Conti GP 5000 TL failure after 300k

I was having problems with Conti 4 Seasons getting damaged but I was running them at max pressure; educated myself on correct pressures vs weight (ie not max pressure) and no more problems.

Had a similar experience with two week old 4 Seasons. Apparently most manufacturing failures resemble a tear, with loose fibres evident. Road damage will have clean and neat edges, as you would expect to see from a slice or cut. I wouldn't have minded if the tyres were well used but being new I assumed, or rather hoped that I would could replace it under warranty!

And I've done thousands of kms on pairs of Gatorskins, 4 Seasons and GP4000 II. The only catastrophic failure was when a screw sliced open the tyre wall of a 4 Seasons.

I've had loads of problems with the durability / performance  of Continental tyres. I won't use them now.

As an aside, how easy is it getting the tyres on the Hunts. I tried with some Mavics and it needed two mechanics to get the final bit on with tyre irons. Conti guy at a bike show says it is just Mavics that have this issue and they are easy with Hunts. 

I went off continental for a about 10 years, I had too many premature side wall failures (one time on just the 2nd ride). The 5000TL is my first delve back into them and touch wood after a couple thousand miles they seem far more robust

I had a GP4000 that bubbled for no reason after a short distance, got replaced by the shop.  But I also put a brand new folding Panaracer on my MTB many years ago and a stone blew the sidewall after two miles.  These things can happen.  Thing is unless you are 100% it is definitely a tyre fault, and you can argue until you are blue in the face, if the shop/manufacturer aren't interested as it is questionable or open to debate, the only real recourse you have is don't buy from the shop/manufacturer again.   Chalk it down to experience and move on.

I had a similar incident with a Schwalbe and it was cut by glass - looked identical to the cut shown in the pictures.

Put it down to bad luck and move along.

As with everything you buy from a retail store, after two months you need to be dealing with the retailer, not the manufacturer.

You bought the tyre from the LBS, and it is up to them to replace it if they feel it is a manufacturing fault or other fault with the tyre itself. They can then take it up with Continental to get their money back on the deal or address any identified faults. 

Your contract for the goods is with the seller, not the maker. That might go some way to explain why Conti are uninterested. 

The second photo shows its a diagonal tear in the tyre ? So it wouldnt be down a seam ?  I'd have thought you hit something.   I've been using GP4000s for years now.  I did have one that tore with a slash but all of the others have been faultless. 

Would be interesting to see what it looks life from the inside, 

Cyclingbeastmode nailed this I think. 

Had the same thing with three (!) GP4000s many, many years ago. Stopped using Contis for a while, then bought some Grand Prix GTs that were very cheap and have turned out to be an excellent tyre.

My experience is that the GP4000 is a bit fragile for UK roads and I doubt the GP5000 is much different. Try the GT.

I use GP4000s and had a failure at a similar distance. Chain Reaction Cycles replaced without any hassle, and tyres have been fault free for over 3 years.

I think your LBS should be doing more.

A couple of years ago I had a Conti GatorHardshell that split after a handfull of rides.

Obviously for their supposed best tyre for puncture protection I was less than impressed but Conti weren't interested.

It looks like it's ripped but difficult to see even in the hi-res photo (you can't zoom in even closer so maybe do a macro shot just of the damage) like most there's probably very few that will have something like that happen even if it's an object even over many decades, I've certainly not had anthing like that but that's not to say it couldn't happen. 

If you are wanting to go to the effort and honestly think it's a fault then let them know formally that you think the tyre is not fit for purpose and is faulty, state that under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 "The goods should be fit for the purpose they are supplied for, as well as any specific purpose you made known to the retailer before you agreed to buy the goods" and in this case you believe the product has failed to meet that.

Further that you offer Continental the chance to fully inspect the tyre for manufacturing defect and remind them that a sales rep immedicately deemed it not faulty and would not take the matter further for proper inspection.

You offer for them to make contact within 7 working days and you will also be contacting trading standards as you feel the fault is such that it could be life threatening (which IMO it could so easily if it is a fault) and that you feel you should not be out of pocket for a premium product that you bought in good faith and fit for purpose on the back of the Continental brand.

HTH and GL.