Hi Scotti
I need two front tires after I hit a concrete parking lot divider. The concrete edge took a chunk out of the side wall. A mechanic recommended changing both front tires other wise the imbalance might cause ABS problems. While shopping I came across what is called "blemished" tires. They claim they are brand new but have some sort of cosmetic defect. They are still considered road worthy. The price discount is substantial. $58.00 vs $135 for a name brand. My mechanic said he would mount and balance them for $35 a tire. They come with no warranty but the Hankook warranty did not help on the tires I am replacing. Had any experience with these?
New tires sold as blemished tires are supposed to have cosmetic defects only. The discount can mean no road-hazard or pro-rata tread wear warranty(s) etc, but the lower cost can be significant. The previous set of tires on my Tacoma were Uniroyal Tiger Paw white letter tires and they were blems. They were like $35 cheaper per tire than the same tire with no 'defects'. I bought a set, blacked out the white lettering and mounted them with the white letters to the inside so you wouldn't notice. The tires were fine just a lot cheaper. My limited experience was been favorable.
Here is Tiremart's explanation. Other tire places have similar descriptions on their web sites. They are subject to availability. As it stands they did not have any in my size.
Follow up:
I bought the pair of blemished tires. Turns out the following week they had my size. They were on my front porch when I came home from home Sunday services. My wife and I got to roll them into my garage in our dress clothes. A local mechanic balanced and mounted them. Both tires hold air and balanced fine. It appeared they had never been mounted on a rim before. They still had the gate flash marks from mold they were made from. The car is 4 years old. Initially I put them on the front but it was immediately noticeable they were noisy. If on a smooth recently paved highway you hear this wine that follows the speed of the car. They got me through the annual New York state safety inspection. The manufacturer's name was sanded off the tires and a name Strada-II was branded into the sidewall. The tread was identical on both tires so I know they came from the same batch. They left the DOT numbers and a date code on. The date code indicated both tires were made in 2021 so they have been on the shelf 3 years. A mechanic said they were heavy duty all weather tires. He went on to say some tires coming in from Asia are noisy. I rotated them to the back of the car and now the noise is behind me and very faint. They come with no warranty what so ever. Supposedly they are traceable by the DOT numbers. Apparently those numbers can't be removed or the tires can't be sold legally. In two years the car would be due for a new set of tires and at $58 a piece are a good stop gap measure until then. If they hold up maybe I will only have to replace the other two tires when the time comes.
To me they are great for a kid who does not have much money. You are at the mercy of availability. They just happen to have two in the size I was looking for. All they have to do is get me through a couple of New York winters. I looked on several tire web sites and they all stock blemishes at discount prices. You then have to get them mounted your self and they have no warranty.
Just my view for what it's worth. If I notice any gotchas I will let you know.
@mrbob The major downside of buying blemished tires is having no warranty of any kind. That's pretty much it. Kudos and hope you get good service from them .