We recommend replacing tires aged 6-10 years, no matter how much tread remains. When it comes to replacing tires, things can be a little unpredictable. Mileage, condition and routine maintenance all contribute to the tire's safety and usability. You should replace them if you think they may have compromised integrity.
It may be tentative, but tires do have an expiration date. There is a general consensus that most tires should be inspected, if not replaced, at about six years and should be absolutely be swapped out after 10 years, regardless of how much tread they have left.
Most auto manufacturers recommend replacing tires over six years old regardless of tread depth. Some tire manufacturers like Michelin and Continental give a 10-year limit. As rubber compounds age, they deteriorate and become weaker like other rubber and plastic components on your car.
While there's no federally sanctioned safety guidance on when a tire is too old to be safe, many carmakers recommend replacement at six years from the date of manufacture. Old tires have been the culprit in fatal accidents.
Do tyres have an age limit? Tyres should be removed once they reach ten years of age, regardless of appearance, mileage or actual wear. However, most tyres will need replacing before they reach the ten year mark. That's why it's important to keep a close eye on the condition of your tyres.
If not used, tires last for 6-10 years, depending on the storage and environmental conditions. Overall, the time limits for stored tires are much the same as for tires that are being used.
But 12-year-old tires would exceed all age limits in the world of rubber radials. Most tiremakers say tires should be inspected after six years and replaced after 10, and several automakers recommend replacing tires after six years of use.
Generally speaking, the tyre replacement frequency is 5-6 years. Tread depth - With time, a tyre tread will wear down. Check the tread depth regularly and make sure they are within legal limits.
The lifespan of an average tire is six years, regardless of mileage. Once tires hit that age, the rubber compound begins to harden, and the rubber is more likely to crack. It also doesn't grip the road surface the way it did when it was new.
“Unless specified, you should get a new spare tire at 10 years to ensure it is safe to use,” says Ryan Pszczolkowski, CR's tire program manager. “You should inspect your spare tire periodically to look for any cracking or dry rot.” This task can be done when you're checking the tire pressure.
Tyres will generally last an average of 40,000km, although this can vary widely depending on quality of road surfaces and your driving style. They should be checked annually once they reach the 5-year mark, and should be replaced every 10 years at the very least.
Continuous use of old tyres may lead to dangerous accidents. Regardless of how often a vehicle is driven, or how much the tyre tread is worn, age remains a factor. The potential hazards of using older tyres aren't always obvious to the naked eye - primarily, a tyre ages from the inside out.
When is my tyre age considered too old? We recommend that all tyres are replaced when they reach ten years old, regardless of the depth of the tread. Even if the tyre still looks good, we recommend you seek the advice of your local Uniroyal fitter if your car, or your tyres, have been unused for a long period of time.
Changing tyres in pairs
But should tyres be replaced in pairs? The answer is ideally, yes. Replacing just the one tyre without changing the tyre on the opposite side of the axle at the same time may cause an imbalance to the vehicle – potentially leading to wheel misalignment and excessive tyre wear.
Old Tires are Toxic
Cadmium is used to affix the color in the tires. While it's probably safe to expose the underside of your car to a bit of cadmium, you definitely don't want to allow your children to rub all over it throughout the year while running, sweating, and playing.
BestDrive recommends that any tyre that is 5 years of age, or older, should be inspected by a trusted professional at least once a year to ensure that it is still safe to drive on. If your tyres are older than 10 years, regardless of their visual appearance, it's time to buy new tyres.
Higher driving speeds cause more heat to build up in the rubber, breaking down the tire more quickly than at slower speeds. Similarly, taking turns at slower speeds and avoiding skidding on turns also helps the tire last longer.
All tires that are 5-6+ years old are at risk for dry rot, but it may happen sooner or could happen a little later. Click here to learn more about dry rot. 5. Age – Always replace tires once they are 10 years old, regardless of how they look or how much they've been used.
Tire Deterioration
Your wheels carry the full weight of the car, so when your vehicle is left in one stationary position, your tires can soon become deflated, flat, rotten, or warped. While inflating the tires can help, it's not always safe to drive on tires that sat in the garage for too long.
FUN FACT: In Australia, many businesses participate in tyre collection and recycling through the national Tyre Product Stewardship Scheme (TPSS) administered by Tyre Stewardship Australia (TSA). Recycling old tyres is a powerful way to reduce the significant amount of tyre waste.
Tyre age limit : the 10-year threshold
If the tyres have not been replaced 10 years after their date of manufacture, Michelin recommends replacing them with new tyres as a precaution. This recommendation also applies to spare tyres.
Check the tread indicators
Small bars of rubber running across the grooves in between the tread – called tread wear indicators – tell you when the tyre is worn out. If the tread is worn down to these bars on any part of the tyre, it's worn out, unroadworthy, and needs to be replaced.
While there's no hard and fast rule, many experts recommend that tyres should be inspected every year once they reach five years of age, and replaced when they reach ten years. To check the age of your tyres, look at the characters on your tyres' sidewall.
As a thumb rule, do not buy tyres that are more than six months old and use them for more than three years or 40,000kms.