[kimcharlie2498]

Hi,

Today I was driving in the highway when suddenly the low tire pressure warning came and my car started making a noise. I pulled to the side and realized the the left rear is leaking air. So I went to the nearest gas station to fill up the air and tried to drive home. On the way, the tire kept losing air and when I arrived to install the spare, the inner sides of the tire were completely torn.

I am not a car person so I have some question about the tire/rim. I just need to get the tire replaced so I sent it to the Honda shop for now to get the estimates while I'm shopping online for cheap tires.

I am little confused that while tire shopping, all the pictures have the rims all together.

Does that mean if I replace the tires with those, the rims will be different?

If I find cheaper tire somewhere else, can I buy that tire and bring it to a shop for installment?

Off topic question, I've seen shops offering lifetime rotations/alignments, are they worth it?

 

[RCarlL]

Two possible scenarios:

1) If your 2019 Accord 1.5t Sport doesn't have a lot of miles on it, (or the tires don't), you can just replace the tire that has the leak with the same brand and model of tire and you'll be fine- as long as the tires haven't worn much. If your car has 15,000-20,000+ miles on it though (maybe even less depending on tread wear), then you'll need to go with scenario #2. The main goal is that there shouldn't be a lot of difference in terms of tread depth of your existing tires and the new one. A tire shop can probably tell you if it's safe to replace just one based on the condition of your tires.

2) If your car's tires have worn a bit- to the point where there's going to be more than a minor difference between the other tires and the new tire- you'll need to probably replace two tires- the one that's leaking and the one on the other side. If your car's tires are worn a lot- then it's really unsafe to try and replace just one tire.

Either way- you don't have to go with the dealer unless you purchased a wheel or tire warranty. Odds are you'll pay a lot more than you should at the dealer. Take it to a local tire shop with a decent reputation. If you have a Sam's Club or Costco in your area (and you have a membership), often they can be much cheaper than most other places. I'd highly recommend that you replace the leaking tire with the same brand/model. Honda put three different tires on 2019 Accord Sports-

Most 1.5t Sport Accords came with Goodyear Eagle Touring tires. These run about $185 each online.
Some Accord Sports came with Michelin Primacy MXM4 tires... mostly 2.0t models if I remember correctly. These are a bit more expensive- about $250-$280 online.

One last scenario- if all four tires are worn and will need to be replaced soon anyway- I'd just replace all four if you are able to. Honda doesn't put the best tires on Accords at the factory- and there are lots of better options out there that don't cost nearly as much as the ones that Honda put on the car at the factory. Personally, I really like the Michelin CrossClimate2 tires (if you live somewhere that sees snow).

Good luck.

If I find cheaper tire somewhere else, can I buy that tire and bring it to a shop for installment?

Off topic question, I've seen shops offering lifetime rotations/alignments, are they worth it?

Places like Tirerack.com will let you buy a tire from them and then have it shipped to a local approved shop for installation. Note that installation costs aren't included in Tirerack's pricing- but they usually mention what the shop will charge on their website.

Are lifetime rotations/alignments worth it. Tire rotations are usually dirt cheap- around $20... so that wouldn't be worth it in my opinion. Lifetime alignment- maybe, depending on how you drive your car and how often it needs an alignment.

Many dealers offer these types of warranties or guarantees just so that you'll keep brining your car back to them. You'll save $20 on the tire rotation, but they'll more than make up that money on whatever they're going to try and convince you to buy or pay for in the future.

I only take my car to the dealership for warranty work, if needed. Dealership service departments in my neck of the woods just aren't honest or reliable. I have a trusted independent mechanic that I've used for years for everything else.

 

[ethan2014]

Agree with @RCarlL posting.

I would like to add tire rack has a service where they can match a brand new tire's tread with the older tire on the same axle. They use a machine to wear the tread at a cost. So those 2 tires will have equal tread.

Firestone offers lifetime 4-wheel alignment for the life of the car for $200 (at least here in SoCal). Even if you continue to buy new sets of tires elsewhere over and over through many years, they still honor their lifetime alignment.

Also, check out Walmart. Some of them have auto centers. You can buy a single tire online then schedule an installation date and time. They usually have the lowest price on tires and installation is about $20 a tire including tax and disposal fees.