New tires are a necessary expense, so when you buy new tires you expect new tires.
WEWS reports consumers might actually be purchasing new, but very old tires, tires that pose huge safety risks on the road. In fact, old tires are to blame for the deaths of 223 people across the United States. Sean Kane a safety advocate says, “Across the country, old tires are routinely sold, installed and put in service on cars, unbeknownst to customer.”
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration agrees with these advocates saying rubber will break down over time, affecting the integrity of the tire. When you’re shopping around for new tires you can actually see when the tire was manufactured yourself. On every tire is a long number sequence that begins with the letters DOT. Find the last four digits of that number sequence. The first two numbers indicate the week the tire was manufactured and the last two indicate what week. This knowledge gives you the power to avoid those “new” tires.
Currently there are no laws that prevent these tires from being installed on cars and rubber manufacturers will argue scientific data is lacking to prove tires degrade over time. Refer to your driver’s manual for tire specifications. Many auto-makers specifically state in those manuals that tires should not be more than six years old.
