# VW CC 2012 - Tire Cupping Issues



## CZ1972 (Jun 11, 2011)

Has anyone had any issues with tire cupping? I recently had my 36k service at the VW dealer and they advised me that i had severe cupping on my tires. They stated that this is a typical issue with the CC as the way the wheels are set/camber along with the cars stance and the weight distribution of the car. Has anyone had a reasonable fix to this?


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## VdubTX (Jul 5, 2003)

CZ1972 said:


> Has anyone had any issues with tire cupping? I recently had my 36k service at the VW dealer and they advised me that i had severe cupping on my tires. They stated that this is a typical issue with the CC as the way the wheels are set/camber along with the cars stance and the weight distribution of the car. Has anyone had a reasonable fix to this?


 Yes. Well known issue. 

Only real fix is to be sure you rotate every 5k miles and get it aligned regularly. Will still occur, but will get a few more miles out of them.


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## CC'ed (Dec 1, 2009)

Its the tires...not the car.


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## Turb02 (Jul 15, 2010)

^ I agree. Im still on my factory tires and Im at 52,xxx miles. Not saying they dont need to be replaced, but they arent cupped. Im a 2010 MY but that shouldnt matter


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## nater (Apr 10, 2000)

CC'ed said:


> Its the tires...not the car.


 X2. What kind of tires do you have? Large outside edge tread blocks will cup quite easily.
I work at a tire shop, we see it all. :banghead:
Rotate as often as possible! 3k miles if you can


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## OEMplusCC (Jan 27, 2013)

I replaced my tires at 32K due to cupping and got alignment done.


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## funkingofast (Dec 29, 2012)

Second set of tires here with 38K. Now this set is doing same thing with 39500. I installed eibachs and had the car aligned. Rode great for about 1k and started making chopping sounds again. Really sucks, I only hear it when windows are up but its freakin annoying.


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## CC'ed (Dec 1, 2009)

funkingofast said:


> Second set of tires here with 38K. Now this set is doing same thing with 39500. I installed eibachs and had the car aligned. Rode great for about 1k and started making chopping sounds again. Really sucks, I only hear it when windows are up but its freakin annoying.


 What brand and model are your second set of tires? Contis again?


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## funkingofast (Dec 29, 2012)

CC'ed said:


> What brand and model are your second set of tires? Contis again?


 im running Falken Ziex tires. i know theyre not the best tires but I didnt have cash to buy michelins. :facepalm:


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## artist309 (Aug 6, 2011)

*My Story with my CC and Tires*

I had a similar issue with my 2012 CC R-Line with OEM 19" sagitta wheels and Toyo Proxes tires. . the dealer had the car for a week, and agreed upon my asking to replace the right front hub under warranty. I replaced the left out of pocket at an Audi dealership in Michigan. This was also after 2 sets of replacement tires courtesy of the dealers - two, Dealer 1 for cross rotating the Toyo Proxes, the second set of Michelin Super Sports were installed but no alignment was performed. And oh yeah, dealer 2 cross rotated the Michelins. 

There have been no issues with noise whatsoever once the hubs were replaced - the Audi mechanic stated that the hubs are centric to the geometry of alignment of the vehicle which can cause the rotors to wear abnormally and cause the cupping I experienced on the edges of the tires. I no longer go to either of these VW dealerships for service - both handle multiple brands from different manufacturers.


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## funkingofast (Dec 29, 2012)

I'll definitely have to look into that because its annoying. It sounds like I have wheel completely out of balance but its not, just had them balanced and rotated again. Sometimes I think it might be a bent rim but dont think that's what it is. Constantly makes wobbling noise and it did it before I had the eibachs installed. My wife has a 13 Honda sport and the suspension in that car is awesome. The dealer said at Honda they use Mcphearson suspension. To me the Honda blows away the CC in handling&comfort. I love the CC but I feel like this car is becoming a money pit. Sorry just venting from frustration.


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## bturner8859 (Jul 4, 2011)

*More Tire Cupping*

I have a 2012 VW CC Sport that I had cupping all around at 14000 miles. Contacted VW Customer Care and they went half on a new set of Conti DWS I love the tires but now I have 28500 miles on the vehicle(about 14000 miles on these new tires) and I have the same cupping issue again. The car was aligned prior to installation of the new rubber. My son has a 2009 VW CC VR6 and he is now on his second set of Yokohama Avids with cupping issues. There is definity something wrong with the design. Shouldn't have to replace the tires every year


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## funkingofast (Dec 29, 2012)

Im right there with you, I think its a design flaw too. Ive had this car since new and road noise has been big issue. Now the tires cupping on top of it, Cmon man!! This car should ride a lot better than it does especially what I paid for it. My 36000 mile warranty has ran out so the stealership will tell me to take a hike if I complain again to them.


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## kevin splits (Aug 23, 2010)

Get Neogens, buh bye cupping, from what I hear. :beer: 

Do you guys think its just a issue with the stock tires?


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## bturner8859 (Jul 4, 2011)

Will be interesting to hear what VW customer care says next week!


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## funkingofast (Dec 29, 2012)

Let us know what they say.


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## bturner8859 (Jul 4, 2011)

So here is VW response: 

At such low mileage, I am sorry to learn about the tire wear and cupping you have experienced with your CC. 

I understand your frustration with these concerns, as they may ultimately affect your decision to purchase another VW in the future, and you are seeking a resolution. 

Because Volkswagen does not manufacture or warranty the tires on our cars, I recommend contacting the manufacture of your tires, Continental, as they may be able to assist you with the concerns you are experiencing, or offer an additional warranty for your tires.* They can be reached at (800) 847-3349. 

Your family’s loyalty to our Volkswagen brand is appreciated, and it is my hope that somehow in the future, we’re able to restore your confidence in the VW brand. 

If you have any other questions, please feel free to email us again. 

Sincerely, 




Customer CARE Advocate


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## kevin splits (Aug 23, 2010)

That's a nice way of telling you to get lost. On my mkv I had uneven wear on the stock Goals that car came with and they replaced all 4 wheels and tires no questions asked... 

Any ideas to what causes the rapid cupping on the CC? (sorry if I missed it)


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## bturner8859 (Jul 4, 2011)

Suppose to be something with the way the suspension/alignment is set at


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## L-I-V-I-N (Jan 26, 2009)

I have this same issue. With 45k on stock tires. 

are we saying there is no real fix here? 

It seems guys are getting alignments and 
different tires, but it always comes back. 

Is hub replacement the only way? 
or will cross rotating help? 

gotta be something


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## CC'ed (Dec 1, 2009)

The hubs, and the front wheel bearings have nothing to do with tire cupping problems, nor can they cause "excessive" wear of the front discs.


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## VdubTX (Jul 5, 2003)

kevin FaKiN spLits said:


> Any ideas to what causes the rapid cupping on the CC? (sorry if I missed it)


 Negative camber. Too much negative and you start to wear the inside edge of the tire resulting in cupping.


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## funkingofast (Dec 29, 2012)

Does any company make a camber kit for the CC because I can't seem to find one?


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## bturner8859 (Jul 4, 2011)

*More on cupping*



bturner8859 said:


> So here is VW response:
> 
> At such low mileage, I am sorry to learn about the tire wear and cupping you have experienced with your CC.
> 
> ...


So after several more emails to Customer Care, they moved my problem up to the regional case manager. I was at the VW dealer last week to have my 30,000 mile service, and while I was there they took photos of my tires and did not do the tire rotation because the rears were worse than the fronts....The Regional case manager called me tonight and said that VW does not warranty the tires(I am so tired of hearing that I could scream). I still believe there is a design flaw or an incorrect alignment setting. They are not going to do anything regarding this problem, and probably never will unless the rest of you that are having problems say something... I've been driving cars for 40+ years and never had tire wear problems like this. This is going to be the last VW product that I ever buy! Beware VW CC owners and possible future buyers!:banghead:


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## CC'ed (Dec 1, 2009)

Excessive camber will wear the edge of a tire, but that wear does not cause cupping.


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## CC_Lover (Sep 5, 2012)

I'm experiencing the exact same problem with my CC. I've complained to the dealer since I bought it CPO and they included 4 new tires. I've heard that the problem is actually typical for CC's. The warbling sound didn't start with mine until I was about 15K miles into the new set of rubber. I was told that there was nothing I could do about it. It seems to me that a Laythe type of thing (like in woodworking) would do the trick as long as you don't mind loosing some of the rubber and milage lifespan 

I'm frustrated by this and as much as I love the car it WOULD make me reconsider purchasing another CC in the future.


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## funkingofast (Dec 29, 2012)

If you type on google tire cupping on vw cc, you'll see alot if people have this problem. If I wouldve known this car had this problem with only 39000 miles I wouldve walked out. I kick myself in the ass for not doing my homework on the CC first. Ive had other problems with this car too. I get annoyed more and more each day I drive it. For 30 grand this car should ride a lot better than it does. It needs adjustable control arms or some kind if camber kit which nobody seems to sell. I think they make them for the passat, maybe someone can cross reference the numbers. Im not if the CC is built on the passat frame though


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## jddaigle (May 30, 2003)

39,000mi on one set of tires doesn't seem bad, especially on a relatively heavy car that I would guess gets driven in a "spirited" manner.  Keep your tires rotated every oil change and do some research before you buy your next set--every tire has a different blend of grip, ride, and durability.


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## cngreeno (Jul 11, 2012)

*2 tires one cup*

Cupping hey? Well if I get 40k out of any tire I am stoked they way I drive. But ever since I got my 2012 CC I have mostly driven it like an old man (except that one night against a V-6 Mustang and two young kids) I don't know if they are cupping yet w 14k on them (One year old) but I doubt I will get more than 30k out of them. Fine with me as long as tyhey don't start getting super loud. Oh yeah: Stock Conti's OOne last thing, I nailed a curb at 6500 miles and had to replace one tire. $185 ouch! Also spent $$$ on an alignment at the dealer but at least it was 25% off alignment month. lol


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## Sammzway (Aug 14, 2011)

The question is, are you lads on an aftermarket suspension or springs? I have a 2012 and currently have 45k miles on it and 0 tire issue. I've put my car through some massive rim eating NYC potholes and now currently have 1 slightly bent rim (which I threw in the back), my tires are still in pretty good shape. Only thing is I do hear the chopper noise time to time but after multiple inspections by the dealer and local shops, no immature tire wear.


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## hennessey63 (May 19, 2013)

*New CC Owner - Soooooo frustrated!*

I recently bought a CPO 2012 CC Sport with 14k miles on it. Around 17k miles I had cupping on all four tires. Dealership wouldn't do anything because tires aren't covered. I spoke with a Service Manager at Continental and he told me that they have been fighting with VW about this for a while. He said they are trying to get VW to change the rotation interval to 6k miles instead of the 10k miles they have in the owner's manual. Conti replaced all four tires as a "one time exception". Now, about 2k miles later, the problem is back....I have asked VW to take the car back. I don't think that will ever happen but I want my case well documented. I 'm even going to look into New Jersey Lemon Law to see if I can take action. To me it seems like the problem is with the car. I say this because so many people who have reported this problem and changed tire brands have had the problem again. I see comments blaming alignment/camber adjustment or the tires but there is no definitive cause. For those CC owners who don't have this problem consider yourself lucky. For those of us who do have this problem, I think the only way to get any resolution is to keep putting pressure on VW Customer Care. It's such a shame because this is such a nice car but when you keep having issues you start to hate it. Camrys and Accords are about as boring as it gets but I've owned both and never had issues like this....


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## suzukirider1300 (Apr 4, 2013)

When I bought my 2010 CPO CC, the tires were making a loud roaring. The salesman said maybe I can just drive with the music on a little and not notice it. They took it back to service and the guys there said everything under the car was good. The sales guy said they would put a set of brand new tires on it or give me the money for new tire. I was having a hard time deciding to buy the car or not but then they offer like $1300 total off if I bought it so I did. Now I put my Brother-in-Laws new tires and wheels off his Audi and the noise is gone. When I bought the car, I had every intention of lowering, 19"s and a gold coast kit but now I am scared to spend anymore money on it if the tires are going to cup again. I dont want to keep buying tires. I love the car but this issue is ridiculous!!!


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## MrRline (Apr 6, 2010)

suzukirider1300 said:


> When I bought my 2010 CPO CC, the tires were making a loud roaring. The salesman said maybe I can just drive with the music on a little and not notice it. They took it back to service and the guys there said everything under the car was good. The sales guy said they would put a set of brand new tires on it or give me the money for new tire. I was having a hard time deciding to buy the car or not but then they offer like $1300 total off if I bought it so I did. Now I put my Brother-in-Laws new tires and wheels off his Audi and the noise is gone. When I bought the car, I had every intention of lowering, 19"s and a gold coast kit but now I am scared to spend anymore money on it if the tires are going to cup again. I dont want to keep buying tires. I love the car but this issue is ridiculous!!!


The conti's are the worst offenders for the cupping issue. Sadly it doesn't go away no matter what you really do to the car. As far as lowering it I wouldn't be afraid at all it's not going to cup any worse than it is now, but be prepared to rotate or deal with a little noise in the beginning. I usually burn the crap out of a front set of tires and about 10-15k miles later I just throw the backs on the front and repeat. Right now i'm running the hankook ventus v12 evo's and they arent' bad at all when you swap them.


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## suzukirider1300 (Apr 4, 2013)

I plan on rotating every 3000 to 5000 miles so hopefully I won't have the problem. We shall see what happens. Does anyone had an trouble with the Conti Extreme Contact tires cupping?


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## MrRline (Apr 6, 2010)

suzukirider1300 said:


> I plan on rotating every 3000 to 5000 miles so hopefully I won't have the problem. We shall see what happens. Does anyone had an trouble with the Conti Extreme Contact tires cupping?


Heard better results with some of those as far as winter traction, and improved over the contipro's but overall you're still going to run into the issue.


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## suzukirider1300 (Apr 4, 2013)

Im in the south so winters are not that bad. I dont push my tires at all so I just need a decent looking 19" that is going to last.


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## juvefan20 (Mar 24, 2001)

I am at 8500 miles and rotated my wheels every 4k and they still get cupped, mainly the rear. This is my 2nd CC and it has happened on both cars the very same way. I am bringing the car in tomorrow for some other issues and will bring the tire issue up. I hope my dealer will be one of the better ones and help me get the Continentals off my car, I will say though that my 2010 CC cupped the Conti's with the sealer inside and my 13 CC is doing the same with the sealer filled tires. My old one they replaced the sealed tires with non-sealed Pro Contacts and I had not cupping or balancing issues for over 25K. Wonder if something with the sealer that causes a balance issue which leads to this type of tire wear.


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## eyecon7 (May 23, 2013)

is this mainly in the front or rear? and can someone tell me what stock camber is set at? I had this issue on my lexus, but that was due to excessive camber -3.5 and it was slammed to the ground.


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## juvefan20 (Mar 24, 2001)

my car does it in the rear, alignment was checked when I brought it in for service and it was right on all around. I asked if I could have something done since this is my 2nd CC with the the same cupping issue and I was shut down because of my Eibach springs which I figured would happen. 

I am actually going to take a palm sander this weekend to smooth out the tires and kill the tires off this summer. This being me 2nd CC with cupping issues I am a pro and smoothing the cupping from the tires haha


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## CZ1972 (Jun 11, 2011)

I purchased a newest of Conti's DWS's and going to get them put on this weekend. Based on what im hearing its a reoccurring issue with this VW CC model. Little disappointed to hear but I have no choice I will have to perform the rotations based on the recommendations you guys posted 5k or sooner and hope for the best ill report back in a few months. I chose the Conti's because they were great tires on my dad's Mercedes and they performed very well especially up here in Buffalo winters. So I tried them out by swapping the OEM tires with Conti's when I upgrade to 18" rims and got 45k miles out of them before I am replacing them. Cupping on all 4 tires though the road noise is unbearable. I test drove a Honda accord and you cant compare the ride and sportiness of the CC that aside the tire situation is leaving me bitter. To top that off I keeping losing the damn center logo caps as well on my fourth set of those and the car is just over 2 yrs old. Let see how the new set works out.


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## irongrey (Dec 16, 2009)

I have 40k on a set of Michelin Pilot Sport A/S and they have held up fairly well with plenty of hard driving. I will need tires soon, but no cupping.


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## DavidPaul (Nov 28, 2009)

CZ1972 said:


> I purchased a newest of Conti's DWS's and going to get them put on this weekend. Based on what im hearing its a reoccurring issue with this VW CC model. Little disappointed to hear but I have no choice I will have to perform the rotations based on the recommendations you guys posted 5k or sooner and hope for the best ill report back in a few months. I chose the Conti's because they were great tires on my dad's Mercedes and they performed very well especially up here in Buffalo winters. So I tried them out by swapping the OEM tires with Conti's when I upgrade to 18" rims and got 45k miles out of them before I am replacing them. Cupping on all 4 tires though the road noise is unbearable. I test drove a Honda accord and you cant compare the ride and sportiness of the CC that aside the tire situation is leaving me bitter. To top that off I keeping losing the damn center logo caps as well on my fourth set of those and the car is just over 2 yrs old. Let see how the new set works out.


 Yes, the Contis have very serious cupping issues on the CC. I was really glad to get rid of mine on my 09 CC for the Coopers and that is why I had the dealer put them on my brand new 13 CC. 

Like you said, the roar of those cupped Contis is unbearable, not to mention the rumble vibration, especially at slow speeds. They felt like very aggressive snow tires. 

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I kept my old Coopers when trading the 09 for the 13 even though they already had 10,000 miles on them. 

I would rather have used Coopers as opposed to brand new Contis.


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## jspirate (Jan 15, 2011)

suzukirider1300 said:


> I plan on rotating every 3000 to 5000 miles so hopefully I won't have the problem. We shall see what happens. Does anyone had an trouble with the Conti Extreme Contact tires cupping?


 I have OEM 19' Sagittas, H&R springs, H&R front sway and Conti DW tire. I only have 12,000 miles on em and I rotate every 2500 miles or so, but no issues yet. I do have some nice wear on the inside of the tire, but I think that is normal for a high horsepower FWD.


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## Will22 (Jan 5, 2013)

jspirate said:


> I have OEM 19' Sagittas, H&R springs, H&R front sway and Conti DW tire. I only have 12,000 miles on em and I rotate every 2500 miles or so, but no issues yet. I do have some nice wear on the inside of the tire, but I think that is normal for a high horsepower FWD.


 Not really, tyres should ware even no matter how much power unless set up for track. I just changed my tyres, went from 235/35/19 to 235/40/19 to see what they are like. My front were down to under 3mm even across the tyre. I got just over 5k out of them. 

The problem with cupping is from the way the car is setup by vw to understeer because its safer to have a car understeer as most people wouldn't know what to do if the car oversteered. The plus point of having the geometry sorted is you can get the car to lift-off oversteer.


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## jspirate (Jan 15, 2011)

Will22 said:


> Not really, tyres should ware even no matter how much power unless set up for track. I just changed my tyres, went from 235/35/19 to 235/40/19 to see what they are like. My front were down to under 3mm even across the tyre. I got just over 5k out of them.
> 
> The problem with cupping is from the way the car is setup by vw to understeer because its safer to have a car understeer as most people wouldn't know what to do if the car oversteered. The plus point of having the geometry sorted is you can get the car to lift-off oversteer.


 There is no way to set up the suspension so that all the tires sit perfectly flat in all conditions. Throw in gobs of torq, suspension mods and a LSD and all of it gets exacerbated. Even wearing tires ain't gonna happen unless you tune your suspension to one specific driving condition and then drive it that way all the time. This is why tire rotation is necessary and why tires on any street car can benefit from it.

That said, cupping isn't one of the things you accept in the imperfect tire to pavement relationship.


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## Will22 (Jan 5, 2013)

jspirate said:


> There is no way to set up the suspension so that all the tires sit perfectly flat in all conditions. Throw in gobs of torq, suspension mods and a LSD and all of it gets exacerbated. Even wearing tires ain't gonna happen unless you tune your suspension to one specific driving condition and then drive it that way all the time. This is why tire rotation is necessary and why tires on any street car can benefit from it.
> 
> That said, cupping isn't one of the things you accept in the imperfect tire to pavement relationship.


 I know you can't have the tyres flat on the road all the time, that's obvious but you can stop uneven tyre wear. My last car was a Volvo C30 with over 350Bob, my friend has a Focus RS with over 400bhp and both wear front tyres evenly and my C30 had a quaife diff. Granted the didn't last long but the did wear evenly.


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## jspirate (Jan 15, 2011)

Will22 said:


> I know you can't have the tyres flat on the road all the time, that's obvious but you can stop uneven tyre wear. My last car was a Volvo C30 with over 350Bob, my friend has a Focus RS with over 400bhp and both wear front tyres evenly and my C30 had a quaife diff. Granted the didn't last long but the did wear evenly.


 My RWD s-10 goes through front tires quicker than rear tires. How do you think it would do if it were FWD? It would burn through em even quicker! Now, add another 250 pounds of torq and it will eat through them even quicker yet.

Those front tires see a whole different world as compared to the rear tires. The only way to get even wear is to rotate.


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## Will22 (Jan 5, 2013)

I


jspirate said:


> My RWD s-10 goes through front tires quicker than rear tires. How do you think it would do if it were FWD? It would burn through em even quicker! Now, add another 250 pounds of torq and it will eat through them even quicker yet.
> 
> Those front tires see a whole different world as compared to the rear tires. The only way to get even wear is to rotate.


 I don't know what an S-10 is but if its wearing front tyres quicker than the rear I would get it looked at. I have never had a car wear tyres unevenly. No need for it on modern cars.


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## CC_Lover (Sep 5, 2012)

*Replacing cupped tires. I don't want to make the same mistake again. I'm looking for best practices*

Hi thanks for taking a look at this post. I'm currently one the many suffering from cupped tires onmy 2009 CC. Ive seen a lot of different posts about what causes it and why the CC is prone to this problem.

It's time for me to replace the tires and I'm looking for suggestions on which tire to choose. Should I pick a place that does free lifetime alignments (if there is such a thing) or free tire rotations? 

What I'm really trying to find out is what tires people have chosen when it came time for replacement and how did they prevent the cupping issue from returning or at least minimizing it or delaying it??? :banghead:


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## dmcdayton (Jan 6, 2012)

*No problems so far*

For those with cupping problems, have you maintained tire alignment? Is it stock car?

I haven't had any problems. I just hit 32k on my 2012 Lux Ltd stock rims/tires. I've had 1 alignment, rotated by dealer at each 10k service and I keep tire pressure between 33-36 regardless of outside temp. I like the balance of ride, grip and low road noise with these stock Conti tires.

I've driven Hondas all my life. For my Accords, always replaced with Michelin MXV4 and on Element Michelin LTXs (2 sets, 100K+ each set). I've been pretty happy with these Conti's, better than expected grip on wet pavement, decent performance in snow. Based on the minimal wear I'm seeing, I expect I'll get to 40-50k miles on the set. All in all, this is very good for such a low profile tire. I had planned to switch to Michelins but this is the first stock tire that's performed this well on any new car I purchased. Normally I'm ditching the OEM at 30K. So I'll be open minded to staying with Conti when it comes time.

For anyone expecting Accord/Camry like tire performance, remember you're dealing with much smaller rims and higher profile tires on those cars, they have more tire and air space between the rim and the road so they are going to have better dampening...CC would look dorky with that setup.


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## vwbrvr6 (Jul 31, 2002)

The Toe is what causes the tires to cup.










Something in the suspension design must be causing the toe to go in or out.


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## Acampbell128 (Sep 10, 2013)

*2011 CC Sport*

My tires just started the chopper sound after about 1500 miles on new Contis.


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## DavidPaul (Nov 28, 2009)

Acampbell128 said:


> My tires just started the chopper sound after about 1500 miles on new Contis.


Did you have front and rear alignment prior to installing new tires?

Always a good idea. Especially with a CC.


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## jessiah1 (Nov 20, 2013)

DavidPaul said:


> Did you have front and rear alignment prior to installing new tires?
> 
> Always a good idea. Especially with a CC.


Sorry, but alignment doesn't matter, I had VW's own ASE master mechanic work on my alignment for an entire day. Here's my complete story:

Tires cupped badly, VW agreed to replace tires at 20K service and then they cupped again within 8K miles. I wrote a letter to the CEO and I am not sure it even reached the CEO because I was contacted by a Katie Fox. I had tons of issues with their customer care people and that's why I wrote the letter. They wouldn't admit the REAL PROBLEM IS THE CARS SUSPENSION. Well, they ended up sending their regional ASE certified Master Technician to work on my car who stated VW KNOWS about this issue and the engineers are trying to fix the car AFTER I had been told several times by the customer care team they blame the tires! I replaced the original tires with a completely different tire the 1st time and the issue was just as bad, IT IS NOT THE TIRES AND I SAY THIS TO HELP THOSE WHO ARE BEING MISS LED BY VW! I believe I may be one person who managed to take this as far as it can go, I received a lovely $2000 check towards another VW. Unfortunately when they do that your current cars information is all over the letter, VIN# and all! If you want to trade out of your car you then need to hand this letter to the dealer your trading it into and explain why you have compensation for the vehicle your trading, how humiliating is that? Completely uncomfortable position to put your customer in and $2000 towards another VW does not even begin to make up for all the trouble, time and heart ache I have experienced with this car in just 30,000 miles! It has been a noisy obnoxious ride for all but 5000 miles of the 30,000 miles I have driven it over 2.5 years They couldn't even admit it was not the tires but the car, so many other people are going through the same experience and being told its the tires even after they have completely different tires and have the same issue. I threw the voucher away and bought another car, I will never buy VW again and my whole family are VW owners. They have completely lost me and my family as customers for life.


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## Lucian1988 (Mar 25, 2009)

^^ i replaced my stock contis with continental DWSs and bought lifetime alignment from firestone. 15K miles and im happy. you sir might have over reacted a tad bit. i know its an inconvenience, but you made it sound like the whole car blows up or something.


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## juvefan20 (Mar 24, 2001)

I have 15k on my car and sound is now really bad. Car has been aligned twice. I am giving up on it and going to get a set of Milestar MS932 Sports for $272 shipped from Discount Tire. If I need to swap them again in 10K at least I am not burning through cash and I hear they are a really good tire. Someone at work had them on their Sonata and I was impressed with how quiet the car was with them.


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## PC4CAB (Oct 8, 2013)

Folks,

My apologies if this has been answered elsewhere and I missed it, but can someone explain to me what "cupping" is and how to detect it? Is it a physical deformity of the tire I can see, or something else?

I have a 2011 CPO R-line and want to make sure I watch for this problem.

Thanks!


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## juvefan20 (Mar 24, 2001)

On the CC the rear tires tend to wear on the inner edge of the tire, you can run your hand on that part of the tire and begin to feel peeks and valleys after about 5-8k. At 15k you can see the cupping.


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## Rlinetexas (Jun 27, 2011)

There have been thousand of issues reported to VW about the stock tires. For the most part they are "crap" and shouldn't be used on these cars. For some odd reason they just don't work. Noisy, cupping etc. You can either love with it, spend time and money bitching about it with VWOA or just buy a new set and be done with it. But, don't buy cheap tires it not worth it.


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## juvefan20 (Mar 24, 2001)

Rlinetexas said:


> There have been thousand of issues reported to VW about the stock tires. For the most part they are "crap" and shouldn't be used on these cars. For some odd reason they just don't work. Noisy, cupping etc. You can either love with it, spend time and money bitching about it with VWOA or just buy a new set and be done with it. But, don't buy cheap tires it not worth it.


I am not a fan of cheap tires, but on my last CC I killed a set of Michelins that ran me just under $200 a tire and they cupped after 18k with rotations at 5k. Not burning money like that since this car has a suspension that was engineering by idiots.


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## CC_Lover (Sep 5, 2012)

*Purchasing new tires TODAY!*

Well I've also been a victim of the tire cupping problems on my '09 Sport. I also spoke to VW who pushed blame on the tire. I've had many VW's over the years as well as many other cars and I've never had this problem. I bought my CC as a CPO car in 2012. At the time it had 4 new Conti's. I didn't think to ask if they had done a alignment prior to installing the tires. :banghead:

Fast forward a year and that is when I started to notice the tell tale chopping sound. Overall I really like my CC but the cupping issue would keep me from getting another one. I may have to look at Audi or another brand all together. 

I am having a set of Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3's installed today. The tire was very strongly recommended by a friend who's had them on many sedan-performance type cars. After calling around to various tire dealers, I heard that the Conti's are known for cupping issues even on other cars.

We'll see how these tires hold up after today. I'm getting the alignment done and will be religious about rotations too! I think that I'll drive home from the tire store with the radio turned off and try to enjoy the silence. No, wait! If I do that then I'll only hear the dash rattle... :laugh:


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## xterrain (Jun 1, 2012)

Cupping is a product of the CC's aggressive chassis set up and the Conti's themselves which are prone to this sort of thing, as well as feathering. However, if you drive the car properly, you should be able to get 35k on a set of stock 18" Conti's. I'm at 41k with the stock tires and am just waiting on my new wheels/tires to arrive. I have NO cupping and only light feathering in the front and about 1/10 above the wear bar on the tires all around. I drive aggressively and commonly drive near triple-digits out on the tollway around Austin, where the legal speed limit is 85mph.:laugh:

That being said, when I noticed the feathering on the inside lip of the front tires, I drove up to Hewlett VW to speak with the Lead Mechanic. I took him for a ride in the car, because I wanted his opinion on the road-noise I was experiencing at 37k. He said it was due to the tires wear, but he was honestly surprised that I had seen so many miles from the car, stating that the only other person he could remember who had seen 35k or more on the stock Conti's was in fact a "little old lady." He also stated that the life of your tires and the rate at which they cup and feather, is also greatly influenced by the amount of time you spend taking 90 degree corners, turnaround, and more or less the difference between in-town and highway commuting.

I wouldn't say I drive like a little old lady, as I vary my driving depending upon conditions such as pavement type, speed, weather, mood, area of town, road type, etc. but I would say I'm definitely on the more aggressive side of the equation. However, my commute is 80% highway/straight-line and 20% in-town. I also live in Texas where the roads are NICE!

:wave:


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## vwbrvr6 (Jul 31, 2002)

xterrain said:


> Cupping is a product of the CC's aggressive chassis set up and the Conti's themselves which are prone to this sort of thing, as well as feathering.
> :wave:


hmmm Do the 2009 Passat and the CC share the same chassis I wonder? My 2009 Passat developed cupping at around 12,000 miles. My only VW to ever develop this. I do believe it had the Conti's on it.


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## xterrain (Jun 1, 2012)

vwbrvr6 said:


> hmmm Do the 2009 Passat and the CC share the same chassis I wonder? My 2009 Passat developed cupping at around 12,000 miles. My only VW to ever develop this. I do believe it had the Conti's on it.


In a way, sort of. 

To clarify, we don't have a "chassis" per-say, but the _similar_ monocoque unibodies of the CC and the Passat share very _similar_ front and rear subframes. I wouldn't say they are the same part #'s or anything during production, but they could indeed be close enough for this apparent draw-back to be a shared bi-product of their respective design elements. The CC is inherently more aggressive, both in design and function, over the Passat's more comfortable setup, so I would suspect cupping (occurring in the rear under cornering and acceleration, and multiplied whilst cornering under acceleration) and feathering (occurring in the front under cornering) to be of a greater concern among CC's than Passat's.


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## piercelp (Sep 23, 2013)

*Tire cupping*

I have read through this thread with interest since I just looked at the inside of my rear tires and they are showing cupping. They are Conti DWS. Is there a tire that doesn't cup (or resists cupping) or is this just what you have to deal with to get the handling?


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## DavidPaul (Nov 28, 2009)

piercelp said:


> I have read through this thread with interest since I just looked at the inside of my rear tires and they are showing cupping. They are Conti DWS. Is there a tire that doesn't cup (or resists cupping) or is this just what you have to deal with to get the handling?


There are exceptions to the rapid CC cupping issue, however, for the most part, all tires will eventually succumb to the cupping scenario.

A few brands and styles will last longer but due to the design of the CC suspension, it seems as though no tires will survive the cupping issue entirely.

Also, both of my CCs have had front and rear alignments done so it is definitely not an alignment problem.

Like I said, there have been a few exceptions reported on this and other forums but they are relatively few and far between.

I have replaced CC tires on both my previous 2009 CC and my current 2013 CC, neither of which were OEM brands. 
My current set of non OEM tires have lasted much longer and the cupping is not nearly as bad but it is, never the less, happening again.

I have an 09 Eos with 15,000 miles on it with the same tires that are OEM on the CCs and they are still like new.

This will be the last CC I will ever own unless the issue is resolved sometime in the future. This, no doubt, will not happen until the CC is either discontinued or completely redesigned.

VW corp is aware of this problem but apparently like other issues that persist year after year with certain VW vehicles, they have no desire to fix those issues until there is a complete and total redesign.


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## juvefan20 (Mar 24, 2001)

DavidPaul said:


> There are exceptions to the rapid CC cupping issue, however, for the most part, all tires will eventually succumb to the cupping scenario.
> 
> A few brands and styles will last longer but due to the design of the CC suspension, it seems as though no tires will survive the cupping issue entirely.
> 
> ...


I too had 2 CC's. My 2010 need tires at 15k with 5 k rotation and now my 13 is getting new tires at the same mileage. The first car was 100% stock and now my 13 has Eibachs and bilsteins installed and still the same story. My 1st car was aligned once and this last one has been through 2 alignments in 15k and the dealer basically told me it is what it is. So bummed, in 20 months the car goes back at the end of the lease and this time they will not see me again. After owned a ton of VAG cars I need to make a change at least for a little while. I just need to get into a car that does not drive me nuts for tires and dash rattles for a little while.


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## vwbrvr6 (Jul 31, 2002)

So if getting an alignment does nothing to solve the problem, then I bet what is happening is when you go over bumps the geometry of the suspension is changing. What I mean is as the wheel is going up and down the toe is kicking in and out.


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## koctail (Oct 16, 2013)

I drive a 07 civic hybrid and I had uneven tire wear and cupping. The rear control arms were designed incorrectly...too short causing the problem. I fought Honda and they replaced them outside of warranty. Could control arms be issue with cc?

Sent from my XT907 using Tapatalk


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## DavidPaul (Nov 28, 2009)

vwbrvr6 said:


> So if getting an alignment does nothing to solve the problem, then I bet what is happening is when you go over bumps the geometry of the suspension is changing. What I mean is as the wheel is going up and down the toe is kicking in and out.


I would guess that what you are saying is correct. But, it is still unfortunate that there is nothing we can do about it except to get rid of these vehicles ASAP. I am referring to when they are paid off or the leases come to an end.

As much as I love the looks of the CC and the comfort of the seats, etc.....when the time comes, it will be "adios, CC". 

Anyone who knows me well, understands that I am willing to admit when I make a big mistake, as difficult as it may be for me. Well, going to a 2013 CC, thinking it would be an improvement over my previous 2009 CC would be an improvement was a big mistake.

Yes, I love the minor improvements such as LED tails and DRLs. However, other than those superfluous additions, none of the major CC problems were addressed by VW Corp.

If anyone thinks that they will not suffer the same consequences as the rest of us by purchasing a CC, they are sadly mistaken.

Buyer beware. 

I truly hope that I will not have to refer to this particular post to others in the future but I am not holding my breath on this one. History tends to repeat itself. :banghead:


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## coachpalmer (Jan 29, 2013)

Just turned 20k on my 2013 cc and have zero problems with my tires. Actually rotated them last week and they were wearing evenly and had plenty of wear left. Mine is fitted with procontacts 

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2


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## dieracks (Mar 4, 2012)

Just took mine into discount tire yesterday to have them looked at because I had a wobble sound while driving and sure enough, cupping on the inside edge. Everything is aligned and balanced but the tires still cupped. So for a temporary fix I had them flip the tires around on the wheel and the sound is gone but now I'm sure the other side will cup too. The guys at discount just said rotate them often and try to keep the wear even. Eventually I will just get a set of tires with a firmer sidewall to help eliminate the issue.


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## hotwax007 (Jan 19, 2008)

Just bought our 2012 CC 6 months ago with 70k on it, now we have the same issue, VW certified car and the dealer currently won't help us, we contacted VW of America and they act as if they never heard of such and issue so we contacted Continental and they conferenced us in to the VW dealer service to discuss the issue since they have had so many calls, VW didn't answer. Continental stated that VW is honoring tire replacements if you are still under full VW warranty but not under the extended VW Certified Warranty. Not too excited about putting new tires on my car every 10-15k miles and as time goes on the car will be impossible to sell as the word gets out!


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## juvefan20 (Mar 24, 2001)

I know this might sound a little crazy but with my first 2010 CC I cupped 2 sets of Contis, once I got my 2013 I cupped the stock Contis in 14K. Here is where it gets interesting, at 14k I switched to the cheapest tire I could find that still had decent reviews. It was the Milestar MS392 from Discount Tire. Figured I was not going to spend a lot if I was going to have to replace tires every 15k on a lease. Additionally, at 20k my stock dampers were shot from my Eibach springs and added a set of Koni Str.t dampers to the car. 

I can thankfully say the car has not had any cupping at all since tossing the stock Continentals and I also think the Koni's are also playing a big role here keeping the tires better planted to the surface and getting rid of the floatyness that the stock suspension brings. Minus a rattle or 2 the CC has been been one of my favorite cars and I am dreading turning it in come September. Sometimes I think I should keep it but at 31k it is showing significant carbon buildup and I am not willing to pay the high lease end buy out plus a carbon cleanup and brakes in the next year. 

Hope this makes sense and helps someone out. Maybe someone with the same Koni/Eibach setup can chime in also.


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## oviedocc (Sep 13, 2012)

juvefan20 said:


> I know this might sound a little crazy but with my first 2010 CC I cupped 2 sets of Contis, once I got my 2013 I cupped the stock Contis in 14K. Here is where it gets interesting, at 14k I switched to the cheapest tire I could find that still had decent reviews. It was the Milestar MS392 from Discount Tire. Figured I was not going to spend a lot if I was going to have to replace tires every 15k on a lease. Additionally, at 20k my stock dampers were shot from my Eibach springs and added a set of Koni Str.t dampers to the car.
> 
> I can thankfully say the car has not had any cupping at all since tossing the stock Continentals and I also think the Koni's are also playing a big role here keeping the tires better planted to the surface and getting rid of the floatyness that the stock suspension brings. Minus a rattle or 2 the CC has been been one of my favorite cars and I am dreading turning it in come September. Sometimes I think I should keep it but at 31k it is showing significant carbon buildup and I am not willing to pay the high lease end buy out plus a carbon cleanup and brakes in the next year.
> 
> Hope this makes sense and helps someone out. Maybe someone with the same Koni/Eibach setup can chime in also.


I'm considering the same tires as I've cupped 2 sets of tires in the past 2 years and for the same reason am looking to go cheap. Can you share your thoughts on the Milestar's please?


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## unctucker (Aug 24, 2013)

Not sure what is going on with the CC but I have a 2012 Rline with 39,600 miles on the factory tires. I also do business with discount tire and had them rotated yesterday. As they were taking my car in I told the manager that this may be my last rotation. He said he personally looked at them and they should be good until the end of the summer.


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## GGCC (Jul 23, 2013)

unctucker said:


> Not sure what is going on with the CC but I have a 2012 Rline with 39,600 miles on the factory tires. I also do business with discount tire and had them rotated yesterday. As they were taking my car in I told the manager that this may be my last rotation. He said he personally looked at them and they should be good until the end of the summer.


Whoa. I have a 2012 Rline with 40,600 miles on it and have not had any cupping issues. I too will be changing out tires at the end of the summer


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## Alppasta (Sep 28, 2011)

unctucker said:


> Not sure what is going on with the CC but I have a 2012 Rline with 39,600 miles on the factory tires. I also do business with discount tire and had them rotated yesterday. As they were taking my car in I told the manager that this may be my last rotation. He said he personally looked at them and they should be good until the end of the summer.


Same here, just purchased new rubber 3 weeks ago after 48,000 miles on original Conti's.


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## coachpalmer (Jan 29, 2013)

*Milestar MS392*

could we get a review on these??


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## cjlowe (Oct 13, 2011)

I asked my dealer about this a month ago when they said my tires were cupping. The tech said that the toe adjustment would straighten things out. Now that I read all of this it seems that maybe that's not the case


Sent from my computer machine


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## xterrain (Jun 1, 2012)

I have a 2012 R-Line and put 57,000 miles on the factory Conti's with no cupping whatsoever. 

From 40,000 to 57,000 it was lowered with H&R springs and had no alignment done.

From 57,000 to 62,000 the car had a set of 20's, but the wheels were garbage, so I replaced them at 62,000.

From 62,000 to my current mileage of 70,000 miles I have been running 19's with 235/35R19 Goodyear Eagle F1's...and they are already cupping after only 8,000 miles.

I'll be replacing them in the next month and don't know what tires I'll go with next...probably Hancook's.


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## unctucker (Aug 24, 2013)

xterrain said:


> I have a 2012 R-Line and put 57,000 miles on the factory Conti's with no cupping whatsoever.
> 
> From 40,000 to 57,000 it was lowered with H&R springs and had no alignment done.
> 
> ...


if you were able to get that many miles out of the Conti's, Why not go back to those?



Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## xterrain (Jun 1, 2012)

I had a lot of wheel spin with them in 1st and 2nd. That said, my next set is going to be something I haven't tried before. I'm not afraid of spending a little money to try new things.


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## airmax1 (Dec 8, 2008)

xterrain said:


> I had a lot of wheel spin with them in 1st and 2nd. That said, my next set is going to be something I haven't tried before. I'm not afraid of spending a little money to try new things.


You have only one choice. I got no wheel spin.


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## Ed52 (May 21, 2001)

I have an observation regarding rear tire cupping. - OEM Goodyear 234.45.17 with 40kmiles
I have a used 2010 Passat Wagon 2.0t which uses the same rear suspension setup. There was a cupping issue on the passenger side(inside edges) front and rear due to the tires being rotated front to back. Perhaps you could do this test if you have cupping issues. After a 1/2 hour drive at highway speed with little cornering involved stop and feel your tire treads for temperature variations. On mine the right rear tire inside edge was noticeably warmer than the middle or outside edge.
I can do my own alignments and found the camber to be near the max negative(still in spec) but the rear toe was 'toe out'. I adjusted the rear toe to 0 degrees and the tire temps across the tread are almost even(inside edge is a touch warmer due to negative camber).


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## xterrain (Jun 1, 2012)

airmax1 said:


> You have only one choice. I got no wheel spin.


What are you talking about? One choice of what? Tires? There are nearly a dozen tires in 235/35R19.

Anyhow, I just ordered a set of Nitto Motive's in 235/35R19 for install on Saturday. I'll update once they are on and can see some driving time.


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## unctucker (Aug 24, 2013)

Just picked up my set of 245-40-18
Hankook Ventus S1 Noble 2's. Ordered them over Memorial day weekend and I just finished filling out the forms online for the 3 rebates I received with them. The rebates total $195 and I was considering putting the purchase on hold to do my
40,000 miles DSG service, but after talking to my service guy in Cary I decided to go with the tires. He said that the savings there would almost pay for the DSG service. Going to wait until I need them since I'm currently at 5/32 with the factory Contact pro's.


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## echristie (Oct 30, 2013)

My 2012 has the tire wear issue with ContiProContact tires. I bought the car with 22k on it last Oct. I have 31k on it now and have the cupping. I rotated and balanced the tires at 26k and had an alignment. Now both front an rear are cupped. 

I had the same cupping problem on my 2010 Passat. Since the cars share the same suspension, I suspect the problem is consistent between both models. You will find B6 Passat owners on their forum complaining of the same issue.

I Googled "tire cupping" and found that the normal cause is worn suspension parts. Here's some links. Seems the most likely culprit is a worn shock absorber. Looking at my tires, I think the issue is actually "feathering"m which can be caused by worn bushings. See Link4 below.



Link1
Link2
Link3

Link4


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## echristie (Oct 30, 2013)

Thinking about this a bit more....

If the issue was worn suspension components, it might explain why some folks get very little mileage out of their tires while others get normal wear.

I plan to discuss this a bit further with my dealer in the next week. I will have them perform a thorough suspension inspection, especially the bushings.

More to follow.


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## lenard (Jul 6, 2015)

Any update? echristie

By the way, folks, I'd like to know if there is any safety concern within the cupped tires.
my 2013 CC was found cupping tires @18K miles

Thanks


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## Ed52 (May 21, 2001)

No one commented on my previous post. 

Check this; After a good high speed run feel the rear tires-outside, middle and inside treads and note the relative temperatures. If the inside edge is warmer it will be caused by a combination of excessive neg camber and toe out causing inside edge cupping.


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## echristie (Oct 30, 2013)

lenard said:


> Any update? echristie
> 
> By the way, folks, I'd like to know if there is any safety concern within the cupped tires.
> my 2013 CC was found cupping tires @18K miles
> ...


No, I have not been to the dealer. My work schedule has changed and I have not been driving the car. Been sitting for pretty much the past 3 months. I pull it out every few weeks and wash and wax it. 

When I can get a chance to get to the dealer, I will update this thread. This is an ongoing issue I think many face. 

I'd like to reiterate that believe this not a cupping issue, but a feathering issue.


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## echristie (Oct 30, 2013)

Finally got my car into the shop this week. I had not been driving it, so the car had not been accumulating miles to get to the next service point. I change my oil every 5k miles instead of 10k and rotate & balance tires then alignment every 5k miles. 

Background:
Reference Link
Tire cupping - caused by worn shocks or strut (causes wheel to bounce)
Tire feathering - caused by worn suspension components (control arm bushings & sway bars). Suspension is loose and not keeping correct alignment. This is not toe, caster or camber specifically.

Vehicle summary:
Bought the car used @ 20k miles
At 25k my rear tires moved to the front and were wearing unevenly in a feathering pattern, not cupping. I rotated and balanced tires and had an alignment. Rear tires in the front now and making noise at highway speeds
At 30k I rotated, balanced and aligned. Rear tires moved to the front. These were the front tires when I bought the car. They also showed mild feathering, but less so that after the first alignment
35k this week. Rotated, balanced, and aligned. Tire wear was a little more even. Vehicle inspected at dealer carefully by one of their senior technicians. I was able to be there for the inspection so was able to see what they saw. Bushings checked and observed tests used to identify worn components.

Result:
Right rear shock was determined to be worn, so was replaced under extended warranty. No other suspension components were determined to need replacement.

Conclusion:
In my case, my tire wear is affected more by alignment than suspension component wear. These are original Contis with 35k miles. More than half way through their life. Still doesn't seem to be a smoking gun as the overall cause of premature tire wear. My experience re-enforces recommendations to perform tire rotation, balancing, and 4 wheel alignment every 5k miles. I know this could be a financial burden to folks, but you must consider the alternative which is potentially buying tires more often. Both cost money, so see which one is easier to afford.

For me moving forward, I will continue with the rotation, balance, and alignment every 5k miles. Once these tires wear out, I will be better able to judge that plan. I didn't own the car for the first 20k miles, so I cannot confirm how it was maintained.


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## texmansru47 (Nov 29, 2016)

*Tire Cupping*

Yes I have the same problem. I have been told it was from improper alignments (that is BS since I get those completed regularly) and now I am being told it is from the shocks and struts being bad... I just hit 70K on the 2012 car.... that is impossible since the dealership even told me the shocks and struts are in good condition. I love the car MINUS this one issue. I had a 2009 CC that did the same damn thing and I got different excuses... it is just a pain to deal with.


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## Boost112 (May 8, 2002)

Ed52 said:


> No one commented on my previous post.
> 
> Check this; After a good high speed run feel the rear tires-outside, middle and inside treads and note the relative temperatures. If the inside edge is warmer it will be caused by a combination of excessive neg camber and toe out causing inside edge cupping.


...i think its the toe setting...the more and more i read about this...i believe the rear toe adjustments need to be set to "0"...


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## hbennick (Sep 28, 2016)

I'm noticing most people who are upset on here are buying good quality tires, which come with warranties. Why are you not using your warranty cash? If I buy a set of $800 tires with a 40k warranty, and I only get 20k before they're shot, then my next set is only $400. I'm not really out any money per mile. I get that this is super annoying, and I have some cupping with my '13, but it's not like I'm out any cash.


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