Folks Of Interest Coker Tire Ruined my Rant

I inherited some brand new Coker Classic tires that are now on a banger of mine. I'm figuring out if I can run with the Hamtown crew to Pomona in June. I got the car out today to see what sustained 70-75 mph looks like. Ugly, the whole front end shakes due to excessive run out on a Coker Classic 5.60X15. The initial tire purchase was made in California, it is now in New Mexico. It still has the little tits on it and I have the receipt where it was purchased, but it is a re-purchase by me. Defective product is defective product. I'm going through that with a customer right now on a new replacement part they purchased, but was defective. It is called 'customer service' so that is the department I called (select 3 from your keypad) only to get a total, non-customer oriented jerk who told me I needed to follow protocol and return it to where it was purchased originally. He fielded every one of my reasons to deal with Coker direct. I've spent a lot of money with Coker and intended to spend more. When I ask this jerk his name, he hung up on me.
I was hot and called back. The hold time allowed me to cool off and be civil. When a different rep answered I ask for a manager. He said that the manager was in a meeting and if he could understand my problem he could fix it. He did, explaining the Coker return policy. He is shipping me a replacement tire. Coker is paying the ride both ways and based on DOT date and tread depth refunding the difference against the purchase price, I was charged today, for the tire they sending me.
I believe they did me good and I appreciate it.
Larry

 

I also had a problem one Time , there a Punk kid by the sound of his voice, ( did not catch his name ) that hung up on me , Called back ,
Steve took Care of the issue I was having with a Tire .

 

Consider yourself lucky or perhaps Coker is finally getting the message. When I had a problem they basically told me, "Too bad, we screwed you". I for one won't by Cokers again. Happy it worked out for you.

 

Good for you and Coker to man up and take care of business. I am well over 100,000 miles on only two sets of Michelin radials, daily driver only vehicle nearing 20 years. Oh, the first set were 'gently used' and I put over 50,000 on them.

 

Have a very good friend that had Coker Wide White Radials on his Impala, his problem was the white walls were cracking like alligator skin in less than a year. He came across a Coker Rep at a show somewhere and asked him to have a look and see what could be done. Rep stopped by had a look asked some reasonable questions and when my buddy got home and went to the mail box there was a shipping tag and instructions as to how to return said tires for exchange. He needless to say is very happy. Joe

 

About two years ago I purchased some Coker wide white radials for a "58 Edsel. The tires balanced out ok but had large amounts of side wall stiffness (radial force variation). Fearing a vibration issue I called Coker. I explained my issue. He ask about the equipment I used and the resulting sidewall stiffness. They replaced three of the four. One of the replacements still had what I considered too much (38lbs) RFV. The Coker rep ask me to go ahead and run the tire and see if it did cause a vibration. I am pleased to say the customer seems happy and has not complained of a vibration.

 

sometimes you get lucky - good to hear some positive stuff

 

I've had problems with just about every purchase, they have a severe QC problem..... And they're not cheap money either.

Mostly non concentric issues and side to side wobbly.

 

I have had 3 bias tires of theirs that I've purchased brand new that had unacceptable run out. I'm done with the bias plys. I've had better luck with the radials, but one that I purchased was a bit out of round also.
Point being, they may be getting better at customer service, but why can't they get the production problems fixed?
I think that's the real problem.
I'm about done with Coker.

 

It's proper etiquette for a CSR (customer service rep) to state their name when they answer a call. If they don't, I always ask their name. I write it down with the date and time I called and take high level notes. Once you have their name, you're less likely to be blown off or "have your call accidentally disconnected".
If I have to contact them again, I have a record of who I spoke to and what was said. If you call back a second, third time and don't recall who you spoke with, you may get the "I don't know who told you that" routine and you'll be back to square one.

Glad your situation worked out.

 

I tend to agree with you and I hope that the replacement is better than the one that is currently on the car. The three other tires are fine. We will see the ultimate outcome and I'll update when it happens.

The first rep told me that "bias ply tires are for dirt roads".....I guess that way it is the road, not the tire is what you can blame all the shaking on. I am of the age that we used to run bias tires on all our trucks and they didn't have run out. I remember selling Atlas tires at the Enco station I worked at and they didn't have run out, they might not be round but we had a machine with a rotating cutter on it that would true a tire round after it was mounted on the wheel. Our instructions were to have the customer drive the car for a week or two and bring it back in and we would turn them then. I remember Ok Rubber Welders did the same.

 

I read that Corky Coker has a saying, "Its always the right thing, to do the right thing."

 

The problem is Coker is using old molds.

 

Nothing Tees me off more than getting poor customer service!
I was glad you were able to call back and get in touch with someone who knew what to do and fixed you up.
I take it that you've been taking advantage of the nice weather we've been having lately and putting some miles on?

Take care
Bobby

 

We will see what the ultimate outcome is.
Yes I have been taking advantage of the weather. Had the Travelall out on a trash run....you need to come look at a Model A frame for that T you want to build.

 

I've never had any luck with Coker Tires . I use Diamond Back now , and try my best to talk others to do the same .

 

I just buy them through Summit, they have great customer service and free shipping! I did have 1 bad front out of my last set, I also started using those Dyna Beads for balancing.

 

I hear ya! I'm ready to get started. I'll give you a call sometime this week, maybe we can set something up for the weekend.

Bobby

 

COKER TIRE is like all tire manufacturers,every now and then your gonna have a problem.

How you react when you call customer service will determine the tone and direction your claim will take.

Ranting and raving when the customer service representative answers the call will automatically put them on the defensive, at this point this conversation will not be amiable.
Cooler heads usually prevail.HRP

 

I am glad that Coker took care of you. I have used their products with wonderful results. I know I will get hell for this remark but I have been building all types of cars, trucks and motorcycles for over 40 years. everything from stock 100 point restorations to mega horsepower street and race only cars, and I still find it funny when somebody takes a suspension and tire design that was conceived in the 30's and 40's and think they can run 70 to 75 without issues. I know you want traditional, and I think it's cool! But as always there is a trade off! Larry

 

I have had two sets of Coker bias plys. They drove down the road at 80 with no vibrations. But after a couple years or so, the whitewall starts crackling. Others have had the same trouble. But DAMMIT I love those pie crust bias plys, and nobody else makes them. So I just drive the crackle tires 'till they're 5 yrs old, and buy another set.

 

Mold is usually old

Glad you are back Danny

I hear you loud clear but I want my cake and eat it too. I have the Firestone WW bias on a '31 Roadster that I can drive faster than I can admit on a web forum, no shaking, no run out. No radials, no way
Larry

 

Over the past 30 years or so, we have bought probably 20 sets of various tires from Coker and never had one issue whatsoever. Right now all 3 of our cars (and two of my project cars) are wearing their bias ply tires. Lots of miles with zero issues ever.

Not sure why so many of you claim to have had problems, but I can not say the same.

Don

 

I agree Don,I have had several sets of bias ply tires from Coker and have never had a tire problem directly related to a tire manufacturing issue.

and I drive a hot rod the way it should be driven,I did have to replace a rear tire on my Deuce pickup due to rubber loss.....smokey burnout's. HRP

 

Danny, glad to see you back up and posting,But, old pal, we gotta get rid of that one legged rear end!

 

Well the new tire showed up as promised and I had it swapped out. The replacement is a run out free tire and all the front end boogie went away. The RMA along with the prepaid return address label showed up in the mail today.
Additionally, Jess who is V.P. of Sales with Coker called me today. He stated that he had read this thread and apologized for my experience with the first bozo I encountered. I let him know that Ben, the second contact, has done everything that he stated he would do.
I know that Coker has a relationship with HAMB and that I will use my ALLIANCE member status to purchase tires with my discount from them in the future. They have really ruined my rant. Not a bad thing.

Larry

 

I had a Coker Classic that had a hell of a run out on it. From day 1 I couldn't get rid of the front end wobble between 45-55 mph. Got ahold of Coker and explained the situation. They wouldn't deal with it because I didn't purchase it direct from them. I purchased from Performance Tire out of L.A. They have excellent customer service. They sent me a shipping tag and shipped it back to them. They examined it and found it to be defective and sent me a new tire. All this when the actual purchase date was 2.5 years prior. Performance Tire good people, excellent customer service.

 

So got a package in the mail today from Coker. It had a Coker t-shirt and a note from the VP of sales letting me know that he hoped my problem was resolved. I've sent the original tire back using the prepaid FedEx label they supplied. We will see if there is any credit back for that tire but it sure looks like they are working hard on the customer service thing and there is a reason they are an Alliance vendor.
Thank you Coker for ruining my rant.....
Larry

 

ordered set of tires from them using my Discover card, I had a zero balance and hadn't used the card in several months, within a couple of hours of the order I went online to check the total that was charged to my card by them, glad I did, shortly after the order someone in Florida had just went shopping using my card number, luckily it wasn't huge ($145.00) think they were testing it and were getting ready to ding it hard. I called Discover and they shut the card down.... called Coker and told them they have an issue with an employee and I got hung up on, ordered cancelled during next call..... thank you Coker Tire for a weeks worth of headaches getting my Discover Card fixed...

 

For all this so called GOOD customer service, who pays the shipping on problems?