Tires: different sizes on the car 55s front, 65s rear?, 2004 chevy malibu, tire placard

Question
We just purchased a 2004 Chevy Malibu that has 205/55/15's on the front and 205/65/15's on the rear.  My son says it is ok, that sometimes the car is designed that way.  But I remember all four are supposed to be the same - if so should they be 65's or 55's?  We just bought the car from a Chevy dealer so I am thinking of taking it back to ask for the right tires.  Your thoughts?

Answer
Richard,

On every vehicle sold in the US, there is a sticker – commonly called the tire placard - that lists the original tire size and the proper pressure for that size.  The placard is usually located on a doorpost or in the glove box – but sometimes it is located in the trunk or on the fuel filler door.

Tire Guides, which summarizies placard information in a convenient form, says a 2204 Chevrolet Mailbu came with quite a few different tire sizes, but in a 15" the tire size was P205/65R15.  That means the front tires are too small for the vehicle - they have a lower load carrying capacity - and this increases the risk of a load related tire failure, which sometimes has tragic results.

Go back to the Chevy dealer and tell them that you won't press the issue if they agree to replace all the tires with the same tires that are currently being supplied to the Mailbu - assuming they are still 15".  If not, bargain for any properly sized tire with a TPC number (The mark that means GM approved the tire.)