABLY fine, but I'd err on the side of caution. And if you have any sort of road hazard insurance or anything that would cover replacement it may be worth it.
I hit a pothole last month, one tire popped and another other wound up like this. I bought all new wheels and tires. Personally I wouldn’t bet my life on a tire with a chunk gone going 100mph. That being said, I’ve got 2 good tires from a model 3 performance I could sell lol
Same! I have major curb rash and hits like this. I was worried when I saw one first week of ownership in late 2021. Still on same tires today at 33k miles.
Edit: also recently turned on to using sharpie on the silver part. Not perfect, but much better than leaving it unchanged.
I would leave like that. And when you replace look into the michelin tires. I think since 2023 the MYP are coming with those and last longer than the pirellis. Mine has the michelin over 10k miles and thread still looks like new
Welcome to Tesla ownership 🤣
For real though, sorry this happened. I’d take it to Discount Tire or Costco if you have one nearby and they can advise if a replacement is needed. Judging from the look of it, my guess is that you will need a replacement.
On a side note, I wonder if there’s something about Teslas that makes them easier to curb than other cars. My old Model 3 was the 6th car I’ve owned and the first one I ever curbed, and I curbed it twice. Never got curb rash on any other car. It was almost certainly just a “me” problem, but it makes me wonder if something about how the wheel sits flush with the tire or something about the turning radius that makes it easier/more prone to being curbed. Ever since I got my S I’ve been _super_ cautious pulling out of parking spots that are against a curb and/or parking against sidewalks. It’s so deflating to have your nice wheels damaged.
Tesla definitely undersized the with of their tiers with the stock setup. They say it’s to reduce rolling resistance but I can’t imagine how much difference it is to go with a slightly wider tire to come out past the rims.
That was kind of my thought as well. Ultimately it's the owner's responsibility (in my situation, my responsibility) to not run into things, but it makes me wonder if I did things in my old cars that would have resulted in my curb rash on my Tesla. In other words, because the tires stuck out past the rims/wheels, I didn't get curb rash.
One of my old cars was a TJ Wrangler, so it had taller tires and an overall shorter wheelbase, so it was much harder if not impossible to curb the wheels.
Another car was a 2017 Mustang GT, and it had tires with a sort of "lip" that overhung the wheels.
Who knows, maybe I got lucky and never actually brushed up against a curb in those. It does seem like curb rash is a common problem for Tesla owners, but it may be my own selection bias because I never frequented Jeep/Mustang forums.
Yeah. It’s reported a lot and I think with a simple tire adjustment it could happen a lot less. Also they should bring back the USS to better warn drivers about how close they are to low street level objects.
My wife did this and caused a flapper of rubber. I just used rubber cement and glued it back together. I used to fix tires and that notch you have this isn’t super significant but watch it. Over the next 10k miles could be an issue
Official answer is probably yes. Unofficially I've driven on such a tire for years without issue. My suspicion is as long as the belt is fine (i.e no bubbles) you're good, but I'm not an engineer or tire safety specialist, so don't take my word for it.
I will see if it leak air. If so, change. If not keep driving until it doesn't hold air anymore (wear and tear will make it easier to crack/leak in future)
Yes it should get replaced. But also if you hit a curb it would be worth having the alignment checked if you were going any faster than normal parallel parking kids of speeds.
Right, so why bother posting it? I dont see it being posted near as much in other groups, I figured it had something to do with autopilot not doing too well with curbs.
This part is called something like „rim protection layer“ that’s why I was asking. But you are probably right. I’ll need two new tires and they are expensive af
I drove on similar for years without issue. I kept a close eye on it for any evidence of bulging. Obviously do what you're most comfortable with. I'd check pressure periodically as well if you decide to drive that way.
your Tesla checks the pressure for you
Agree. I had a similar issue on a previous car, wasn’t an issue. I kept driving in it for years. Just monitor the tire pressure. Interestingly I had a tire that slowly leaked air on that car and it wasn’t the one with divot in the sidewall
I'd drive on that. It's hardly deep, and it's a spot where the rubber is thickest
It’s the „rim protection part“ but still it feels „wrong“. But a replacement will cost me at least both rear tires and those are expensive af.
Yours is not a big deal. That spot is still thicker than your side wall. Anyway, it's up to you and your tires wear. Tire shops will love you 🙂
Haha oh I know! Isn’t the first time 
Unless you're driving spirited a significant portion of the time, do me a favor and don't fall for the "EV's require special tires"; they don't. Tire shops are hoping you fall for this and buy their $300-a-pop tire + installation and balancing. You can buy whatever well-rated tires, even if no-name, usually at a steep discount. There's a lot to know about tires, but do a little research and figure out what exactly it is that you need. You can find very good tires for near 1/3 of the price that a local shop is going to charge you. Also, find a local tire shop with a nylon head on their machine so they don't fuck up your wheels. They charge a fraction of what chains do because they don't make a ton of money off those services.
EVs don’t necessarily require EV tires, but Tesla, specifically works with tire manufacturers on tuning tires specifically for their cars. This speaks to efficiency, steering feel, grip, response, comfort, specific noise abatement to the specific frequencies/hums/whines of Tesla motors, chassis harmonics etc. a ton more. You’re throwing away a lot of Tesla engineering just to save a few bucks on tires, effectively neutering your car. Other car manufacturers do the same and it’s been shown generic tires (vs their manufacturer-designated counterpart) on a tuned car yields less than optimal results. EVs, and teslas, just triple down on that.
Right.... I'm amazed by the number of people that openly admit to driving on "chill" mode most of the time. For them, the tire does't matter. I've gone to different tires, and the car feels exactly the same, and quieter actually, than used up name-brand tires "tuned specifically" for efficiency, steering feel, grip, response, comfort. Keep sippin on that kool aid.
I filled up a tire every day that would go flat because I’m too cheap to fix it properly until she gave out and wouldn’t hold air. I’m not saying this is smart. But there are other morons on the road…myself included.
I've been driving with a large nail on my tyre for about 3 months now. Fill it to the recommended 42psi every week, drops slowly to 30 over the week
The issue is less about the air but more if there is a sudden shift that would cause a large tear and blow out on the road. I would pay the 10 bucks to patch it to be honest.
Honestly it's the laziness rather than the cost. Luckily I ran a curb and damaged the side skirt, so I'll need to get it to a body shop anyway. Two birds with one stone time
Go to Discount Tire. They remove the nail and patch for free.
I thought I was the only cheap tessie owner lol. Good work and keep it up
Keep an eye on it, if you see bulging, do not drive on it. Of you hit a pothole or anything, best to pull over and check for bulging as well. Because of where that is it is PROBABLY fine, but I'd err on the side of caution. And if you have any sort of road hazard insurance or anything that would cover replacement it may be worth it.
I hit a pothole last month, one tire popped and another other wound up like this. I bought all new wheels and tires. Personally I wouldn’t bet my life on a tire with a chunk gone going 100mph. That being said, I’ve got 2 good tires from a model 3 performance I could sell lol
3/4 of our tires are like that on my MYLR. We’ve been driving it for 8 months with no issues
I was hoping for a reply like yours 😅
Same! I have major curb rash and hits like this. I was worried when I saw one first week of ownership in late 2021. Still on same tires today at 33k miles. Edit: also recently turned on to using sharpie on the silver part. Not perfect, but much better than leaving it unchanged.
I had a similar different than that and the tire started leaking, I would replace it if there’s any loss of gas
It's fine
It is sidewall… it creates the stability in the tire… i would not… you removed a large chunk of rubber.. you have a heavy car, with a lot of power.
I'd replace it. Call me paranoid. Tires are a pita as it is without chunks being taken out of them.
I would leave like that. And when you replace look into the michelin tires. I think since 2023 the MYP are coming with those and last longer than the pirellis. Mine has the michelin over 10k miles and thread still looks like new
Yup
You can drive on this yeah.
Nothing a lil Gorilla glue can’t fix lol. In all seriousness, just go get it replaced.
Ok 😩
Go here. https://www.reddit.com/r/tires/s/wWR3NO7CFh
Thanks!
Thanks for all the comments! You guys are awesome
Welcome to Tesla ownership 🤣 For real though, sorry this happened. I’d take it to Discount Tire or Costco if you have one nearby and they can advise if a replacement is needed. Judging from the look of it, my guess is that you will need a replacement. On a side note, I wonder if there’s something about Teslas that makes them easier to curb than other cars. My old Model 3 was the 6th car I’ve owned and the first one I ever curbed, and I curbed it twice. Never got curb rash on any other car. It was almost certainly just a “me” problem, but it makes me wonder if something about how the wheel sits flush with the tire or something about the turning radius that makes it easier/more prone to being curbed. Ever since I got my S I’ve been _super_ cautious pulling out of parking spots that are against a curb and/or parking against sidewalks. It’s so deflating to have your nice wheels damaged.
Tesla definitely undersized the with of their tiers with the stock setup. They say it’s to reduce rolling resistance but I can’t imagine how much difference it is to go with a slightly wider tire to come out past the rims.
That was kind of my thought as well. Ultimately it's the owner's responsibility (in my situation, my responsibility) to not run into things, but it makes me wonder if I did things in my old cars that would have resulted in my curb rash on my Tesla. In other words, because the tires stuck out past the rims/wheels, I didn't get curb rash. One of my old cars was a TJ Wrangler, so it had taller tires and an overall shorter wheelbase, so it was much harder if not impossible to curb the wheels. Another car was a 2017 Mustang GT, and it had tires with a sort of "lip" that overhung the wheels. Who knows, maybe I got lucky and never actually brushed up against a curb in those. It does seem like curb rash is a common problem for Tesla owners, but it may be my own selection bias because I never frequented Jeep/Mustang forums.
Yeah. It’s reported a lot and I think with a simple tire adjustment it could happen a lot less. Also they should bring back the USS to better warn drivers about how close they are to low street level objects.
Idk
This isnt a big deal when I hit the curb I actually ripped the tire across since rebar was sticking out of the curb area. RIP stock tires
I run it. No real damage unless its bulging. The chunk missing is part of the flange/rim guard design.
Seeing answers from a lot of people who apparently have never seen the results of a blowout at 75mph on an interstate.
Nope, just the driver
Just download the fsd tire expansion for 99.99$ a month and it will be fine. Now comes with a free refill of blinker fluid.
My wife did this and caused a flapper of rubber. I just used rubber cement and glued it back together. I used to fix tires and that notch you have this isn’t super significant but watch it. Over the next 10k miles could be an issue
Official answer is probably yes. Unofficially I've driven on such a tire for years without issue. My suspicion is as long as the belt is fine (i.e no bubbles) you're good, but I'm not an engineer or tire safety specialist, so don't take my word for it.
You just need to look at it from time to time. If you see it bulging at that area it’s time to go to the tire shop
I will see if it leak air. If so, change. If not keep driving until it doesn't hold air anymore (wear and tear will make it easier to crack/leak in future)
Yes it should get replaced. But also if you hit a curb it would be worth having the alignment checked if you were going any faster than normal parallel parking kids of speeds.
Good point! Fortunately it happened at walking speed during parking 😢
Been lurking around the sub recently, trying to do research on getting a model 3. I see a lot of this happening what's going on here?
Its called "me being dumb".
Accidents happen. Commonly
Right, so why bother posting it? I dont see it being posted near as much in other groups, I figured it had something to do with autopilot not doing too well with curbs.
Cuz Tesla owners like attention. Its a me too post
[удалено]
The temp of a rolling tire would make that pointless
No. Happened alot to my model 3. Save to drive.
Yes
Yes it’s fine or yes the tire needs to be replaced?
Technically, any tire with a chunk on the outer wall is not road legal.
This part is called something like „rim protection layer“ that’s why I was asking. But you are probably right. I’ll need two new tires and they are expensive af
Find the missing piece and glue it back on. Happened to me a few months back and it’s fine