Exploding "New" Tires
July 12, 2008
This tip can keep you from being ripped off for hundreds of dollars. It may even save your life.
What I am about to tell you, I learned this week. I should have known for decades. So should you.
First, tires older than six years are unsafe. They have a tendency to disintegrate. It doesn't matter that they have never been driven. The rubber disintegrates.
Second, there is a numerical code, required by Federal law, that tells you when the tire was manufactured. It appears at the end of a 12-digit code that begins with DOT.
The last 4 digits tell you the week and year. For example, 4207 means that it was produced in the 42nd week of 2007. If it's a 3-digit code, the tire was produced in the previous century. Replace it.
Until recently, manufacturers were allowed to place the code on the inside of the tire, assuring sellers that buyers would not discover that the tire had been sitting in inventory for several years.
When the code is on the inside, it's very difficult for the buyer to see it, even if he knows that it's there and what it means.
Here is a recent article on the topic.
Here is a photo of a tire with the code.
Before you buy new tires, ask the salesman to show you the exact tires to be installed -- not "looks just like this (but 10 years older)." Check the code. Do not pay for tires older than six months. It's your money.
Check your spare! Replace it if it's old.
Still not convinced? Watch this video. Horrfying.
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