Tires more than 6 years old are dangerous

From this report and others, abc news says that ANY tire that is more than 6 years old From Date of Manufacture, are dangerous to drive on.

IOW, that tire you just bought, might already be 6 years or more old, even though it has never been driven on.

Nick brought to you as a Public Service Announcement

Seems to me this was thoroughly discussed and otherwise beaten to death about a year ago? To put it simply I am instantly wary of categorical statements like that. If the tire had been in service for

6 years then I might be more concerned. Indeed Ford issued this warning: "It is recommended that tires generally be replaced after 6 years of normal service. Heat caused by hot climates or frequent high loading conditions can accelerate the aging process."

First, I wasn't here 6 years ago. More importantly, this has NOTHING to do with accelerating the aging process with hot climates or frequent high loading. It has to do with volatile chemicals leeching out of the rubber, making it unsafe/inflexible/prone-to-fail.

IOW, just sitting in a warehouse, you're buying death on wheels when you pay for *new* if you don't know how to read the date code.

Nick

B.S. If they are stored properly they will be fine. The BIG enemies of rubber are HEAT and Ozone.

If this was an actual problem the tire industry would be shouting it from the rooftops. Nothing sells products like scare tactics...

Hmmm, doubtful. Don't believe everything these bozos go on about. Think about it, if true, wouldn't we be seeing a real spate of tire failures causing all kinds of wrecks all over the place? Hells bells, some of the tires still for sale as new in the clip were 14+ years old!

I posted a 2nd clip URL in my second post on this topic. There, they show lots of smashed cars and evidence of dead bodies from *tire failures*

...and why would you be such a good-two-shoes to bring us a public safety announcement. You own a tire store....maybe work for the tire industry.

I hate to tell you this, but tire failures are very, very common, and most of them are caused by improper inflation.

Consequently the government is now requiring remote tire pressure sensors, instead of just letting fools who don't maintain their vehicles properly experience the consequences of their actions.

--scott

ABC News says that ANY tire more than 6 years old From Date of Manufacture, is dangerous to drive on. This is not related to accelerated aging from hot climates or high loading. Volatile chemicals are leeching (sic) out of the rubber, making it prone to fail, IOW, while just sitting in a warehouse.

You're buying death on wheels when you pay for 'new' if you don't know how to read the date code.

This was a Public Service Announcement. ____________________________________________

If it were a Public Service Announcement it would inform buyers of the tire deterioration rate versus its age so they could make an informed decision of the risk, and it would explain how to find and read the date code.

It's just a scare announcement, from someone who saw a TV spot, got hysterical and rushed out to start a new internet alarmist hoax.

Rodan.

If new, your information would be of interest to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, see

But perhaps it is not new or quite as you describe it.

I provided TWO links (2) to the "original source material" so that I wouldn't -have- to describe it.

Now...if you can't get to those two links, too bad.

Nick

The problem is the source you posted - ABC news. Surely you can remember the other over-hyped horror stories promulgated by TV news in the last 30 years - Audi sudden acceleration, GM fuel pick-up tanks, Mustang fuel tanks, Explorers - not exactly a list that should inspire confidence in the ability of TV news to get safety stories correct. Over-hyped and misleading is about the best they can do. Sometimes they just flat out lie (Audi sudden acceleration on CBS, GM fuel tanks on NBC).

My personal opinion is that tires that have been stored in a cool dry place for 6 years will not be as dangerous as tires that have been on a car for 6 years. They might not have the same "safe" life remaining as a freshly molded tire, but I believe that they are OK for another 6 years out in the world. I have passenger tires mounted on farm equipment for use as gauge wheels that are more than 30 years old and they have been out in the sun for all of that time. They are still holding air and they can still support the weight of the equipment. I wouldn't want to put them on my truck and drive 80 mph, but I suspect they would not blow out immediately either. Heck, my old '71 Dodge D600 Dump Truck had tires on the rear that were at least 40 years old (probably older, they were moved to that truck from an even older truck) and they never gave a bit of trouble. When I sold the truck the tires were still holding air.

I think the oldest tires I had on a passenger car were on a 1978 Fiesta. I bought the car from my Sister and it still had the original rear tires. Around 1987 I moved the rear tires to the front to wear them out. They were finally replaced around 1988 when they finally wore out.

I think the best information I have seen recommends that you shouldn't use tires 10 years past the date of manufacture. I certainly see value in checking the date code on tires before you purchase them. I wouldn't be happy if I got six year old "new" tires. On the other hand, I believe they would be safe to use for at least another 4 years. For my passenger cars, it is rare for me to have four year old tires. The Fiesta was a major exception. How tires are treated will have a major influence on the life of the tire. Underinflated/over loaded tires in Arizona won't last as long as lightly loaded properly inflated ties in Washington (the state).

There is more credible information out there, if you care to look for it.

Ed

What a load of steaming horse manure.

Look on the web for, Defective Tire Valve Stems from China

I read about that on the web a few days ago. Good old Chinese 'quality'.NOT! cuhulin

Well Ed, I must admit, the News Networks can't be trusted to give you the straight story as they seem to lead towards sensationalism (in order to attract/keep viewers and ratings).

I thank you for providing me with all the above links, because my treads are all good and I would really HATE to have to replace tires that are good to go (highway use). I don't have that kind of money to throw away.

OTOH, once in a while, they get it right. One example I remember is a report on a woman who had a paper route and drove herself and her children into a lake and drowned the entire group because of worn brake pads that hadn't been checked and replaced.

And their information on Flaming Fords? My sister in Laws Ford Explorer just burned to the ground for no apparent reason (we know the reason: defective cruise control switch). It was parked in their driveway while they were away from home with another vehicle, and when they returned home it was burned to the ground.

Fortunately for them, it wasn't in a garage or their entire house would have been ashes.

So...I will look at the above links. Thanks for taking the time to post them.

Nick

I agree completely - and under inflation is probably the worst culprit. And I would add to the list driving on a tire damaged from impact into curbs and potholes.

Nicholas should look for some solid research rather than some sensationalist news story.

Reread what I said - it was discussed about a year ago. Search the archives.

I bought my current set of Michelin XLS more than 6 years ago..They now have

70,000 on them, and still have good tread, no cracking. But maybe I had better put a new set in the budget in case these ever wear out ;>)

Pretty funny (not). Tell this joke to my sister in law whose ford explorer burned to the ground this week due to the flaming fords issue.

May you have a flat tire before the end of the year.

Nick