How to tell if your old tires are too old

Just how old is too old when it comes to tires? What you don't know about the tread your riding on could hurt you. Here's what you need to know to stay safe on the road.

[chickenfarm]

My tires are about 9 or 10 years old. I don't see sidewall cracks, but I do think the tread feels harder to the touch, and I think they are very noisy. It's hard to spend money I don't have right now on tires. When you look at them the tread is still there.

[edge]

Tires even with good thick tread usually show deterioration after 6 years. At 5 years old, the tire must be inspected for hairline cracks around the inner and outer diameter as well as on the tread itself. Also check for flexibility. Tire that has a hardened wall and tread even without cracks is bad. When in doubt, consult a trusted tire center. Do not buy unused tires even at bargain prices if they are over 2 years old after manufacture.

[skersbus]

Thank God she didn't get hurt. WOW, 22 years old!!!! All these news reports about old tires recently prompted me to check mine, resulting in replacing a "brand new" spare tire which turned out to be 18 years old. In picking used tires, it seems its better to get a newer one with half the original tread (but otherwise good condition), than an old one with full tread.

[grntchstrmdws]

The best analogy that I think people can grasp is that of an old pencil eraser. It won't erase the marks on a page, only smear them. There isn't enough friction between the rubber and the paper to remove the graphite marks. So when the rubber in your tires becomes hard like that it simply won't grip the road when you need to stop abruptly. You'll slide as though you were on ice. I'm speaking from experience, driving a light weight VW Beetle with ten year old Michelins that looked "new." And I wasn't going very fast when I sailed into that round-about and T-boned a guy. Had the pavement been wet, it would have been worse. Fortunately there were no injuries.

[vivillager]

I hear a lot about replacing tires after they're 6 years old, or 5, or 4, or in some cases I've heard that people should replace tires that are 3 year old. I don't know where these numbers come from, the only one that I know the source of is that there are a lot of vehicle manufacturers who recommend replacing tires more than 6 year old, but these are vehicle manufacturers, not tire manufacturers. A lot of tire manufacturers, such as Michelin and Continental recommend replacing tires 10 years old.

[DeVoNmotorsports]

1:15 RUBBER DEGRADES BASED ON CONDITIONS WAY MORE THAN TIME, if stored in the perfect conditions it could last very long and still be usable.. tires are layered, most tires blow out from being worn down to metal cords and DRY and overstretched, deforming the metal cords i have 22 year old tires in my basement when digging you nail into the rubber its modern rubber is better than older

[squintero]

@1:48 what the hell man, you lost your chance to get on that line, take the exit and go around!!

[pauljr.harrington]

This is one of the causes for the fatal $500, 000+ Porsche Carrera GT supercar crash.

[schneir]

My tires are 11 years old. I really need to get new ones! I guess I can just wait until it's cold enough to get the snow tires put back on, but that will be a couple months still.

[arthub]

I have used tyres 10 years and even 12 years old with performance and sound OK tread also seems to be in satisfactory condition then why replace tyres

[spiderman]

Well, my spare space saver is the original and has never been used. it's over 18 years old, maybe I should change it.

[amiek]

I'm in the AZ desert and my tires are 6 years old. Tread is great still but I'm afraid of the age of the rubber....

[rawhideleather]

5 years old? No way! One thing these tire dealers NEVER talk about which is THE most important thing to consider when buying NEW tires. You must check the DOT date of manufacture stamped into the sidewall. Selling out-dated 'new' tires is quite common and has caused many accidents and DEATHS! Tires have a total lifespan of only 6 or 7 years and that is INCLUDING time spent in a warehouse regardless of what the tire manufacturers or resellers might say ($$$). It is quite possible to buy 'new' tires that were actually made 6 years OR MORE ago that are already considered to be UNSAFE tires by the leading automobile makers and should not be sold for any price. The tire industry couldn't care less about your safety obviously. Buyer beware.

[matowixunplugged]

My tyres are 16 years old and still going strong

[freedomforall]

Don't buy used for vehicle but for something like farm equipment on farm they be great!

[noventay]

Is not because of the age, but how they were stored, if age was a relevant fact spare tires wouldn't work after 5 years

[cidpusa]

20 year old Michelin spare still looks brand new guess will have to say goodbye.

[szabib]

Let me guess she went to a tire shop and said give me the cheapest tires for $25, I know in California used tires that you get are always legit. Cause even selling used tires few places do it, and you save about $20 bucks but the tires are still in spec, and quality stored inside the tire shop. Those tires look like they were probably in the back of a field with water in them for years.

[KellyJohnson-rq]

Tire manufacturers recommend replacing after 10 years

[OldSchoolNoe]

It surprises me how people do not inspect stuff before they buy. Tires she bought were made 22 years ago? C'mon man a 20 second inspection on her part could have prevented all of this.