Shopping for budget tires and keep seeing the Kelly name pop up? You’re probably wondering who’s actually making them—and if they’re worth your hard-earned cash. Here’s the straight answer, plus what you absolutely need to know before buying.
Kelly Tires Is Owned by Goodyear—Here’s What That Actually Means
Let’s cut right to it: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company makes Kelly Tires. Not “partially owns” or “licenses the name”—Goodyear fully manufactures and owns the Kelly brand.
Goodyear bought the Kelly-Springfield Tire Company back in 1935 and formally integrated it into Goodyear North America in 1999. Today, Kelly operates as what marketers call a “flanker brand.” Translation? It’s Goodyear’s budget-friendly option that lets them compete for price-conscious shoppers without slapping discount stickers on their premium Goodyear-branded tires.
Think of it like Toyota and Lexus. Same parent company, different price points, different customers.
America’s Oldest Tire Brand (No, Really)
Here’s a cool bit of trivia: Kelly was founded in 1894, making it the oldest tire brand in the United States. Edwin Kelly and Arthur Grant started the Consolidated Rubber Tire Co. in Springfield, Ohio, cranking out solid-rubber tires for horse-drawn carriages before cars were even a thing.
That heritage isn’t just marketing fluff—it’s a real part of the brand’s identity. Goodyear leans hard into this “trusted legacy” angle to make Kelly feel like more than just a cheap alternative.
How Kelly Fits Into the Goodyear Family
Goodyear doesn’t hide the connection. Visit their website and you’ll find Kelly prominently featured in the “Goodyear Family of Brands” section.
But here’s the strategic play: Goodyear positions itself as the innovation leader—the brand that sponsors NASCAR, develops cutting-edge tread compounds, and commands premium prices. Kelly, meanwhile, is marketed as the “smart choice” for drivers who want reliable performance without the flagship price tag.
It’s brilliant, actually. Goodyear captures the performance enthusiast and the budget shopper without cannibalizing their own sales. Kelly shoppers get access to Goodyear’s manufacturing facilities, distribution network, and tire technology—just in a more affordable package.
What You’re Actually Getting with Kelly Tires
So Goodyear makes them. Great. But are you getting Goodyear quality at a discount, or are you getting what you pay for?
The answer is… complicated.
The “Good Value” Promise
Kelly markets itself as delivering “solid performance at the price”. Retailers and many customers echo this sentiment, calling Kelly a reliable “second-tier” option—a step up from the cheapest no-name tires but not a premium product.
For drivers with common sedans, crossovers, and light trucks who need dependable all-season performance for daily commuting, that value proposition sounds pretty good. And Kelly sweetens the deal with their 30-Day Test Drive guarantee, which lets you swap the tires if you’re not satisfied within the first month.
The Durability Problem Nobody Talks About
Here’s where things get messy. While some Kelly owners rave about their tires, there’s a loud, angry chorus of buyers reporting catastrophic premature wear.
Take the Kelly Edge A/S, their mainstream all-season tire. It comes with a 55,000-mile warranty, which sounds reassuring. But check the reviews and you’ll find owners reporting tires worn down to the threads at just 24,000 miles. One frustrated buyer wrote: “I just replaced all 4 Kelly Edge A/S tires after only 24,781 miles! They have a 55K warranty, but that means nothing. All tires were worn to the threads… Do not buy these tires!”
That’s not an isolated complaint. Multiple reviewers describe the tires as “ridiculously soft” with rapid, uneven wear.
The Current Kelly Tire Lineup
Kelly’s modern offerings center around their “Edge” product family. Here’s what you’ll find at most tire shops:
Kelly Edge A/S (All-Season)
This is Kelly’s bread-and-butter tire for passenger cars and crossovers. It gets decent marks for initial comfort and surprisingly good snow traction. But as we just covered, the treadwear issues are serious enough that I can’t recommend it—even at its rock-bottom price.
Kelly Edge Touring A/S (The One You Should Actually Consider)
Now this is interesting. Launched in 2023, the Edge Touring A/S looks like Goodyear’s direct response to all those treadwear complaints.
This newer model features a silica tread compound specifically engineered to improve longevity. It comes with a beefier 65,000-mile warranty and scores a strong 9.0 out of 10 for long-lasting wear from SimpleTire.
Customer reviews back this up. Buyers report “extremely happy with these tires. very good ride and grip, no noise”.
If you’re shopping Kelly, this is the model to buy.
Kelly Edge AT (All-Terrain)
Kelly’s truck and SUV all-terrain tire comes with a 50,000-mile warranty and features sidewall “traction biters” for grip on gravel and dirt roads.
Unfortunately, it suffers from the same treadwear issues as the standard Edge A/S. Consumer ratings show a dismal 3.3 out of 5 for treadwear, with one owner noting “Worst tires I had for wear… 75% shot prob need tires by spring”.
Kelly Edge Sport (Performance All-Season)
Also launched in 2023, the Edge Sport targets performance-minded drivers with an asymmetric tread design and improved wet-handling compound. It’s too new for comprehensive long-term reviews, but the engineering looks competitive for the price.
How Kelly Stacks Up Against Competitors
Kelly doesn’t operate in a vacuum. It competes directly with other value-tier brands—and the comparisons aren’t always flattering.
Kelly vs. Cooper
When budget tire shoppers debate Kelly versus Cooper, Cooper usually wins. On enthusiast forums, you’ll find comments like “I’d take Cooper over Kelly without hesitation” and “Cooper is 3x the tire Kelly… is”.
Interestingly, Goodyear acquired Cooper Tire in 2021, making them sister brands. But for now, Cooper maintains a reputation for tougher, longer-lasting construction.
Kelly vs. General
General Tire (owned by Continental) consistently outperforms Kelly in durability discussions. The General Altimax RT45—Kelly’s direct competitor—is a “Car Talk Silver Wrench winner” praised specifically for its long tread life and excellent all-season performance.
When one buyer’s Kelly Edge tires wore out quickly, they specifically targeted the General Altimax RT-45 as their replacement. Not another set of Kellys.
The Hierarchy of Budget Tires
Based on consumer feedback, here’s the rough pecking order in the value tire market:
Top Tier Value: Cooper, General
Mid Tier Value: Kelly Edge Touring A/S (newer models)
Risky Budget: Kelly Edge A/S, Kelly Edge AT (older formulations)
The Walmart Factor: Are Some Kelly Tires Actually Worse?
Here’s where things get weird—and important.
Multiple sources, including a claimed tire shop owner with 15+ years experience, specifically warn consumers to avoid Kelly (and Goodyear) tires purchased from mass-market retailers like Walmart.
The Allegation
The claim is that tires sold at Walmart are “lower quality”, essentially “factory seconds,” and are “flimsy and delicate” compared to the same brand sold at independent tire dealers.
The alleged mechanism? Manufacturers produce special, cost-reduced models exclusively for big-box retailers to hit aggressive price points.
The Evidence
This isn’t just internet conspiracy theory. There’s actual evidence:
One Walmart customer reported buying Kelly tires that were impossible to balance properly despite four separate attempts. A second tire shop diagnosed them as defective—a classic symptom of “factory seconds.”
Even more damning: one forum user physically cross-sectioned a Walmart-exclusive Goodyear brand tire and measured it as 20% thinner than a comparable budget competitor.
A claimed Goodyear employee disputed this, saying Walmart’s low prices come purely from volume discounts. But the weight of evidence—multiple specific allegations, defect reports, and physical measurements—suggests retailer-specific quality variations are real.
The takeaway? If you’re buying Kelly tires, get them from an independent tire dealer, not a big-box store.
Are Kelly Tires Safe? What NHTSA Says
Safety recalls are a legitimate concern when evaluating any tire brand. A quick search for “Kelly tire recall” does return several NHTSA actions, which might raise red flags.
But here’s the important context: The recent Kelly recalls—including NHTSA Recall 22T010 for the Kelly Armorsteel KDM I—involve heavy-duty commercial truck tires (think 18-wheelers), not consumer passenger tires.
The Kelly Edge lineup you’d buy for your car, crossover, or pickup truck has no current widespread safety recalls. The documented problems with Kelly consumer tires are quality-related (premature wear), not safety-related (blowouts or tread separation).
That’s a critical distinction. You’re not risking catastrophic tire failure—you’re risking having to replace your tires sooner than expected.
Should You Buy Kelly Tires? The Honest Answer
Kelly Tires is a brand of stark contrasts. It’s America’s oldest tire brand, fully backed by Goodyear’s engineering and manufacturing. It’s also a budget product with well-documented durability issues on certain models.
Here’s my recommendation based on your specific situation:
For Daily Commuters on a Tight Budget
Avoid the standard Kelly Edge A/S. The ultra-low price isn’t a bargain if you’re replacing tires at 24,000 miles instead of 55,000. The General Altimax RT45 is a better value at a similar price point.
For Smart Value Shoppers
Buy the Kelly Edge Touring A/S. This 2023 model with its 65,000-mile warranty and improved silica compound is Goodyear’s direct fix for the brand’s durability problems. It’s the only Kelly all-season tire I’d confidently recommend.
For Truck and SUV Owners
Skip the Kelly Edge AT. It has the same premature wear issues as the Edge A/S. The market consensus strongly favors Cooper or General alternatives for better long-term value.
For Electric Vehicle Owners
Consider the Kelly Edge Touring A/S—with a caveat. One Chevy Bolt owner reported a measurable 10% range loss compared to OEM Michelin low-rolling-resistance tires. But they also got significantly better wet grip and eliminated wheel spin issues. If traction matters more than maximum range, it’s a worthwhile trade-off.
