If you buy new tires, it's critical that you check to see if they're brand new and fresh. If you don't, and the tires are more than six years old, the risk of them failing is substantial.
A couple of years ago I read that tires need replacing every six years. I remember thinking that it was a ploy by tire manufacturers to increase business. That's not the case -- and a few things changed my mind.
An Independent Tire Dealer's Message
I subscribe to a YahooGroup for owners of the Roadtrek, a camper van. One of the members passed along a link with an ABC video: "Aged Tires: A Driving Hazard?" He told us: "As a retired tire company employee and independent tire dealer owner myself, I know that RV tires rarely wear out, but instead rot due to age. Most responsible tire manufacturers recommend replacement before the tire reaches its sixth birthday, but often consumers don't realize that this means six years from manufacture, not six years of service."
The video is pretty compelling. It shows how some tire dealers sell old -- like, very old tires. The video also explains how to determine the date your tires were manufactured.
First-Hand Experience
I sent the link to my private YahooGroup and I got a note from a buddy, Jack K., who said: "I can relate to this one. I had a tire come apart on my Buick a few years ago. It had been on the car for five years, but there was plenty of tread left because I didn't drive much. I didn't know about the date code and had no idea how old the tire really was."
My friend Jack's too-old-to-drive-on tire
Talkback
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