Why did my new tire pop after refilling its air?

Question

I drive a 2017 Corolla.

I recently (~2 months ago) replaced all of my tires. While driving today, I noticed the plmp-plmp-plmp bumping of a flat tire, pulled over at the closest gas station, and saw my back-right tire was totally flat.

At said station, I filled all my tires (including this one) with air, expecting it to leak out again, but expecting that it'd be good enough to get back home. While I was filling the flat, I heard a concerning creaking sound, like the air being put into it was straining the tire.

I took the pump out and heard the pretty audible hiss of air leaving the tire... and then an extremely loud pop as the tire popped in front of me.

What would cause the creaking sound, and what would cause the tire to pop like this? Is it possible I got a tire that was old enough to audibly creak when filling it with air?

(Thinking of it: Is it possible that this had something to do w/ the beads in the tire going over the rim?)

Answer 1

I would suggest you most likely got a defective tire. It might be old, but you'd have to run the date code on it to tell. Regardless, it's flat and it needs replaced. This is what tire warranties are all about. Take it back to where you got it from and they should replace it free of charge under warranty.

SUGGESTION: When you take the tire back to get replaced, don't tell them you were refilling the tire or what have you. Just tell them it blew out while driving. The reason I suggest this is, the tire is bad because it is defective. Don't give them any wiggle room to get around giving you a replacement.

The tire going flat should have nothing to do with the beads going over the rim. As long as the tire place you got the new tires from is reputable, there should be no issues. The bead going over the rim is how tires get mounted to the rim ... just no two ways about it. Millions (speculative number) of tires every day get mounted this way. If something were to happen in the mounting process which would have caused this, that too should be covered under warranty.

Answer 2

Depending on your wheels and tires, some reasons for new tires losing air may be caused by hidden corrosion if your wheels are aluminum and/or low quality tires. From manufacturing, virtually all factory aluminum wheels may combine paint and clear coat and may or may not have clear coat on the inside. Bare aluminum corrodes; bare aluminum screen doors oxidize and turn from bright to dull gray. Aluminum wheels chipped anywhere on the perimeter will eventually corrode from road salts and exposure. Once corrosion begins, the bead seal breaks and allows air to leak out. Hidden by the tire sidewall against the inside rim, corrosion simply spreads like a blister, forcing the tire sidewall away from the inside aluminum sidewall. Better tire retailers know this and will take steps like using a sanding wheel to remove corrosion before mounting a tire. They're not obligated to clear coat wheels. Signs of bead seal leaks would be the painted/coated wheels with chipping/damage from curb rash showing bare aluminum turning darker than original. If chipped/damaged anywhere on the perimeter, corrosion will eventually enter beneath the tire bead, inside the wheel. Air leaks would be caused by corroded aluminum wheels and not the tire. Guess how I know? Poor quality tires may contribute to premature wheel/tire problems too if sold with a deep discount. The popping sound from refilling with air may be from driving the completely flat tire until reaching a gas station then refilling with air; the tire may have broken the bead seal on either side then luck allowed refilling with air. Weighted down by the car, the broken seal between tire and wheel may simply pop back with a distinctive sound as the tire is realigned to the wheel sidewall from air pressure. On wheel service equipment where tires are dismounted and new tires are mounted to wheel, popping can occur when a tire isn't perfectly aligned to a wheel. Every tire jockey is aware of this and no harm occurs.