5 Cheap Tires To Avoid, According To Users

When buying new tires, there are countless brands, categories, and price points to consider. Premium tires from major tire brands typically deliver the safest and most reliable performance. Entry-level tires can save you a lot of money, but they may come with trade-offs in safety, performance, and longevity. After all, not all cheap tires are created equal, and there is quite a bit of disparity in quality even at the low end of the market. 

According to numerous owner reports online, certain Deestone, LingLong, Westlake, Accelera, and Vee Rubber models are among the most complained-about tires on the market. Owners reported that these tires can be dangerous, excessively noisy, lack adequate traction in typical driving conditions, and are prone to premature wear and tear, forcing users to make frequent purchases. While individual experiences may vary for many other reasons, these are the tires users most frequently warn about — and here is why.

When it comes to subpar performance in the ultra-performance summer tire market, the Deestone Vincente R302 stands out, earning the last spot in the ranking — the worst in its class, according to Tyre Reviews. Users complained about how noisy the tire is, how bad the traction is, and that the tire is even prone to splitting apart at highway speeds. Problems such as these occur with old tires, where such critical warning signs indicate your tires need to be replaced, but with the Vincente R302, these appear even on relatively fresh tires. 

Some distributors market the Vincente R302 as a track-proven tire. However, it's safe to say its market reception isn't particularly indicative of great handling or performance. Other Deestone models, such as the R101, are also poorly received due to their unreliability. It's the same story with the Deestone D503, with users complaining about deafening noise on the highway, subpar tread patterns, and increased wear.

The LingLong tire brand originated in China in the mid-1970s and has quickly become one of the few Chinese tire brands you may want to avoid. For instance, the LingLong Crosswind is a touring light truck tire that has received mixed reviews from buyers. Based on user feedback, the Crosswind enjoys a 3.1 out of 5-star rating on SimpleTire, with most of the criticism based on noise, poor treadlife, and underwhelming snow and ice performance. While discussing LingLong tires on Reddit, one user warned: "Buy once, cry once."

This encapsulates the consensus among buyers that LingLong tires are not worth the risk, especially compared to other budget brands. Besides the LingLong Crosswind, the LingLong Green Max EcoTouring is also widely complained about. For a touring tire, the Green Max has garnered poor ratings in traction, handling, and comfort, all three areas where touring tires often shine. Moreover, LingLong tires have also been deemed unsafe and inferior in situations where quick reactions can save lives.

Westlake Tires is a budget tire brand marketed by U.S.-based Tireco, Inc. (which also produces Milestar Tires), and offers low-cost consumer and commercial tires. Even though Westlake has a decent U.S. market presence, some of its tires are not well-regarded by consumers. For instance, the Westlake RP18 is criticised by many due to its poor quality and lack of safety. The RP18 has also earned a 3.6 out of 5-star rating on 1010Tires, with most owners noting that snow performance, noise, and wet traction are notably lacking in the tires.

Westlake commercial and RV tires have also been heavily criticized by RV and campervan enthusiasts due to tire peeling and how quickly these can wear out. Moreover, users have also complained about Westlake tire blowouts. The brand was also involved in one of the biggest tire recalls in history when U.S. transportation officials ordered more than 450,000 tires returned to China.

Accelera Tires is an Indonesian budget tire brand founded back in 1996 and started offering tires to American consumers in 2007. The brand's most popular tire, the Accelera PHI, has a rather poor rating of 58% (approx. 2.9/5) on Tyre Review, based on 160+ user reviews. The brunt of the criticism has been based on substandard wet traction, handling, and quality issues. One owner noted that the PHIs are "absolutely, without doubt the worst tyres that I have ever encountered."

Further owner scrutiny suggests the Accelera PHI is simply not good enough for high-performance cars. Users have also complained that Accelera tires are too expensive for what they offer, are overly noisy, and notoriously unbalanced. All in all, the overall consensus between owners is that Accelera tires compromise a bit too much when it comes to traction, while also recognizing that it is often worth spending a bit extra for expensive tires versus buying cheap tires.

Vee Rubber is a Thai tire brand founded in 1977 and is available across the U.S. at retailers and distributors such as TiresEasy, SimpleTire, and Walmart. Across all three platforms, Vee Rubber tires have a somewhat unfavorable rating. The Vee Rubber Zitron ZR seems to fare the worst on SimpleTire, with 25 reviews averaging 3.6 stars out of 5, and most users complaining that these tires are very noisy and unbalanced, especially at highway speeds.

The Vee Rubber Taiga A/T is also heavily criticized, with customers naming it the worst tire they have ever owned. Owners on Reddit are even more blunt, believing that Vee Rubber tires are dangerously slippery in the rain. Moreover, they also noted extremely hard or low-quality rubber that is more suitable for burnouts as opposed to driving. These are some of the biggest reasons why you may want to avoid buying cheap tires altogether, and why paying more often results in a much better experience.

To compile this list of cheap tires most users want you to avoid, we went through user reviews and impressions on sites such as Tyre Reviews, SimpleTire, Reddit, and 1010Tires. We only included tires available in the U.S. market that have been criticized by multiple owners and that are backed by verifiable reviews. This is not a definitive list of the worst tires on the market, as there are simply too many factors to consider when buying, such as driving conditions, vehicle type, load requirements, climate, tire age, and tire maintenance.