Are Kenda Trailer Tires Good? (Kenda Trailer Tires Review)
Kenda Tires seem to have been on the market for 20+ years now. That is one sign that the tire brand may be above average and made with top-quality construction materials. Owner experience will say a lot about these tires.
Kenda is not technically a Chinese brand. The company is headquartered in Taiwan and started out making bike tires. It seems that the tires they make for all vehicles come with a very good reputation even though they are late to the vehicle tire-making game.
To learn more about this tire and the company behind it, just continue to read our article. It investigates the topic to make sure you have the right information to make an informed decision when a retail tire store recommends this tire brand for your trailer.
Kenda Trailer Tires
Are Kenda Trailer Tires Good?
It seems that they are and that the company is building a solid reputation for quality. While not on all the top best lists, they are listed as the best utility trailer tire on the Forbes website.
The treads come with a great design that has impressed different owners and reviewers. Owners are reporting great results. They have had different models of this tire brand on different vehicles and even a tow dolly. The results have been upstanding, in their opinion, as they put many miles on these tires.
While there may be the odd lemon in the production line, overall, the word is that these are top-quality tires that perform well. People can’t seem to say enough good things about the tires, how they are made, and so on.
Are Kenda Tires Made By Cooper?
In a word, no. There was a Coop[er Tire and Kenda Tire partnership between 2004 and 2009, but that partnership had nothing to do with producing tires for Cooper or having Cooper make tires.
The partnership was only for marketing and distribution, and it is hard to say why the two companies parted ways. The reason could be that Kenda wanted more identity in the US market, which they couldn’t get by being associated with Cooper Tires.
The Kenda Corporation, during its lifetime, has bought a few other companies to help enhance its image, production, and distribution. But they seem to have been an independent company since their founding in the early 1960s.
The company likes doing joint ventures or buying up smaller companies to help enhance its exposure in different countries around the world. But no other tire company seems to make their tires for them.
Who Owns Kenda Tires?
From the company’s Our Story web page, it seems that Kenda has been an independent company since 1962. Their story line indicates only 2 partnerships throughout their history, one with a company called Total and the other with Cooper Tire.
Throughout its history, this company has been able to acquire 4 other related companies to help broaden its product line and expand on its facilities.
Their story web page ends in 2017, and in checking, it seems that they have not been making a lot of business moves since 2018. They are still in existence and still seem to be an independent company.
The company has grown from a modest bicycle tire-making corporation into the 27th largest tire manufacturer in the world. They make about 14 tire models for passenger cars and trucks, and most of the tires made for trucks, SUVs, etc., are sold under the Klever brand name.
Are Kenda Tires Made in The USA?
No, they are not. There is a research & development wing of the company in America, but the company did not and has not established any tire-making factories in this country.
There are actually 2 facilities in the US, one is called the technology center, and the other is called Kenda Rubber. The company does have 7 manufacturing facilities, with one in Taiwan, the original factory.
Then 3 are in China, 2 in Vietnam, and 1 in Indonesia. While named Kenda Rubber for all of its factories, like the American facility, the American location is just a set of offices for the company.
While not mentioned in their story about the history of their company, it seems that Kenda and Cooper Tire share a Chinese factory. Between 2005 and 2010, Kenda established 3 tire making factories in China, but there is no mention of a partnership agreement with Cooper for any one of those manufacturing plants.
This fact was mentioned in the 2009 press release citing the end of the marketing and distribution agreement.
Where are Kenda Trailer Tires Made?
As we just mentioned, there are 7 factories in total making all types of tires for this company. While it did branch off into making tires for all types of vehicles, the company still makes bicycle and wheelchair tires.
Which factory makes which types of tires, including golf tires, is unknown. The two factories in Vietnam are in the Dong Nai province, and the one in Indonesia is in the Banten province. The original factory is in Yun Lin, Taiwan, and the three Chinese factories are spread over the country.
Then, most of the news on the Kenda website is all about their participation in the bicycle sport and industry. They do not highlight the vehicle tire-making side of their firm.
While expanding into the vehicle tire market, Kenda has remained committed to making bicycle tires, among other tires, for smaller apparatuses and golf vehicles.
Kenda Trailer Tires Review
We are finding some great reviews for this tire brand. One of the first things mentioned in one comment was that this factory had escaped the stigma of the China bomb reputation.
That is good news as that means that these tires are made to top standards that produce high-quality tires for everyone to use. Other owners have stated that they are more than satisfied with the performance when they put these tires on their trailers and other vehicles.
Other reviews have stated that this brand makes great utility tires, and both those models and other tire models come with a great grip and technologically sound tread designs.
One reviewer did mention a negative aspect of this tire brand. It seems that the cords inside the tire can fail and make the rubber wear unevenly. Then one more reviewer said these tires are thrifty yet trustworthy.
The company seems to have given up some comfort to cut down on biased construction costs. He also stated that the lifespan is not that long, and only 6-ply strength is on the utility tires. The good news is that these tires are cheaper than some of the no-name tires on sale at your local tire outlet.
How Long do Kenda Tires Last?
This will depend on the tire model you buy. It is said in general that this tire brand tires will last between 50,000 and 60,000 miles. However, the all-terrain tires may only last about 45,000 miles.
Then the premium touring tires should last about 65,000 miles. It is said that if you do not use the tires a lot in the first few years, you may be able to get 10 years of use out of them before needing to replace these tires.
But with any tire brand, it is not just the quality of construction that influences the longevity of any tire. Your driving habits and where you drive will play a significant role in how long these tires will last.
If you go off-road all the time, you may not get 45,000 miles out of them. These figures are the ideal and average amount of time you can expect to see these tires last.
Are Kenda Tires Noisy?
Yes, and no. It will depend on which tire model you buy. For example, the Kenda Klever H/T2 is said to need improvement in the noise department.it is a great tire except for that one drawback.
Then the Kenda Klever M/T is said to be a very quiet tire. So you have to talk with your tire outlet and see what they say about the tire noise when you are on the road.
The company makes about 14 different tire models, with half for light trucks and SUVs, etc. The ones for the passenger cars may be a lot quieter than the ones for those bigger vehicles.
When looking at buying a specific brand of tire, most people only use noise as an afterthought. They are more concerned about performance, traction, grip, and other features a driver needs to drive and then stop. Some tire models are better than others.
Are Kenda Tires Good in Snow?
It seems that these tires are rated above average when it comes to snow driving. One review site said it received a 4/5 rating which translates to 80%. That is above average.
Another review website said that the Kenda tires are very good in snow, also above average rating, and that it can drive in 3-4 inches of snow without losing traction or performance.
The control and handling of your vehicle are not at risk at this snow depth. If you keep to reasonable speeds, then you should not have that much trouble when driving in deeper snow levels.
The reason for its success is the deep tread design.
Kenda Trailer Tire Warranty
According to the review website, the company will replace any Kenda tire for any reason within the first 12 months. After that, the tires are protected from failures caused by defective workmanship and materials for 5 years starting from the time of tire manufacture.
This extra coverage is a limited warranty, so you may not get your tire replaced. Then you can find the date of manufacture on the tire sidewall using the DOT’s code.
Talk to your tire outlet about the free tire replacement as well as the prorated tread discount policies. They should be able to provide you with more information on those important issues.
Kenda vs Carlisle Trailer Tires
It seems that these two tire brands have similar quality tires. Kenda is holding its own against this company as on one best tire list, the Carlisle model was given an honorable mention only.
The Kenda tire was given the best utility tire model, so this brand’s tires match up with many more well-known tire options. On another list, the Carlisle tire was said to be the best car hauler tire, while Kenda won the best off-road category.
You can’t go wrong with either tire brand.
Kenda vs Maxxis Trailer Tires
On the same two lists, the Maxxis tire model that was reviewed was the best overall tire on one list and then the best large tire brand on the second list. Maxxis seems to have a slight or larger edge over the Kenda tire models.
The Maxxis brand is also a Taiwanese tire-making company that started out making bicycle tires in 1967. The two companies have a lot in common
Where Can I Buy Kenda Tires?
The company has a dealer locator web page. When we did a search for American dealers, the map only showed 12 dealers in the whole country. The bad news is that none of those dealers were for automotive tires.
You may find them at your local tire outlet, as owners have said they have used this brand since 2004. Out of curiosity, we checked Canada’s list of dealers, and it came up with only 4. Click here to see if you can find a dealer near you.
Some Additional Words
It would be a mistake to group the Kenda tires with any China Bomb brands. This company strives to make top-quality tires and seems to have accomplished that goal.
No one has stated that you should stay away from this brand of tire, and you may be pleasantly surprised by the results you get. Taiwan may have started in China, but there is a different mindset between the two people’s groups, and it shows in their tire production.
