Recently, the mainland China’s automobile complaint platform has received a large number of complaints about the cracking of Hankook and Jinhu original tires. Many car owners have reported that their vehicles, with only two to three years of use and low mileage, have shown abnormal cracking on the tire tread or sidewall, involving more than ten models including FAW-Volkswagen, SAIC Volkswagen, Xiaomi, and Tesla.
According to a report by “Red Star News” on June 13, recently, several models under FAW-Volkswagen and SAIC Volkswagen have been complained about the cracking of original tires, with the tire brands involved mainly being Hankook and Jinhu.
Mr. Song, a Speed Pegasus owner, stated that his vehicle is mainly used for urban commuting. After two and a half years of use and driving about 30,000 kilometers, both front tires cracked at the seams. After providing photos to the 4S store, Hankook responded that the cracks were due to aging and not a quality issue. Mr. Song said that while the 4S store claimed the tires were fine, they also suggested replacement.
Another Speed Pegasus owner, Mr. Zhou, with a 2023 model, mentioned that after more than two years of use and driving about 17,000 kilometers, all four tires showed obvious cracks in the tread grooves. After inspection by the 4S store staff, they stated that this was a “natural phenomenon” and could continue to be used for three more years. Mr. Zhou disagreed, believing that the quick cracking of multiple tires on a low-mileage vehicle cannot simply be attributed to natural aging.
The report mentioned that the Car Quality Network’s May report on the Mainland China automobile complaint ranking and analysis showed 6144 complaints related to “tire cracking,” accounting for 22.24% of total complaints and becoming the most frequently reported issue. From January to May 2026, the Car Quality Network received a total of 5030 complaints regarding “tire cracking” involving models such as FAW-Volkswagen Speed Pegasus and Maiteng, as well as SAIC Volkswagen Passat.
Other models involved in the complaints include the T-Cross, Bora, Teramont L, Tacqua, Lang Yi, T-ROC, and Audi A4L. Additionally, the Xiaom YU7 and Tesla Model Y, which use Hankook original tires, have also seen complaints related to “tire cracking.”
Regarding these complaints, Tesla and Xiaomi customer service claimed they did not have information about tire cracking. FAW-Volkswagen and SAIC Volkswagen customer service stated that they have not received mass feedback yet nor had a unified tire replacement policy, suggesting owners to check with the local 4S store first. Jinhu tire customer service mentioned that tires are vulnerable parts with a warranty period of 6 months or 10,000 kilometers, and owners need to have them inspected by the 4S store first.
“Red Star News” mentioned that a responsible person from FAW-Volkswagen confirmed receiving relevant complaints recently and the manufacturer is following up. A responsible person from Jinhu tires stated that FAW-Volkswagen and Jinhu have been communicating with owners and the Car Quality Network to handle solutions, but according to internal compensation standards, many owners may not qualify for compensation.
At the end of May, the Car Quality Network released a specialized inspection report that examined six faulty tire samples. All samples belonged to the Hankook or Jinhu brands, with manufacturing dates within four years, driving mileage of approximately 30,000 to 36,000 kilometers, and all showed tire surface cracking issues. The test results indicated that all six tires passed durability, low-pressure, and high-speed performance tests without structural failures such as bulging, delamination, fracture, or air leakage, and the cracks did not continue to expand.
However, the owners who filed complaints do not accept the conclusions of this report. Mr. Song mentioned that the inspection report only indicates that the tested tires did not show immediate safety issues, but it failed to explain why this batch of tires cracked prematurely compared to the past, with larger and similar cracking patterns. He believes this is not due to individual improper use or environmental factors but rather appears to be a quality issue that manifested on a large scale.
“Red Star News” also cited industry insiders who analyzed that if tires show premature cracking in large quantities, it could be related to factors such as tire formulation, anti-aging agent dosage, buffer rubber thickness, or protective wax quantity. However, the specific reasons still require clarification from the manufacturers or further testing by third-party organizations.