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View Full Version : Did you know tires expire?

The_Market
10-09-2008, 10:01 AM
Check out this 20/20 story.

http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=4826897
jessiehannan
10-09-2008, 10:03 AM
Yeah. It is crazy that some places sell tires that have expired.
Kassandra
10-09-2008, 03:51 PM
Wow. I had no idea.

6 years doesn't seem like a long time for tires to be safe. My car is 7 years old and we've replaced my tires once. So, I'm guessing we did it probably 2 years ago.

Is it normal for a set of tires to last 5 years? That's about how often I've heard family members changing theirs. Anyway, if they're only good for 6 years, I guess you better make sure you get fresh off the press tires when you buy them new. Otherwise, they'll expire before the end of the life of the tire.
jessiehannan
10-09-2008, 03:56 PM
I just replace them as needed. But I drive a lot and they wear out fairly quickly.
Kassandra
10-09-2008, 03:56 PM
The date on my tires is 2304, so they're not expired.

One thing I didn't understand from the report. Should you not use tires after 6 years - meaning, they're only safe for 6 years after production - OR should they not be sold after they're 6 years old - meaning, they're safe for 11 or so years?
JudyJudyJudy
10-09-2008, 04:00 PM
I've seen this before, but it's been a while.

Kassandra, I understood that they're not safe to use after that time.
The_Market
10-09-2008, 04:53 PM
But that's the thing. Tires don't actually expire.
Tiffearni
10-09-2008, 05:25 PM
Yep, I actually watched that a while back. I made DH watch it too. So, when we went to get new tires, we made sure to check them all. LOL Especially after seeing that even when you buy new, they may not actually be 'new'.
JudyJudyJudy
10-09-2008, 05:54 PM
But that's the thing. Tires don't actually expire.
They don't, but they should. Car seats have expiration dates; it would make sense that tires would, too.
Michaelrob
10-09-2008, 11:23 PM
I'm no expert but I do work for Goodyear as a tirebuilder. As long as the vehicle is driven regularly, the tires should be OK. Except when the tread wears out or you have little wires coming out of the edge of the tread.
The_Market
10-10-2008, 07:59 AM
There was enough on that 20/20 special to convince me otherwise, or at least make the being-driven-regularly argument irrelevant. The 4 year old tires being regularly sold in major stores are not driven regularly.

You know, expiration dates would work to the manufacturer's benefit, too. People would still use expired tires, but -if so- the liability would be off the manufacturer who said the tire was expired. And people would probably buy tires more often b/c theirs would be expiring. I'm kind of shocked Goodyear isn't all over this.
hidesome
10-10-2008, 08:28 AM
Yes. Polymers age. In particular, they age more quickly when exposed to ultraviolet light. Personally, I wouldn't have much issue with buying tires that had stayed indoors. On the other hand, I wouldn't touch a set of tires that had been stored in the sun for 5 years.
jessiehannan
10-10-2008, 08:33 AM
Yes. Polymers age. In particular, they age more quickly when exposed to ultraviolet light. Personally, I wouldn't have much issue with buying tires that had stayed indoors. On the other hand, I wouldn't touch a set of tires that had been stored in the sun for 5 years.

I agree with hidesome on this.

I also inspect the tires that they put on my cars before I drive off. If they are discolored, or seem to be 'dry', I have them put on another tire.