CONSUMER ADVISORY - OLD TIRES
Do you know how old your tires are? If you are like most consumers, you don’t. The reason is simple; this information has been hidden from you for a very long time. The tire industry has known for many years that old tires are dangerous, but they have consistently withheld this information from the general public.
Test data performed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (“NHTSA”) proves that after a tire reaches six years of age, the chances of catastrophic tread separation increase substantially.
WHY DO TIRES BECOME MORE DANGEROUS OVER TIME?
A tire’s biggest foes are heat and oxygen. Over time, heat and oxygen break down a tire’s internal adhesive bond between the various layers of the tire’s internal laminate structure. This phenomenon is known as thermo-oxidative degradation.
Thus, tires older than 6 years have been exposed to prolonged heat and oxygen, causing the tire to become a safety risk. Consequently, any such tires should be removed from service and destroyed.
HOW CAN I KNOW THE AGE OF MY TIRES?
In order to know the age of your tires, you must read the D.O.T. code on the tire. The D.O.T. code is located on the bead area of the tire.
The last four digits of the D.O.T. code show the week and year of manufacture. For example, in the picture below, the last 4 digits of the D.O.T. code end in “0806." This tells us that this tire was manufactured in the 8th week of 2006.
When purchasing new tires for your vehicle, you should always check the D.O.T. code first. If the tire was manufactured more than six months earlier, consider asking for newer tires. Even though the tires have never been used, thermo oxidative degradation affects tires even when not in use.
WHY ISN’T TREAD WEAR THE ONLY FACTOR TO CONSIDER?
In determining whether to replace a tire, consumers should focus on the age of their tires in addition to other factors, such as tread wear.
A tire’s tread depth is measured in 32nds of an inch. Most tires are replaced when a tire has exceeded its useful tread life; approximately 2/32nd of an inch in tread depth remaining. At this point, most consider the tire “worn” and decide it is time to buy new tires.
Unfortunately, we routinely see tire failures on tires that are more than ten years old. These tires have either been installed on automobiles that maintain low mileage on a yearly basis or the tire may have been installed as a spare for several years prior to being placed into service.
By simply looking at the tread wear of a tire, you may not realize that the tire is older and has thus been exposed to prolonged periods of heat and oxygen, decomposing the tire’s internal adhesion over time. Even if the tire has never been used and still has 100% of its tread life remaining, the tire could impose a significant safety risk if the tire is old. The tire’s age, therefore, must not be ignored.
CHECK YOUR SPARE TIRE TOO
Every year, many consumers are victims of tread separations on old, spare tires. Without knowing it, they install a spare tire on their vehicle that has little, if any, previous use on the road. The tire subsequently suffers a tread separation, often resulting in injury or death.
Even if your spare tire has seen little or no road use, the combination of heat, oxygen, and time, have caused the tire to begin degrading internally. Even though the tire may look fine on the outside, internally, the tire could be falling apart.
Tire dealers do not check the age or condition of your spare tire unless requested. As a result, it is a good practice to always know the age of your spare tire and replace it if it is older than six years.
HOW HAS THE TIRE INDUSTRY RESPONDED?
For some unknown reason, the tire industry has chosen to ignore this issue and turn a blind eye to the epidemic of age-induced tire failures.
The tire industry continues to maintain the position that tires should be discarded after 10 years of service .
The tire industry likewise fails to provide any warnings to consumers of the hazards associated with older tires. Even worse, the tire industry hides the age of the tire in a confusing D.O.T. code.
Many automobile manufacturers, on the other hand, warn consumers that tires should be discarded after 6 years. .
The British Rubber Manufacturer’s Associationlikewise recommends a six year shelf life on all tires. BRIT. RUBBER MFRS. ASSN, TYRE-AGEING, PASSENGER CARS, LIGHT VANS AND TRAILERS UP TO 3.5 TONNE GVW (2001).
HOW HAS THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT RESPONDED?
In June of 2008, the federal government, for the first time, issued a consumer advisory warning American consumers of the hazards associated with aged tires.
NHTSA issued the warning due to pressures from consumer advocates and victims of accidents caused by old tires.
Although NHTSA has yet to require tire companies to stamp expiration dates on tires, this consumer advisory is a step in the right direction.
If you, one of your family members, or friends have been injured by a tread separation on an old tire, call us immediately.
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