This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about changing the tire and wheel size on vehicles. General Motors will only support a tire calibration for tires that have been sized, tested and designed for the vehicle in question and its applications. Technician should not use the information that is provided by the antilock braking system tire size selection.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗2005 Pontiac GTO tires problems
moderate 12 complaints filed with NHTSA · avg repair $150 · see tires across all vehicles →
Complaints
12
Recalls
0
Avg fix
$150
When does it fail?
Of the 12 tires complaints filed for the 2005 Pontiac GTO, here's the actual mileage breakdown — failures cluster heaviest at 0-25,000 mi.
0-25k
25-50k
50-75k
75-100k
100-125k
125-150k
150k+
Each bar shows the share of total complaints filed at that mileage range. Peak failure window highlighted. Some owners report problems earlier; some make it well past 150,000 miles symptom-free. Maintenance habits and driving conditions shift the curve as much as mileage alone.
What stands out
No new NHTSA tires complaint has been filed on this vehicle in over 19 years — the issue may be aging out of the active population.
Is there a fix? Manufacturer service bulletins
The manufacturer has issued service bulletins covering tires on this vehicle — documented repair instructions, service campaigns, or warranty extensions sent to dealers. A TSB isn't a recall (it's not a free safety remedy), but it's the manufacturer acknowledging the issue and how to fix it.
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about changing the tire and wheel size on vehicles. General Motors will only support a tire calibration for tires that have been sized, tested and designed for the vehicle in question and its applications. Technician should not use the information that is provided by the antilock braking system tire size selection.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about changing the tire and wheel size on vehicles. General Motors will only support a tire calibration for tires that have been sized, tested and designed for the vehicle in question and its applications. Technician should not use the information that is provided by the antilock braking system tire size selection.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗This technical bulletin provides a procedure on how to clean and resurface aluminum wheel bead seats for vehicles that have the condition of Tire Slowly Goes Flat, Tire Air Loss, Low Tire Pressure Warning Light Illuminated, Aluminum Wheel Bead Seat Corrosion.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗This Preliminary Information communicates to the dealer the process for downloading or updating operating software for the Tire Pressure Monitor, Active Fuel Injector tester, multi media tester, PICO Scope, GR8 starting/charging tester and Vehicle Data Recorder tools, giving website address and step by step instructions to complete the update.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications. Bring the bulletin number to your dealer or shop.
The failure pattern owners describe
Multiple 2005 GTO owners report the front strut (driver or passenger side) rubbing directly against the inside of the front tire, causing rapid wear and failure by 15,800 to 25,500 miles. Owners discovered metal cording and steel belt exposed on tires that were factory-fitted with BF Goodrich rubber, or they found tires shredded on the inside edge while other parts of the same tire remained relatively fresh.
The rubbing leaves visible scuff marks on the strut body and wear marks on the tire sidewall. Some owners experienced blowouts on the highway; others found all four tires needed replacement when one failed. One narrative mentions a metal foil under the wheel well that also grazes and slices tires during turns.
Dealers and manufacturers denied warranty claims, citing abuse despite owners providing evidence of the pattern. One owner noted similar complaints appear widely online and compared the issue to the Ford-Firestone crisis. Owners replaced failed OEM BF Goodrich tires with alternatives like Toyo. The problem manifests early—some caught it before 20,000 miles, others not until the sidewall was critical.
Failure modes owners describe
Strut-to-tire rubbing and premature wear
The front strut (driver or passenger side, or both) contacts the inside sidewall of the front tire during normal driving, particularly at highway speeds. The rubbing creates visible wear marks on both the strut body and tire sidewall, leading to accelerated tread loss and sidewall degradation. Owners report finding tires worn down to steel belt or cord at very low mileages.
When: 15,800 to 25,515 miles; some as early as 11,073 miles
Symptoms owners cite: Visible rubbing marks on strut body; Uneven tire wear visible when lifted; Inside tread worn to steel belt or metal cording; Tire sidewall damage on inner edge; Shredding or fraying of tire tread and sidewall
Repairs/costs cited: Tire replacement required; full set replacement often needed since other tires show similar wear. Owners replaced OEM BF Goodrich tires with Toyo alternatives in at least one case.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Dealers denied warranty coverage, claiming abuse; GM reportedly would not address the issue despite owner complaints filed directly.
Tire sidewall separation and blowout
Severe wear or damage to the inner sidewall from strut contact creates a failure condition. The sidewall separates or blows out during highway driving, sometimes with minimal warning. Owners report tread coming off completely or sidewalls separating to expose cords.
When: 16,000 to 25,515 miles; one failure at 19,774 miles
Symptoms owners cite: Sudden tire failure while driving; Blowout on highway at moderate speeds; Tread separation from tire body; Belt shift with exposed belt cords; Flat tire from rubbing damage
Repairs/costs cited: Immediate tire replacement necessary; safety hazard prevents vehicle operation until addressed.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Dealers denied involvement; manufacturers did not acknowledge defect.
Uneven tire wear pattern
Tires show abnormal wear distribution—one side of the tire bald or heavily worn while the other side remains relatively fresh. Pattern suggests alignment or suspension geometry issue tied to the strut interference problem.
When: 15,800 miles and beyond
Symptoms owners cite: One side of tire bald; other side not; Rounding and flattening in various spots on sidewalls; Inside of all four tires rewinding (delaminating) with metal cording exposed
Repairs/costs cited: Tire rotation by dealer did not resolve the underlying wear pattern; full replacement needed.
Synthesized from 12 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.
What owners are reporting 3 most recent
B.f. Goodrich factories tires were shot at 15,800 miles on at 2005 late model Pontiac gto. They were dangerous and the manufacture and dealer claimed abuse which is false to keep from having to replace under warranty. I have photos and one time had the belt shift and become completely exposed. Another was bald on one side, but not the other. Two others were rounding and flattening in various…
Purchased a new '05 gto and at 20k discovered abnormal tire wear/alignment/strut rub. Tires were shredded and besides the obvious safety issues will need to be replaced. *tr
Tl*the contact owns a 2005 Pontiac gto with bf goodrich tires (model unknown). While driving 15 MPH, the front passenger tire was flat. The contact felt that the front tires rubbed against the struts and caused a flat. The current and failure mileages were 19,774. *updated 12/12/2007 *bf updated 12/12/07 *tr
Had tires trouble with your 2005 Pontiac GTO?
File a complaint with NHTSA → It's free, official, and how every report above got here — owner filings are the federal safety record this page is built on.
Common questions
How serious is the tires problem on the 2005 Pontiac GTO?
It's a documented issue but not catastrophic. 12 complaints have been filed. Repairs average $150 and most owners catch it before it causes a breakdown.
At what mileage does the tires typically fail?
Based on the 12 complaints filed, tires issues most often appear around 20,535 miles. Some report problems earlier; some make it well past 150,000 with no symptoms. Maintenance habits matter — vehicles that received timely fluid services and were not regularly overworked tend to last longer.
What does it cost to fix?
Independent shops typically charge around $150 for tires repairs on this vehicle. Dealer pricing tends to run 20-40% higher. The exact figure depends on the specific failure mode, parts availability, and your local labor rates. If you're outside factory warranty, an extended service contract often covers this category.
Are there any recalls related to tires?
No active recalls currently cover tires issues on this vehicle. The complaints filed represent owner-reported failures that haven't risen to the level of a manufacturer-issued recall — but they're still worth knowing about before you buy or budget for repairs.
Related
Complaint and recall data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
public records database. Verify the raw federal record at
nhtsa.gov/vehicle/2005/Pontiac/GTO.
Severity ratings are derived from reported crashes, fires, injuries, and fatalities. Repair cost estimates are
independent-shop national averages and may differ in your area. Some links on this page are affiliate links.