2002 GMC jimmy tire sizes & fitment
Approved tire and wheel sizes for the 2002 GMC Jimmy, sourced from manufacturer fitment data and refreshed monthly.
Approved fitments
Fitment data pending verification. Confirm with manufacturer before purchase.
See the best tires for the GMC Jimmy, ranked by category →
Tire recalls & safety complaints for the GMC Jimmy →
How to choose tires for the 2002 GMC jimmy ZR2
The 2002 GMC Jimmy ZR2 ships from the factory on the original equipment size tires mounted on the factory rim wheels. Only one approved fitment is documented for this model year, so replacement options should match the original size exactly unless a plus-size upgrade is being considered. The Compatible alternative sizes table above lists every safe substitution within the ETRTO ±3% overall-diameter tolerance.
Tire choice on the GMC Jimmy comes down to three trade-offs that matter more than brand loyalty: load index (must equal or exceed the OEM number), speed rating (must match or exceed the placard), and UTQG treadwear (higher means longer life, lower usually means stickier rubber). Owners replacing factory tires with the same compound class, for example all-season for all-season, generally see no change in ride characteristics or fuel economy. Switching categories (performance summer to all-season touring, for example) is where the trade-offs show up at the contact patch.
For 2002 GMC Jimmy ZR2 owners considering a plus-size upgrade, the safer option is a Plus-1 step (one rim size up with a 10-point aspect drop and ~10 mm of additional section width). Plus-2 is technically viable on this chassis if the alternative-sizes table lists a Plus-2 candidate within tolerance, but expect a meaningful ride-harshness penalty and a tire-cost premium of 30–60% per tire relative to the OEM fitment. For winter use the recommended pattern is one width step down (e.g. from a 235 to a 225) with the aspect ratio bumped up to preserve overall diameter; narrower tires apply higher contact pressure per square inch on snow, which translates directly into shorter braking distances. The plus-size calculator evaluates any specific rim step against this OEM size.
Before purchasing, verify the tire size on the driver-door placard of your specific 2002 GMC Jimmy ZR2, since trim levels and option packages can shift the original fitment from what is documented here. The placard reading is the authoritative source per FMVSS 110, and dealers will reference the placard rather than aftermarket catalogs when validating warranty claims.
NHTSA-reported issues for 2002 GMC jimmy
Top issue category: Tires (General)
Most reported: Tires (General) (26) · Tread / Belt (13) · Spare Tire (7) · Sidewall (2)
Reported across: 1982 – 2001 (15 years)
What owners described
Loss of control, rollover or collision appears in 29% of these reports; about 3.4× as often as across all tire complaints. Percentages are shares of the 21 reports covering every model year of the GMC Jimmy 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Loss of control, rollover or collision | 29% | 8% | 3.4× |
| Blowout or sudden deflation | 19% | 20% | 0.9× |
| Tread or belt separation | 5% | 13% | 0.4× |
| Sidewall failure | 5% | 15% | 0.3× |
| Cracking or dry rot | 5% | 9% | 0.5× |
In owners' own words
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA about GMC Jimmy. Reports are published by NHTSA as filed and are lightly cleaned here only to remove intake codes.
WHILE TAKING A TURN THE LEFT FRONT BALLJOINT SNAPPED OFF. MAKING CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE IMPOSSIBLE. LEFT TIRE COLLASPED AND THE VEHICLE WAS UNMOVABLE. HAD TO FLATBED THE VEHICLE TO A GARAGE. 2ND PROBLEM-THE TRANSMISSION FEELS AS IT IS SHIFTING INTO REVERSE APPROXIMATELY EVERY 4TH TIME THE VEHICLE IS STARTED.
I PURCHASED 4 NEW LE MANS BRAND (MADE BY AND WARRANTED BY FIRESTONE) REPLACEMENT TIRES FOR MY 1998 GMC JIMMY. THES TIRES ARE OF THE SAME SIZE AND HAVE THE SAME DOT MANUFACTURING CODE STAMPED UPON THEM AS DO THE TIRES INVOLVED IN THE FIRESTONE/FORD RECALL. WHILE NO FALURE OF THESE 4 TIRES HAS OCCURRED HAS THE INVESTIGATORS AT NHTSA DETURMINED ALL OF THE DIFFERENT BRAND NAME TIRES MANUFACTURED BY FIRESTONE (AND THERE WILL BE MANY). I HAVE SEEN NO MEDIA INFORMATION DETAILING THE SPECIFIC DEFECT (WHAT MATERIAL OR MANUFACTURING PROCESS WENT WRONG) THAT ALLOWS THE TREAD TO SEPARATE FROM THE TIRE BODY. HOW CAN I BE ASSURED THAT MY VEHICLE IS PRESENTLY EQUIPPED WITH TIRES THAT ARE NOT DEFECTIVE?
JUST WANT TO REPORT 2 FRONT FIRESTONE TIRES W/ ABOUT 7,000 MILES ON THEM FAILED DUE TO BELT TEAR OR SEPARATION.IT SEEMS MOST FIRESTONE TIRES DON'T LAST AS LONG AS CLAIMED! SOMETHINGS WRONG W/ THEIR MANUFACTURE PROCESS OR MATERIALS. (TIRESIZE: P235R75/15)( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P235R75/15 )
I HAVE HAD NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS WITH THIS VEHICLE. I HAD THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE BLOW OUT WHICH CAUSED ME TO DRIVE INTO A DITCH. THE DOORS LOCK AND UNLOCK BY THEMSELVES (SAME WITH THE WINDOWS AND REAR HATCH).*AK (TIRESIZE: P205/75R15)( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P205/75R15 )
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.
Frequently asked questions
What size tires fit a 2002 GMC Jimmy?
Can I run a different tire size on my 2002 GMC Jimmy?
Where can I buy tires for my 2002 GMC Jimmy?
What is the recommended tire pressure for the 2002 GMC Jimmy?
Can I fit winter tires in a different size on my 2002 GMC Jimmy?
How often should I rotate the tires on my 2002 GMC Jimmy?
For broader tire questions; replacement timing, UTQG, EV-specific tires, winter swaps; see the tire FAQ.
Sources for this page
- Vehicle owner's manual tire & wheel placard; door-jamb placard on the GMC Jimmy is the authoritative source for OEM tire size, load index, and cold-inflation pressure for your specific trim.
- NHTSA SaferCar; recall lookup for the 2002 GMC Jimmy.
- ETRTO 2024 Standards Manual §2.3; overall-diameter math used for the alternative-size verdicts above.
- Tire & Rim Association 2025 Yearbook; load-index to maximum-load reference.
Last verified 2026-09-02.