Best tires for the Chevrolet C20
Top picks across four categories for the Chevrolet C20, anchored to the current-generation OEM size 215/85R16. Every recommendation is selected from our 22,000-tire catalog by ranking on UTQG treadwear, mileage warranty, cabin-noise rating, and season class; no commission-weighted reordering.
Daily driver
Best all-season touring
Long warranty, low noise, balanced ride. The one-tire compromise that works for 80% of owners.
Michelin
Xps rib
Reinforced sidewall all-season compound; balanced ride, grip, and tread life for everyday driving.
Bridgestone
Dueler H/T 685
Touring-tuned all-season compound; balanced ride, grip, and tread life for everyday driving.
Bridgestone
Dueler H/T 685 215/85R16
Touring-tuned all-season compound; balanced ride, grip, and tread life for everyday driving.
Bridgestone
Duravis M700 HD
Touring-tuned all-season compound; balanced ride, grip, and tread life for everyday driving.
Lowest cost per mile
Best budget
Best price-per-warranty-mile in this size. Trade-off is shorter warranty vs premium options, not safety.
Toyo
Open country H/T II
Lowest sticker price in this size that still meets the OEM load index. Trade-off is shorter warranty vs premium options.
Yokohama
Geolandar H/T G056
Lowest sticker price in this size that still meets the OEM load index. Trade-off is shorter warranty vs premium options.
Falken
Wildpeak A/T3W
Lowest sticker price in this size that still meets the OEM load index. Trade-off is shorter warranty vs premium options.
General
Grabber APT
Lowest sticker price in this size that still meets the OEM load index. Trade-off is shorter warranty vs premium options.
Side-by-side
Pick the trade-off that matches your driving
| All-season Michelin Xps Rib | Best budget Toyo Open Country H/T II |
|
|---|---|---|
| UTQG treadwear | - | 740 |
| Mileage warranty | - | - |
| Cabin noise | - | - |
| Season class | all-season | - |
| Type | truck-suv | - |
OEM tire sizes by year
What size does the chevrolet C20 use?
Recommendations on this page are anchored to the latest model-year's OEM size. Confirm yours against the driver-door placard before purchase.
| Year | OEM size | |
|---|---|---|
| 1967–1970 | 205/75R15 | Year-specific fitment → |
| 1976–1980 | 235/85R16 | Year-specific fitment → |
| 1981–1989 | 215/85R16 | Year-specific fitment → |
How we ranked these tires for the chevrolet C20
We started with the latest model-year's OEM tire size; 215/85R16; and filtered our catalog of 22,000+ tires to those offered in that exact size. From there, four parallel rankings:
- Best all-season ranks on a weighted score: tire type matches passenger car segment, season is "all-season", premium brand bonus (Michelin / Continental / Bridgestone / Pirelli / Goodyear / Nokian).
- Best budget ranks on cost-per-warranty-mile; the lower the better. Premium brands get no bonus here.
- Best quiet ranks on the EU tire-label dB rating; lower is quieter.
- Best winter filters to tires marked 3PMSF severe-snow rated or all-weather class, with a small premium-brand bonus because winter-compound R&D is capital-intensive.
For sedans and compacts, the all-season touring tire below is the best default; long warranty, low cabin noise, reasonable cost per mile. Switch to the quiet pick if highway droning is a deal-breaker; switch to the winter pick if you see significant snow each year. Use the side-by-side comparison above to weigh the trade-offs against your specific driving; highway-heavy, winter-state, performance-oriented, or budget-constrained.
NHTSA-reported issues for chevrolet C20
Top issue category: Tread / Belt
Most reported: Tread / Belt (5) · Tires (General) (3) · Sidewall (1)
Reported across: 1970 – 1994 (8 years)
What owners described
Tread or belt separation appears in 38% of these reports; about 2.8× as often as across all tire complaints. Percentages are shares of the 8 reports covering every model year of the Chevrolet C20 that include a written account; a single report can describe more than one problem, so they do not total 100%.
| Reported problem | This subject | All tire complaints | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tread or belt separation | 38% | 13% | 2.8× |
| Blowout or sudden deflation | 25% | 20% | 1.2× |
| Sidewall failure | 13% | 15% | 0.8× |
| Cracking or dry rot | 13% | 9% | 1.3× |
| Loss of control, rollover or collision | 13% | 8% | 1.5× |
In owners' own words
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA about Chevrolet C20. Reports are published by NHTSA as filed and are lightly cleaned here only to remove intake codes.
THE CONTACT OWNS A 1985 CHEVROLET C20 EQUIPPED WITH BIG "O" MESA C/T TIRES, SIZE: LT285/75R16. WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH, THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE TIRE BLEW OUT AND THE TIRE WIRES DETACHED. THE CONTACT COASTED THE VEHICLE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND WAS ABLE TO REPLACED THE TIRE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE TIRE WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 06T006000 (TIRES). THE APPROXIMATE VEHICLE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000 AND THE TIRE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 110,000. THE DOT NUMBER WAS NOT AVAILABLE.
PE00 020; CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 45MPH ON HIGHWAY AND HEARD A LOUD NOISE, IT WAS RIGHT FRONT TIRE. TREAD SEPARATED, AND WAS HITTING UP AGAINST THE VEHICLE. FIRESTONE, FR360 TIRES. CONSUMER WOULD CONTACT FIRESTONE. THERE WERE OTHER TIRES THAT HAD TREAD SEPARATION.
WAS TRAVELING 65MPH & HEARD A RUMBLING IN REAR. PULLED OVER & TIRES WERE STILL INFLATED. HAD EXITED THE HIGHWAY & PULLED OVER AGAIN BECAUSE OF NOISE. CHECKED THE TIRES AGAIN & THIS TIME NOTICED TREAD HAD SEPARATED FROM RIGHT REAR TIRE. THE WAS BALD. TOOK VEHICLE TO TIRE SHOP & BOUGHT ANOTHER TIRE. DO NOT HAVE TIRE. GENERAL, AMERITECH ST, P225/75R15 WITH 30,000 MILES ON IT.
WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 50-55 MPH SIDEWALL ON REAR PASSENGER'S SIDE TIRE BLEWOUT COMPLETELY. DRIVER WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF VEHICLE. TIRE SIZE P235/170R15. REPLACEMENT TIRE EQUIPMENT ON A 1992, CHEVROLET, VAN. NOT SURE OF TIRE MILEAGE. DOT # 30MIB34358.
Complaints are voluntarily submitted to the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation and are not verified by NHTSA; they represent owner-reported problems, not proven defects. Counts can be useful as a relative quality signal across comparable tires or vehicles.
Tire recalls & safety complaints for the Chevrolet C20 →
FAQ
What's the best all-season tire for the Chevrolet C20?
Should I get a cheaper tire for my Chevrolet C20?
Does the Chevrolet C20 need winter tires?
Can I run a different tire size on my Chevrolet C20?
Where can I buy these tires?
Last verified 2026-09-02.