The Firestone Destination LE2 is one of those tires that is kind of a jack of all trades master of no options. It’s an all-season tire considered light duty for SUVs and small and mid-size trucks.
Like most tires, there are some things to like and dislike about the Destination, but what are some of the more common problems with this tire?
The biggest complaints about the Firestone Destination LE2 are the subpar warranty on the tire, the noise of the tire at high speeds, it’s not very responsive at high speeds, and it is a big underperformer when it comes to icy or snowy conditions.
The Destination LE2 is a decent upgrade from Firestone’s original Destination LE.
However, it is generally lumped in with most of the other bargain bin tires out there that make heavy concessions to produce a budget-friendly tire.
If you live in areas that experience rough winters or you don’t like loud noise, this tire is probably not for you.
In-Depth Look at The Problems with The Destination LE2
The tire itself has the few problems listed above. However, there is also the warranty problem, which many consider very underwhelming.
Firestone’s warranty on the Destination LE2 is the standard 5-year or 60,000-mile tread.
Firestone also guarantees “uniformity” for only 1/32 of an inch of wear and tear.
While that doesn’t have much to do with the tire itself, it’s worth mentioning because of the most frequent complaints in reviews for this tired point to the warranty.
High-Speed Responsiveness
There are certainly worse tires out there when it comes to high-speed responsiveness.
Still, it seems like the Destination LE2 catches a lot of flak because it has exceptional handling and comfort at speeds below 55mph, only to lose it when the vehicle exceeds that speed limit.
That doesn’t mean that you will be all over the road or that it’s a dangerous tire to have at high speeds.
Moving around with a tire over 55mph doesn’t feel as incredible as it does at lower speeds.
At higher speeds, the little bumps and divots in the road that it absorbed so well at lower speeds are the exact opposite.
Fortunately, Destination LE2 tires still retain their wet weather capabilities at high speeds, so that’s something that you don’t have to worry about.
They also tend to spin if you have a lead foot on the accelerator from a complete stop. If you like to hit the accelerator hard from a complete stop, this is probably not the tire for you.
They’re very good at diverting water, but they will also spin in place even more with heavy acceleration in wet weather.
Noise Issues with the Firestone Destination LE2
One of the primary focal points of this upgrade over the original LE was to reduce the noise level of the tire.
One of the major complaints about the original LE was the noise level, so Firestone tried fixing it with this latest iteration.
They did a pretty good job, as noise levels are negligible at slower city speeds.
However, when you get up to speed on the highway, the Destination LE2 makes a noticeable humming sound.
Of course, the noise levels depend primarily on the type of vehicle that they are mounted on. Larger vehicles tend to create a louder humming sound at speed than much lighter vehicles.
The noise level seems to increase the more the tire tread wears down over time.
You might find interesting: Firestone Destination LE3 Problems (Explained)
How to Deal with These Issues
Some issues that come with a tire are what they are; unless you entirely replace the tire, you can’t expect much to change.
This is the case regarding the noise levels these tires allegedly produce at high speeds.
Some customers may never experience this, or the noise simply won’t bother them.
However, larger SUVs and trucks seem to fall victim to the noise levels more than other vehicles with which the Destination LE2 is compatible.
High-Speed Responsiveness Solutions
The tire is either responsive at high speeds or is not. There is only a little bit in the way of troubleshooting that you can embrace to solve the problem. For starters, this is not an expensive tire.
It’s considered a budget tire; when you buy budget tires, you have to be ready to make some concessions.
What you can do is play around with the tire pressure. Typically, the more tire real estate touching the highway means more capacity for noise.
Keep your tires topped off at maximum psi to alleviate some of the noise at higher speeds.
If that doesn’t work, you can always look into soundproofing solutions for your vehicle’s interior.
Snow and Ice Conditions
There’s very little that you can do to the tire to change how the material reacts to cold weather.
If you live in an area where heavy snow is prevalent during the winter season, your best bet is to stay away from this tire or prepare to use chains in deep or severe snow conditions.
You can deflate the tire a small amount (you never want to go crazy with this method, as just a little bit is okay) to get some more tires on the highway.
Since the rubber gets hard, the tire loses its softness on contact, which you can alleviate somewhat by reducing air pressure.
Is the Firestone Destination LE2 an All-Season Tire?
According to Firestone, the answer is yes. However, the tire fails miserably in snowy or icy conditions.
The tire is really only meant for a very light snow condition or a dusting of snow and nothing more.
Most pundits do not recommend driving in heavier snow on icy roads with this tire, as it loses all of the positives that its traction provides in other adverse weather conditions. There are a few reasons for this.
The first is that the tire gets quite hard in colder temperatures. So, it’s not necessarily the ice and snow that directly impacts the tire but the temperature.
Once the drop in temperature hardens the tire material, it loses the necessary softness on the road.
It’s considered to be an exceptional tire in terms of diverting rainwater out and providing you with excellent grip on the highway.
However, it doesn’t achieve the same effect even in slushy conditions.
The tire’s tread is an interesting interweave of wide S-curves over the deep, centered tread. It’s called a symmetrical tread pattern, and it also has a reinforced center rib.
The notched shoulder makes it a superb cornering tire and improves drivers’ performance in wet weather and adverse road conditions.
However, all of that goes away when there is a little bit of ice on the road, so exercise caution if you have this tire installed in snowy weather.
All Things Considered
The Firestone Destination LE2 is undoubtedly an upgrade over the original. It is a budget tire with excellent wet weather traction and great handling.
However, it has its drawbacks, which are expected in a low-cost tire.
Do your due diligence, and if you live in a northern climate, you may want to look elsewhere.
