Nokian cheated on tire tests with custom-made ring

[edyvw]

Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Originally Posted By: edyvw
When I was buying tires for BMW, Nokian Hakka R2 255/55 R18 were $302, and Blizzak's DM-V2 were $156.

That is a crazy price. In my size (235/60/18) they were about $200, so not that terrible, but still not cheap.

Discount Tire had some really good deals on it last year, but by that time I had already bought mine.

Yep DT price. R2 in 235/60 R18 were $212.

 

[SubLGT]

About ten years ago, Continental was caught doing the same thing with their winter tires.

Here is what NAF says about their tire testing (translated from Norwegian):

"...Who conducts the test?

Motors winter test is run in partnership with Aftonbladet and Auto Motor and Sport in Sweden, Tekniikan mailmen in Finland and Auto Revue in Russia. We are helped to evaluate the tires of professional testers in Test World in Finland. I'm running the tires on both lanes outside and in large indoor test facility.

Getting tire manufacturers supply tires directly to the test?

No. All tires purchased from shops. In this way we ensure that manufacturers can [not] produce special tires to perform well. In cases where new models are not yet for sale, we pick test tires at the manufacturer, but buying new sets of tires as soon as they come into the store and conduct control tests…"

 

[Nebroch]

Originally Posted By: Nebroch

This competing product happens to be designed by people who resigned from Nokian, and started their own business. Nokian has sued them because of stealing trade secrets, or that's what they claim.

http://www.blackdonuts.com/


Finland's largest newspaper is telling, that leak about this test cheat comes from Black donuts

 

[Rand]

This is quite normal. That is why you are supposed to buy the tires anonymously.

Its about as prevalent as doping was/is in cycling

 

[UG_Passat]

when you ask for product direct from the manufacturer to test (including cars), of course, manufacturers will try to cheat.

Consumer Reports, whether you like them or not, goes out and buys all of their test samples, including all of the tires they test, so that they can make a more honest assessment

 

[SubLGT]

Michelin's response to Nokian's claim that "when the testing organisations asked manufacturers to send them tyres for the tests, activities in the industry were dubious" :

http://www.tirebusiness.com/article/2016...chelin-response

Michelin, however, insisted it had “never designed or manufactured tires specifically for tests conducted by the media, automobile associations or any other organizations,” according to a statement released Feb. 29.

The French tire maker added that it had “for years conducted reproducible tests that reflect real-life driving conditions using series production tires.

“Michelin has always been committed to ensuring that the conditions used to test its tires faithfully represent the conditions encountered by consumers in their actual day-to-day usage.”

 

[SubLGT]

The latest statement form Nokian:

"...Over the years, several operators in the field, including Nokian Tyres, have been suspected or evidence has been presented against them of differences between tyres in magazine tests and tyres that are for sale in stores. This has led to the gradual improvement of the testing processes. The most important testers purchase their tyres from tyre retailers and they also re-test new tyres afterwards. This has been going on for years. When test manipulation did occur, the tyre submitted for the test and the tyre received by the customer were different in terms of characteristics, not quality. A tyre has dozens of different characteristics and the company sought to improve one of them by a few per cent for a test, at the cost of another characteristic.

- For example, the Nokian Hakkapeliitta 8 has been tested over 70 times already and it has always come out on top, with no manipulation. In the United States, tyres are only tested by a completely independent consumer organisation that has always bought its test tyres from a retailer. There have never been any attempts to influence tests of the company’s products intended for sale in North America. The tests in the major Nordic, Russian and European professional magazines have been reliable for years. Nokian Heavy Tyres has never been involved in any kind of test manipulation, Lehtoranta says.

- None of the above make our mistakes in the past more acceptable. It should be emphasised, however, that the most important things in terms of the big picture are the safety and the drivers’ personal opinions on how well the tyres work. We have millions of satisfied customers spanning several generations…"

Read more here:
http://www.nokiantyres.com/company/news-article/test-tyre-policies-and-processes-in-nokian-tyres/

 

[UG_Passat]

sounds like Nokian was referencing Consumer Reports