Our 2016 Volvo XC90 Blows Tire, Costs Us $457
CARS.COM — We’ve put a lot of miles on our 2016 Volvo XC90 (Senior Road Test Editor Joe Bruzek suggests we might top 20,000 miles this year) and we’ve had few issues with it. However, on Interstate 90 outside Buffalo and 600 miles from home in Chicago, we had our first tire blowout with one of its 21-inch wheels; getting a replacement was expensive and difficult.
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I was driving along just north of Erie, Pa., when the dash lit up with the warning: “This tire (passenger rear) needs air now!” It showed that tire’s pressure was around 24 pounds per square inch, when the others were all at 42 psi. Cold, they should be at 38 psi, according to the sticker on the doorjamb.
I got off at the next exit and drove to a gas station. I raised that tire’s pressure to 40 psi and returned to the road. This time, though, I was able to watch in real time as the pressure quickly fell. I again got off the interstate, called Volvo Roadside Assistance and had them dispatch a tow truck to install the small, space-saver 18-inch spare tire. It’s only meant for short distances at relatively low speeds.
Something that other Volvo owners might not know — I didn’t, and our first mechanic on the scene didn’t, either — is that the XC90’s lug nuts come with plastic covers. Remember: Read the owner’s manual where this is outlined. After calling for backup, the next mechanic on the scene was aware of the lug covers and how to remove them, and had the tire swapped out in no time. I called the closest Volvo dealership, which was about 15 miles away, and set an appointment to fix or replace the tire.
Driving on the tiny doughnut was harrowing; I was told not to exceed 50 mph but, even at lower speeds, it felt shaky. Braking was more difficult and I went out of my way to keep to the lowest possible speed.
At the dealership, the damage was evident, and impressive, in its way. There were two huge gashes in the tire. I didn’t run anything over, nor had I hit any large potholes or bumps, but I-90 through Pennsylvania had been extremely rough and was being repaved.
The mechanic couldn’t find an entirely new Pirelli Scorpion all-season tire sized 275/40R21, but was willing to take one off another XC90 for sale. Since I couldn’t afford to wait four days (Saturday to Tuesday) for a new tire to arrive, I agreed. All installed, it cost us $457.16 — $378.08 for the tire, $40 for installation and $39.08 in taxes and fees.
A few weeks after this happened, the salesman who sold us the XC90 called and asked how our experience was going. I told him that our only flaw to date was the blown tire and he told me that the exact same thing had happened to his daughter, who also had 21-inch tires on her XC90. She’d hit a big pothole and the tire had blown out. I don’t know if the size or construction of the tire led to this, or if it was merely a coincidence. But it was expensive, especially considering all four wheels and tires were a $750 option when new.
