Writing about the
Avon ZX7 given
50% (245-45-20-)
Driving on
mostly town for 6000
average miles
I have been an Avon fan for nearly 50 years and currently have 4 of their tires on my SUV. I've just received an MOT advisory warning that the front 2 are perishing, after only 2 years and 6000 miles of normal use (UK roads only - no offroad use). I've submitted a warranty request to the company and will update this review, based on the response I get.
UPDATE - The response I've received from Avon is that I have to return my car to the garage that fitted the tires, then get them to remove the tires and send them back to Avon. That means I have to leave my car sitting on the garage forecourt on its rims for as long as it takes Avon to uplift, examine and report on the tires. If Avon deem the ZX7s to be faulty, they will refund on the basis of how much tread is left compared to new, but if they think the tires are 'within normal specification', they will return them to the garage, to be refitted. As an alternative, Avon suggest that I simply buy 2 new tires, before sending my originals back. That way I don't lose the use of my car, but what happens if they decide that they won't honour my warranty claim? I'll then have 2 sets of tires! And who pays the garage to do all this work?
If ever there was a procedure designed to hamper a consumer making a warranty claim, then this has to be it. No goodwill from Avon, no acceptance of what an accredited long standing garage or a qualified MOT inspector says. Just a robotic insistence to follow a claims procedure that severely inconveniences customers.
All tires perish eventually, but not usually after only 2 years and 6,000 miles of normal UK use - and not usually in the valley of the tread (which is dangerous, because it's closer to the structural carcas of the tire). If my situation was a one off, you could just put it down to bad luck, but a quick internet search reveals plenty of other people with Avon tires failing in exactly the same way.
Bearing in mind that if you buy Avons and they perish like mine, you will be expected to jump through the hoops I have described above to make a warranty claim, the only logical advice I can give is that everyone avoids buying Avon tires in the first place.
FOOTNOTE - regarding the ZX7's performance, I found them to be quieter than the Continentals the car came with from new, but inferior in all other aspects, particularly economy. The performance is irrelevant anyway, if they perish after just 2 years and 6,000 miles.