Tires should have expiration dates!

[jimandela]

Got up put on the news and there is a story about how now in the U.K.
tires can not be sold after they are 6 yrs old.
and should not be used if more than 10 yrs old.
But no such warning here in the U.S.
And how some brandnew tires sold in the U.S. today have 1994 born on dates.

It was a very sad story of a guy with British sports car, convertible.
The car was babied; tires only had 4K on them. He and once very prettty blonde were out for a ride.
Then one of the tires separated due to age, and the car flipped, she now suffers from a brain injury.

And the poor motorist, is like..why? I had no idea tires just naturally deteriorate due to age.
he said they were not rotten, or poorly inflated. Just separated because that is what old tires do.
So, FYI.
Jim

 

[Magicboy2]

While we're on the topic, what is the best way to store a spare set of tires?

 

[Chuck 98 RT/10]

I certainly feel bad for the motorist. But I'm amazed that someone would think rubber 10 years old is as good today as it was new. Especially a guy like this who obviously is a car nut to some degree.

Yesterday I read an article claiming that 10 people died "recently" from old tires separating. Considering there are millions of tires sold and probably millions of old tires still on the road, 10 people is hardly an epidemic justifying a law.

 

[ChrisXoxide]

I think it mostly matters in terms of when you are pushing the limits? For regular road driving old tires are fine I think.

 

[ROCKET62]

Quote: "I think it mostly matters in terms of when you are pushing the limits? For regular road driving old tires are fine I think."

WRONG - only if you consider regular road driving in a straight line and never taking a corner at more than 5 mph. When I purchased my 93 it had only 7600 miles on the "perfect tread" 10 year old tires and they were down right DANGEROUS! While I was saving for new tires and debating the pilot sports vs. kuhmos I had two near spins at what I thought was "normal" street driving. After a real spin I had the new Pilot Sports delivered and installed the next day! When purchasing one of those older, low mileage, cream puffs with original tires - the first mod should be NEW TIRES! Bring on the "born-on" date so that you can make an informed decision!

 

[Magicboy2]

Chris-

When a tire is old, it's not the tread depth or build quality you worry about, it's the hardening of the rubber. Hard rubber doesn't stick, and if you go around a turn at even moderate speeds it can be very hazardous.

Old tires are not to be trusted, ESPECIALLY in these cars.

 

[monnieh]

Each tire has a required Department of Transportation number imprinted on at least one of its sidewalls. That number begins with the letters "DOT" and may contain up to 12 additional numbers and letters.

The first and the last digits are the most important for the tire owner. The first 2 letters/numbers identify the manufacturer of the tires. Prior to the year 2000, the last 3 digits of a DOT number represented the week (2 digits) and the year (1 digit) of production.

For example, if the last three digits are 439, the tire was produced in the 43rd week of 1999. Tires produced after January 1, 2000 have a 4-digit date code at the end of the DOT number. The first 2 digits represent the week of production and the last 2 digits represent the last 2 digits of the year of production. So, 3500 as the last 4 numbers indicates that the tire was produced in the 35th week of the year 2000."

 

[SoCal Rebell]

Yup,absolutely right monnieh, there is a born on date on each tire which I always look for and check, I try not to get tires more the 1 year old. I also look for the same size oval box with the letter "C" stamped in it, this means the tire is Viper spacific.

 

[DEVILDOG]

Dah...thin the herd.

 

[GR8_ASP]

I agree that most people do not think that age is a big player. Performance oriented people (Viper owners???) may recognize the reduced traction that results from harder rubber. But how many of us would think that the tire would fail internally? I would think not too many. Reduced traction is one thing but structural integrity is quite another.

I see lots of low mileage Gen I's with the original tires. These are in the 10 year old neighborhood. I would bet some of those have been on the track at VOI's and such. I know some Gen I's that are still on the showroom floor. You think the eventual buyer is going to replace zero mileage tires? Yea right.

If this is true age limits need to be provided. Unsure how such a thing would be enforced though. Would the owner be liable if a car with overage tires had a tire related accident? Criminal and civil? In these litigous times I would be concerned that the liability would be applied to someone. What is next a light on the dash to tell you to change your tires so that the OEMs are protected against this future litigation? How about tire manufacturers starting to make different color tires so police can tell at a distance if you deserve a ticket for out of date tires?

 

[ZX12]

I agree that tires need to have expiration dates. My dad has a bone-stock 87 Grand National with only 6000 miles on it, showroom condition, original tires. Tires look great, still have the manufacturing inks and marks on them. He drives it like a granny, but when I get the rare chance to drive it, I try to let it 'breathe' a little. When I do, those tires have absolutely no grip. Can easily spin the tires at 40 mph, and drag launches are impossible. I don't even try to take turns quickly.

The tires on my ZX12 are nearly 4 years old, still have some decent tread, but dang, they've lost a lot of their original traction. They were hard tires from the beginning, and who knows how little stickiness is left in them. I have to be careful when taking off, since I can easily spin the back tire in a heartbeat. I don't do too much corner carving now, and I won't until I get a new set of tires.

I guess the 'expiration' will depend on several factors, such as mileage, storage conditions, type of rubber, frequency of use, etc. Something for the engineers and lawyers to figure out...

 

[DEVILDOG]

You should not have to legislate common sense. Driving around on 10 year old tires is just stupid. People need to use their brains and take responsibility for their own well being. Stop expecting the government to do everything for you.

 

[snakebitdave]

I agree that one shouldn't have to legislate common sense. However, I don't consider myself stupid for not knowing 10 year old tires may be a safety hazard. I do appreciate what I can learn on this forum from many of you who are more knowledgeable in this sort of thing. My Vipers range in mileage from 950, 1200, 4800 to 7600. Some of you consider them garage queens. I really appreciate the Viper's style and performance but with a business to run, church involvement and four grown children to visit I just don't have the time to devote to my Vipers that I would like to. I never gave it a thought that I should be concerned about tire failure due to age but now that you have brought it to my/our attention it makes perfect sense. Thanks again for sharing valuable information on this forum; I think it is one of the best investments an owner can make.

 

[jimandela]

The law should just not allow tire companies to sell 6 yr old stock.
and they are.....

Trust me when i say "in general we dont need more laws but if the companies dont care
about people....what are we to do?"

or at least but the damn born on date on the sideway in plain english like
on the milk carton that way if you want to buy them fine your risk
or dont buy.. but then it is your common sense.
would you buy milk for child not knowing the expire date?

 

[garolittle]

... or at least but the damn born on date on the sideway in plain english ...

Yes. Good point.

 

[cgmaster]

I think it should be against the law to sell any tire over 2yrs old. It may help to even inspect the same time they are doing the inspection on the car but I think no more than 10yrs old. I have ahd cars that the tire dryrotted before they wore down. That is fine if they arent driven