People will have opinions about anything and everything, and many don't mind presenting their opinions as facts. IMO, the Duelers are fine for everyday use, but, that said, there are others that will be better suited for snow and other specific challenges.

I doubt all four tires would be causing that noise, but one tire might. At any rate, your tread is getting pretty thin and you should be looking at replacing them now or very soon, even if the tires are not the source of the noise you're hearing. This is especially true if you might get heavy rains, and getting new tires before the first chance of snow would definitely be wise. While you're at the tire store, have them look things over to see if they can diagnose the source of that noise - that needs to be checked.

The Yokohama Geolander GO15s I got a few years ago to replace the OE Duelers after 30,000 miles are terrific in snow, are no noisier than the Duelers were (and they weren't bad), but cost 1 to 2 MPG in fuel economy. After more than 40,000 miles they still have a substantial looking amount of tread left, but it has been a while since their tread depth was last measured.

 

I went the Geolander G0015 route after only 22,000 kms. those Duelers on my '18 2.5i base were JUNK and unsafe (soft, flexible, scary going around corners foldable). Coupled with the floaty feel of the Outback, I'm very glad I bit the bullet and upgraded. Get some pennies out of them while you still can and get yourself some light A/T (IMHO).

 

The OE Duelers are adequate all-season tires for street and highway use, but they are at best only 40,000 mile rated tires (per Bridgestone). There are lots of replacement choices, and perhaps better tire values, depending on your typical driving environment.

 

They're not a great tire. They're good for MPG, paved roads and almost 30k miles, that's about it. Definitely not good in snow, loose dirt or mud. There are better choices for less money.

 

I had some on a work truck once, decent, but not overly impressive.

Switched to Falken and happy ever since.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

 

We were unhappy with the Duelers on our 19 because one had an unrepairable slice in the tread on a dirt and gravel road that was frequented by 18 wheelers, minivans, sedans, you name it, so not an obscure road by any means. Pretty embarrassing when your Subaru can't handle a routine road because of the tires. So far the Yokohamas on our 20 have been better.

 

I was actually pleasantly surprised how well the Duelers handled a steep, muddy road going up a hillside in WV when they were still fairly new.

 

With that many miles on the Duelers , I would change them and consider yourself lucky. Most forum members (not all) are unhappy with the Duelers . Subaru made a big mistake not using Yokahama (the typical Subaru tire.)

 

They are not the greatest tire but a decent tire for the money. I've used them on multiple vehicles and never had an issue. Found them just fine in the rain and the snow.

As far as your noise, have you checked the tires to make sure there is a nail or bolt in the tread that is making noise as it wears down?

 

My personal experience with the stock Bridgestone Duelers was not good. I found the wet weather performance to not only be unacceptable, but dangerous. There are a A LOT of better tires out there for the money!

 

+1 on them being ok for most conditions (except snow, IME), but road noise was pretty bad by the time mine were worn that much. As for a once-per-rev noise, I usually find something embedded in a tire with that symptom, like a nail or tack (sometimes it can be hard to spot, but usually causes a slow leak). Sometimes it can be difficult to tell exactly where it's coming from, so I'd just try to inspect the treads of all 4 (assuming you didn't check them carefully when you did the last rotation).

 

I ran my 1st set to about 35k, got a nail in one so had to replace them. Picked up a used set of OEM duellers with 11k on them and have put about 15k on them and they’re getting noisy again. Still do the job but they’re on their way out. They’re not a bad tire but you’re lucky to get 40k out of them honestly.
Going to 235/60 next- either a Yokohama or a continental tire, mostlikely a continental crosscontact lx25

 

So far my favorite tire is the Yokohama GEOLANDAR A/T G015

I have them on my 'other' car and they are incredible.

Blows the doors off the equivalent Michelin

 

… although my Duelers are barely new in the OB, i have prior experience with this tire / brand in our old Nissan X Trail, can't complain - used these tries for almost ~ 45000 kms, city and long trips during summer till we sold the SUV. imo their perfect for daily use (highway / paved / wet), won't trust performance on mud and snow. i trust Bridgestone Blizzaks during winter, we have -40 degC temps during Jan to Feb in Manitoba, tire compound still feels like bubble gum during harsh conditions

 

Hey people; thank you very much for all of your responses. I guess I'll consider myself blessed for the 32K that I got out of the tires and look for something different

 

I think they wear well and so far no weather cracking.. but imo they are not very good on anything besides asphalt. I wish they would wear out quicker so I could justify swapping them out lol...

 

OEM tires are garbage.

 

I got 35K miles out of the Duelers.

I didn't have the complaints that many have expressed.

Typical oem tires. Sufficient, not superlative. Relatively short-lived. Predictable enough in a number of weather and road conditions.

Replaced with Michelin Premiere LTX, which were totally shitty. This was surprising to me as I use nothing but Michelins on my motorcycles. Only got 25k miles and the treads were falling off wholesale. Many others have reported the same.

Running Goodyear Eagle Sport A/S tires now. Hadn't heard much about them but they've been wearing and performing well in the last 15K miles.

Jason

 

Running Goodyear Eagle Sport A/S tires now. Hadn't heard much about them but they've been wearing and performing well in the last 15K miles.

That's what my old FX35 came with new. Got 30K on them, not great in snow, replaced with Falken ST-Z04 which went 80K (mostly highway). Wish they still made them, 14/32 deep tread, non-directional.

EDIT: Brain fade, FX35 came with Eagle RS-A. My bad.

 

I have 45000 miles on my Duelers. Could get 60000 out of them. I plan on using them through the summer. I have a like new set with rims that I got off Craigslist for $500. So I'm gonna be with the Duelers for awhile.

My only complaints, they are soft. I've plugged three holes in them in them.

Snow and ice, I've gone as fast as I would go with any other tire without issue. I swear I could've made it up to the ski mountain on bald tires in this car. Of course I wouldn't do that.

I've ran all sorts of brands. Conti's, Yoko's, etc. on some nice cars. The Duelers do just fine. Except the few punctures which I learned how to fix myself because the tire shop was waffling about fixing them. So easy to do.

 

It's not that the Duelers can't handle snow, of course they can (thanks in large part to AWD), but I found they just didn't give much bite. Once you've tried an all-season tire that emphasizes winter performance (e.g., Michelin Premier A/S), their weakness becomes very apparent.

 

I replaced them with Michelin Defender LTX MS. Best tire ever for this thing. After 16,000 miles they still look like new with hard driving. I should get about 35k out of them so I am more than happy.

 

Could not agree more with this. Have 16k on mine also and would buy them again in a heartbeat. They have been great in all weather conditions and pretty quiet. A little pricey but worth it to me.

 

Michelin's are hit and miss. I had the LTX AT/2 and they dry rotted after 5 years, even with the car garaged. Personally, I like Yokohoma.

 

I'm not a fan of these tires at all! They came stock on my 2017 2.5 Limited. They handled okay in dry, rain, and snow, but barely lasted 23K and then, I had to replace them in the middle of a long road trip because one of the tires began to delaminate. I've never seen a tire wear out so fast. I do very light in city driving and average less than 8k miles per year. They were rotated on schedule by the dealer. I know tire mileage warranties mean nothing, so perhaps its normal that a 40k tire only lasted 20k on an AWD vehicle, but still, there's no way I'd purchase them again.

 

... perhaps its normal that a 40k tire only lasted 20k on an AWD vehicle ...

As just one more data point, the OE Duelers on our 2016 Outback were replaced last year at 42,275 miles, comprising roughly 50/50 mixed city/highway driving. YMMV, obviously.

FWIW, I replaced the OE Duelers with Goodyear Assurance WeatherReadys (in OE size), a 60,000 mile tire, chosen primarily for their cold weather street performance, especially in snow and ice. Somewhat surprisingly, the Goodyears were actually less expensive that OE-spec Duelers would have been. (Hint: Winter-rated tires are generally priced lower in summer than in winter.)

 

I know maybe this is supposed to be about tires but I have another theory on the sound - failing wheel bearing?
I had my right rear go bad and sounded a lot like the sound you're describing.

 

I have the same car as you (except it’s a 2.5) with the same mileage and I’m having the exact symptoms you’re having with the tires. It takes away from the experience of driving the car for me. Subaru definitely screwed up here and I look forward to replacing them.

The performance is ok, nothing particularly good or bad, but the noise is pretty unbelievable.

 

Note of caution on these, they are not normally a stock item even in the Bay Area. Had sidewall damage hitting a rock while in the mountains. The doughnut was only good to get to the next town and just bought a cheepo to make it back home (300 Miles). Obviously a mix of different tires is not recommended on our vehicles. I'll need to order from Costco and may use the one that does not match as a full size spare and put it on a cheap rim. Having low miles, cannot comment on tire wear.

 

Open question: Suppose it would help anyone to hang onto my old Duellers (7/32 tread) to list in the classifieds for the poor sole who blows a tire and doesn't want to spring for 4?

 

...to list in the classifieds for the poor sole who blows a tire...

I thought that was pufferfish who inflated at the first sign of danger.
Sorry to resort to tired humor.