I need to correct something small but easy to check.
An earlier version of this review, and a lot of content about this brand, states Sailun was founded in 2009.
The company’s own official records, along with independent financial databases, confirm it was actually founded in 2002.
That gap matters more than it sounds like, because it changes the real story here: Sailun isn’t a “relatively young player” anymore. It’s now a top-10 global tire manufacturer by industry ranking.
- Sailun Group was founded in 2002 in Qingdao, China, not 2009. It’s publicly traded on the Shanghai Stock Exchange and reported roughly $5 billion in revenue in 2025.
- As of 2025, Sailun ranked 10th in Tire Business’s Global Tire Report Top 75 — a genuinely major manufacturer, not a small budget upstart.
- In 2014, Sailun merged with Jinyu Tires, which brought Blackhawk (formerly Black Lion) and Rovelo into the same corporate family — worth knowing if you’re cross-shopping Blackhawk, since it’s now a sibling brand.
- A real recall exists and names Sailun-branded tires directly. In December 2021, Sailun Tire Americas recalled roughly 84,351 specialty trailer tires across five brand names, including Sailun itself, over a steel-belt defect that could cause tread separation.
- Sailun is distributed in the US through TBC Brands, the same distribution network behind Prinx and connected to Big O Tires‘s parent company.
- My overall rating: ⭐⭐⭐½ (3.5/5) — a genuinely substantial global manufacturer with real value credentials, backed by verified sustainability and quality certifications, plus a specific recall history worth knowing about.
Correcting the Record: How Big Is Sailun, Really?
Sailun Group was founded in 2002 in Qingdao, China, originally as a maker of tire-building equipment before expanding into producing its own tires.
That’s a full seven years earlier than the 2009 date that circulates in a lot of Sailun coverage, including an earlier version of this review.
The scale gap is even bigger than the date gap. Sailun is publicly traded on the Shanghai Stock Exchange (ticker 601058), reported roughly RMB 36.8 billion (about $5 billion USD) in revenue in 2025, and employs more than 25,000 people.
As of 2025, Sailun ranked 10th on Tire Business’s Global Tire Report Top 75 — a genuinely major global manufacturer, not the small, newer player a lot of budget-tire coverage frames it as.
In 2014, Sailun merged with Jinyu Tires, another Chinese manufacturer. That merger brought Blackhawk (previously known as Black Lion) and Rovelo into the same corporate family as Sailun. If you’ve read our Blackhawk Tires Review, you’re already looking at a sibling brand to the one covered here.
Where Sailun Tires Are Actually Made
Sailun operates manufacturing bases in Qingdao, Dongying, and Shenyang in China, plus a facility in Vietnam, with additional production sites reported in Cambodia and under construction elsewhere.
In the United States, Sailun is sold and marketed through TBC Brands, headquartered in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. TBC Brands acts as the intermediary handling roughly a dozen Chinese-manufactured tire brands for the US market.
This is genuinely worth knowing if you’ve read other retailer coverage on this site: TBC Brands is the same distribution network behind Prinx, and it’s connected to TBC Corporation, the parent company of Big O Tires. These aren’t the same company selling you the same tire under different names, but they do share the same corporate distribution infrastructure — a detail almost no consumer-facing Sailun review mentions.
Sailun’s Current Lineup
Sailun’s lineup spans passenger cars, SUVs and crossovers, light trucks, and commercial applications.
Passenger car tires include the Atrezzo Z4+AS, Atrezzo SVR LX, and Atrezzo SH406 — all-season and touring options aimed at sedans and coupes.
SUV and crossover tires include the Terramax CVR (touring-focused) alongside the more rugged Terramax H/T, Terramax A/T, and Terramax M/T for owners who need genuine light-truck capability.
Light truck tires include the Terramax CVR LT and Terramax H/T LT, built with reinforced construction for hauling and towing duty.
Commercial truck tires include the Sailun S637, S668, and S825 lines, aimed at fleet operators looking for durable, cost-effective options.
What Real Owners Actually Report
I want to be direct about the basis for this section: I don’t have my own extended personal mileage on Sailun’s current lineup, so I’m drawing on verified independent owner reviews rather than fabricating a testing narrative.
Feedback on the Atrezzo passenger line is genuinely mixed but skews positive for the price. One detailed SimpleTire review describes a second set of Sailun tires performing “far better than expected,” with a ride and noise level the owner rated as comparable to the Michelins they replaced.
Other reviews land more neutrally, describing the tires as adequate but unremarkable — solid for a daily-driver sedan, not a standout in the category.
The light-truck line has earned more consistently enthusiastic feedback. One independent video review of the Terramax A/T reported the tire holding up impressively after 25,000 miles, with the reviewer specifically noting confident snow performance during winter testing.
Sailun has also been candid about its own market positioning in past comparative testing: the company has directly benchmarked its tires against Continental’s DWS line and framed its value proposition explicitly — not claiming to outperform premium competitors, but arguing that a roughly 30% price gap isn’t matched by an equivalent quality gap.
That’s a more honest positioning than most budget brands offer, and it’s worth knowing going in with exactly that framing rather than expecting premium-tier performance.
Sailun Recalls — What Every Buyer Should Know
This is a section that’s missing from a lot of Sailun coverage, and I think it deserves precise, honest treatment.
In December 2021, Sailun Tire Americas issued NHTSA Recall 21T018, covering approximately 84,351 tires across five brand names: Sailun, RoadX, Blacklion, Blackhawk, and Ironhead. The affected sizes were ST235/80R16 and ST235/85R16 — specialty trailer tires, not standard passenger or light-truck tires.
The root cause was a steel-belt package design change made at Sailun’s factory in Tay Ninh, Vietnam, which could lead to tread belt separation — a genuine safety risk. NHTSA’s own language states this “could lead to loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.”
Real, documented owner reports describe actual tread separations tied to this batch at relatively low mileage, in the 4,200 to 4,500-mile range, along with genuine frustration over confusing replacement logistics — several owners described being bounced between Sailun, their original retailer, and local dealers before getting resolution.
What to actually do: if you own Sailun-branded (or sibling-brand) trailer tires in the affected sizes, check your DOT code against NHTSA’s SaferCar.gov database. For Sailun’s standard passenger and light-truck lineup — the Atrezzo and Terramax families covered above — I found no comparable recall on record, but registering any tire purchase and periodically checking your DOT code is good practice regardless of brand.
Sailun’s Real Sustainability Credentials
The earlier version of this review included environmental claims I couldn’t independently verify, so I want to replace that with what’s actually documented.
Sailun has pursued a genuine, named sustainability initiative called “eco+,” and the company has real third-party recognition to show for it: an MSCI ESG rating upgraded to AA, an EcoVadis Silver placement in the top 15% globally, and status as the first Chinese tire manufacturer to join the World Business Council for Sustainable Development.
The company has also reported specific, sourced figures on sustainable material content — describing passenger tires produced with up to 75% sustainable materials and truck tires with up to 80%, as part of a broader stated goal of reducing carbon and energy consumption per tire by 30% by 2030.
I’m citing these because they’re independently verifiable through named third-party rating organizations, which is a meaningfully different kind of claim than vague, unsourced statements about “eco-friendly practices.”
Pricing and Warranty
Sailun tires typically run 20-40% below comparable models from established mid-tier and premium brands, consistent with their stated market positioning.
Warranty coverage varies by model, generally in the 40,000 to 60,000-mile range for treadwear, with a standard materials and workmanship warranty covering defects.
As with any tire purchase, confirm the specific warranty terms for your exact model and size before buying, and keep your documentation in case you need to file a claim.
Sailun vs. Sibling and Competing Brands
vs. Blackhawk: Since the 2014 Jinyu merger, these are sibling brands under the same parent company. Expect broadly similar manufacturing quality and value positioning between the two, with the practical difference usually coming down to specific model availability and styling.
vs. Continental DWS: Sailun has explicitly positioned itself against this specific premium all-weather tire in its own comparative marketing, acknowledging a real performance gap while arguing the price difference is larger than the quality difference. That’s a useful, honest framework for deciding whether Sailun fits your needs.
vs. Ironman: Ironman is backed by a US-based distributor (Hercules/ATD) rather than depending entirely on the manufacturer’s own overseas distribution arm, which some buyers find reassuring. Real-world performance between the two sits in a broadly similar budget-to-mid tier.
Where to Buy Sailun Tires
Sailun is available through Walmart, SimpleTire, and select independent dealers connected to the TBC Brands distribution network, along with online retailers like Priority Tire — our full review covers what to check before buying any tire brand online, including verifying stock freshness through your tire’s DOT code.
Who Should Buy Sailun Tires?
Sailun makes sense if you:
- Want genuine value from a manufacturer with real global scale and verified sustainability credentials behind it
- Are shopping for light-truck or SUV all-terrain capability specifically, where owner feedback is most consistently positive
- Understand and accept Sailun’s own honest positioning: close to premium performance, not equal to it, at a real price advantage
You might be better served elsewhere if you:
- Are shopping for ST-rated specialty trailer tires — check your DOT code against the December 2021 recall carefully first
- Want the widest possible mainstream retail availability
- Prioritize a brand with a longer-established individual reputation in the US passenger tire market specifically
Final Verdict: Are Sailun Tires Good?
After correcting the founding date and verifying the real scale of this company, here’s where I land: Sailun is a legitimate, genuinely large global tire manufacturer — not the small, unproven budget brand a lot of coverage still frames it as — with real value credentials backed by verified sustainability certifications.
The light-truck and all-terrain lineup earns the most consistently positive independent feedback. The passenger car lineup is honestly mixed but fairly priced for what it delivers. And the December 2021 recall, while limited to a specific trailer-tire segment, is real and worth checking if it applies to your specific tire.
My recommendation: the Terramax A/T or H/T for truck and SUV owners who want genuine value, and the Atrezzo line for budget-conscious sedan owners who understand they’re trading some refinement for a real price advantage. Check your DOT code if you’re shopping ST-rated trailer tires specifically, and confirm your exact model’s warranty terms before you buy.
Frequently Asked Questions
When was Sailun actually founded?
2002, in Qingdao, China — not 2009, a date that circulates in some Sailun coverage. The company originally made tire-building equipment before producing its own tires.
Has Sailun ever had a tire recall?
Yes. In December 2021, Sailun Tire Americas recalled roughly 84,351 specialty trailer tires (ST235/80R16 and ST235/85R16) across five brand names including Sailun itself, over a steel-belt defect that could cause tread separation. No comparable recall exists for Sailun’s standard passenger or light-truck lineup.
Is Sailun related to Blackhawk tires?
Yes. Since a 2014 merger with Jinyu Tires, Blackhawk (formerly Black Lion) and Rovelo are sibling brands under the same Sailun Group parent company.
How big is Sailun as a company?
Sailun ranked 10th in Tire Business’s Global Tire Report Top 75 as of 2025, with roughly $5 billion in reported revenue and more than 25,000 employees — a genuinely major global manufacturer, not a small budget upstart.
Who distributes Sailun tires in the United States?
TBC Brands, headquartered in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida — the same distribution network behind Prinx tires and connected to Big O Tires’ parent company, TBC Corporation.
Are Sailun tires good for trucks and SUVs?
This is where independent owner feedback is most consistently positive, particularly for the Terramax A/T, which has earned praise for snow traction and durability well past 25,000 miles in independent testing.
Disclosure: This review is based on verified corporate records, NHTSA recall filings, independently sourced sustainability certifications, and cross-referenced owner reviews, rather than personal extended mileage on the current lineup, clearly noted throughout. I was not compensated by Sailun, TBC Brands, or any retailer for this review. Prices mentioned are approximate and may vary by region, retailer, and tire size.
