We’ve ranked the ten worst tire brands that you should stay away from, even if you’re shopping on a budget. Read on to learn which tire brands are the worst and what makes them terrible, so you know what to avoid when tire shopping.
Contents
Tires You Should Avoid
This chart ranks the ten worst tire brands and scores them in each category out of 5.
| Tire Brand | Safety | Durability | Value for Money | Grip and Traction | Seasonality | Adaptability | After Sales Service | Overall Performance Rating |
| Triangle | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| Chaoyang | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| AKS | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Westlake | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 |
| Accelera | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Goodride | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Compass | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Autogreen | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Geostar | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| Unicorn | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
Triangle
A relatively new tire company, Triangle tire brand is based in China and could be a good company, but they are falling short.
Safety
The biggest customer complaint is that they slide and slip when driving on wet ground, causing vehicles to hydroplane and spin out of control.
Durability
Since their original treads aren’t as grooved as they should be, the tire performs as if it’s already worn down.
Value for Money
Their value is awful since they charge around $100 for some of the lowest quality tires you can buy.
Grip and Traction
This is where the tires find their biggest fault. They can’t perform at all in wet conditions, making them extremely unsafe in the rain.
Seasonality
The tires can’t grip the ground in rain and should not be used in snowy climates.
Adaptability
Triangle tires have essentially zero adaptability on the road. Their treads are thin, and the rubber is slippery, so they can’t perform on rough or wet roads.
After-sales Services
Most of the Triangle tires come with a 2-year road warranty. However, the warranty is reluctant to replace the tires, and the customer service lacks sincerity.
Chaoyang
Chaoyang tires are a Chinese tire brand that once made bicycle tires and other rubber products, and more recently, they stepped into the world of car tires.
Safety
The tires are certainly not the safest, as they don’t use high-quality rubber, and they can burst or puncture easily because the rubber used in the tires is too soft.
Durability
The treads appear thick and well-grooved, but the rubber used in the tires wears down incredibly quickly, especially on poorly paved roads.
Value for Money
Most tires cost between $50 and $200, and Chaoyang manages to have a price point closer to $40. Take this is as a clue to run in the other direction.
Grip and Traction
At first, the grip and traction are decent. However, because the rubber is low quality and the treads wear down quickly, the tires lose their grip and traction fast.
Seasonality
Rain, snow, or other extreme weather can cause the tires to burst, creating an immense hazard.
Adaptability
Anything close to off-roading or even a dirt road will be rough on the tires. Because the rubber is so soft, they can’t stand up against any difficult terrain.
After Sales Services
There isn’t any after-sales service from Chaoyang. Surprisingly, this company is a leader in mountain bike tires, but when it comes to their car tires, they don’t go the extra mile.
AKS Tires
An elusive and strange company that you should avoid at all costs. The lack of information on AKS tires is offputting on its own.
Safety
These tires could be considered deadly, as they can burst and lose traction easily.
Durability
The tires have low durability and use the cheapest rubber available. They will wear down fast, but you won’t even want to keep them around long enough to find out.
Value for Money
AKS prices their tires super low to entice customers, but trust us, it isn’t worth it. Their car tires come in around $50 each but pose serious hazards while driving.
Grip and Traction
They have hardly any traction on wet and dry roads, making them one of the worst tire companies.
Seasonality
AKS tires cannot perform well in wet and cold conditions, so they aren’t safe for winter. However, they also have a poor grip in dry, hot weather, so they are dangerous in all seasons.
Adaptability
The tires cannot perform well in all weather conditions or road surfaces, so they have some of the worst adaptability a tire can have.
After-sales Services
Since it is difficult to determine where AKS tires come from, it is even harder to speak to an employee.
If you get these tires and attempt to get service after purchase, you’ll likely just be jostled around via email until eventually forgotten about.
Westlake
Westlake is a Chinese tire company that ignores many American inspection laws and produces subpar tires.
Safety
The tires can perform okay at slower speeds, but when you drive 30 miles per hour or above, you lose traction, and it poses many driving risks.
Durability
The tires seem to have decent durability, but their initial construction isn’t well done. So they likely won’t last more than a year.
Value for Money
Westlake tires cost between $60 and $80, a decent price point if it were a decent tire. But the value is horrendous since you get unsafe, cheap tires.
Grip and Traction
These tires have poor grip at high speeds. This is the exact opposite performance you want from a tire, so there is no reason to purchase them.
Seasonality
These tires perform terribly in varying weather conditions. Any weather causes them to slip, even dry and sunny.
Adaptability
The tires have zero adaptability, and can only sort of perform well on perfectly paved and dry roads.
After Sales Services
Westlake doesn’t have any after-sales service, as they usually don’t offer refunds or returns.
Accelera
An Indonesian brand, Accelera, is a terrible tire brand for many reasons stemming from their use of cheap rubber.
Safety
Drivers report having to severely slow down to gain control of the car. The tires are dangerous on highways and other high-speed situations.
Durability
The tires use very low-quality rubber, despite being marked as high-performance tires, and they won’t last very long.
Value for Money
Accelera goes for a major profit by charging between $80 and $110 for cheaply made tires.
Grip and Traction
The grip and traction feel normal when on a dry, smooth road. When the car drives on a wet road, at moderate to high speeds, the traction lessens, making the vehicle harder to control.
Seasonality
Like many cheap tires, Accelera tires struggle the most in wet and rainy conditions. They can perform decently on dry, well-paved roads, but lost most of their grip when moisture is present.
Adaptability
The tires adapt well to many different cars, from trucks to passenger vehicles. But they don’t adapt well to most roads.
After Sales Services
Accelera at least picks up the phone when you call, but they usually just beat around the bush instead of offering any real assistance.
Goodride
Goodride tires are a part of the Zhongce Rubber Group, which started in 1997. They are relatively new but already have a bad reputation in the tire industry.
Safety
Goodride tires have thin treads which make it hard for the car to grip the road. This causes safety risks as the car can slip and skid on the road.
Durability
Goodride tires are easily worn out and can’t handle consistent use on rough roads. Don’t expect these tires to last more than a few months.
Value for Money
Goodride is one of the worst values for money, with their tires usually costing over $100.
Grip and Traction
Goodride has a decent grip in dry climates but has proven that they can’t handle wet or snowy climates.
Seasonality
If you are still thinking about buying these tires, the only way it may be safe is if you live in a dry and sunny climate.
Adaptability
Goodride makes tires for a range of vehicles from commercial to passenger, so almost anyone can find a tire that will fit their vehicle.
After Sales Services
Goodride offers a facade of customer service, with no real actions to back it up. They offer warranties and refunds but make you jump through impossible hoops to get.
Compass
On a positive note, these are not the worst tires on our list. Compass tire brand began in 1998, making them one of the newer brands on the market.
Safety
Compass tires pose normal safety risks while driving, like the thin treads and soft material. But drivers don’t report an excessive lack of control when turning or speeding up.
Durability
Compass tires have low durability, likely lasting around a year or so of standard use before becoming very dangerous to use.
Value for Money
Compass tires are an average price of about $80, but their value is terrible.
Grip and Traction
The grip and traction on compass tires are better than most of the other tires on this list. They struggle in wet weather but perform decently in dry climates.
Seasonality
Compass tires are not effective in all seasons, especially in cold and wet weather. They tend to slip and slide when the road is wet and smooth.
Adaptability
Compass tires work for a wide range of vehicles, but they can’t handle rough trips like off-roading.
After Sales Services
Compass tires often offer refunds and returns but have little interest in remedying any actual problems with their product.
Autogreen
Autogreen tires are some of the worst on the market. There are so many reasons to avoid them.
Safety
The tires pose serious safety threats in all driving conditions in all kinds of cars. The tires often burst after little use, possibly causing an accident.
Durability
These are some of the least durable tires available. They can hardly last 20,000 miles before the tread wears down to nothing and the tires can’t grab the road.
Value for Money
Autogreen tires can be tempting because they cost around $60, but the value isn’t in the product.
Grip and Traction
Autogreen tires have no grip or traction, even on the driest roads. They completely miss one of the most important features of a tire.
Seasonality
These tires are awful in all weather. From dry and sunny to freezing and slushy, these tires never perform properly.
Adaptability
Autogreen tires have very low adaptability on the road and the market. They fit a limited number of passenger vehicles and don’t perform well on any kind of road.
After Sales Services
Autogreen has hardly any customer service. If you complain, you mostly get unhelpful emails that never resolve anything.
Geostar
This tire brand may jump out at you as familiar, and maybe you’ve even used these tires before. But they are more dangerous than they may seem.
Safety
The tires can perform okay in dry, decent conditions. But they become unsafe once weather or rough roads becomes involved.
Durability
The tires won’t last very long, especially if used on difficult roads. The rubber used is cheaper than cheap, despite it being an American company.
Value for Money
Geostar tires usually cost around $80, a good deal for tires. However, for the materials used and the performance, $80 is way too much to spend.
Grip and Traction
The traction and grip are fine on dry roads, but any kind of precipitation or moisture can create a dangerous situation quickly.
Seasonality
The tires can only perform in dry weather, but can’t grab the road once there is any wetness.
Adaptability
The tires have extremely low adaptability on the road when trying to stop. But they are adaptable to different cars, so they work for many models.
After Sales Services
Geostar offers friendly and prompt customer service. They’re pushing these cheap tires for a hefty profit and in the end, probably making money despite the many refunds and returns.
Unicorn
Despite their name, these tires are not special in any way, except for maybe their hazards. Unicorn tires are an untrustworthy brand, and their tires prove it.
Safety
The tire poses many safety threats, from soft tires that can burst to poor traction that can cause car accidents.
Durability
The tires will wear down quickly, but it doesn’t matter because they perform poorly right out of the gate.
Value for Money
The tires cost between $70 and $110, a price point that would make one think it is a quality product, but it is not.
Grip and Traction
The traction is horrendous, and these tires take a very long time to come to a full stop.
Seasonality
The Unicorn tires struggle immensely in the rain and wet road conditions. They slip and slide and cannot handle any precipitation.
Adaptability
Unicorn tires cannot adapt to many cars or many situations. From rain to snow to simply stopping, the tires constantly underperform.
After Sales Services
The company’s after-sales service isn’t horrendous, but in some cases, you can get your money back.
What Are the Worst Winter Tires?
The worst tires for winter weather on our list are the Accelera. These are awful in moist conditions and cold weather. A close runner-up is the AKC brand, which can’t grip even dry road at higher speeds.
Are Chinese Tires OK?
Tires made in China do not go through the same rigorous inspections and tests that tires made in the US must undergo. This means the tires that come out of China can be significantly lower in quality and construction.
