It is never a secret that you need to replace your old tires with new ones every now and then, especially if your tires have become too worn out.
That said, when you buy new tires, how sure are you that those tires are actually new in terms of their age? We are asking that question because tires do sit on the shelves or in the storeroom for quite a while before they get sold. So, how old should new tires be when you buy them?
Here’s how old new tires should be when you buy them
Tires should not be more than 18 months old when you buy them. Ideally, it is better to buy tires that are only less than a year old since their manufacturing date to make sure they are as new as possible. That is because tires will eventually naturally break down as they age even if they are not used.
Like a lot of things in this world, tires will eventually break down and age through the passage of time. That means that it is best to shop for tires that are as new as possible when it comes to their age, which is counted from the moment they leave the assembly line. Older tires will begin to show signs of wear and tear faster, and that will only lead to losses on your part.
How old should new tires be when you buy them?
One of the most important things that a car owner should know is that tires need to be replaced every now and then, especially when they are already too old or when they have shown significant signs of wear and tear. That is because tires that are already too worn out will lead to performance losses on your part. And the most dangerous part is that worn-out tires can lead to accidents, especially when you lose control over your car due to difficult maneuverability.
As such, when you are buying tires for your car, it is also important to know that you should go for tires that are as new as possible. Counting the age of a tire does not start from the day you purchased and installed it on your car. Instead, the age of a tire starts from the day it leaves the manufacturer’s assembly line. So, basically speaking, the tires you see on the shelves or storerooms of retailers are not as new as you might think they are.
Once the tires have left the assembly line and are shipped to the retailers, they have to sit on the shelves for a while before they get sold. This means that the tires will continue to age without being used. And it is not uncommon for some people to buy “new” tires that are already quite old. They may think that their new tires are actually new but these tires have been sitting in the storeroom for years already.
So, with that said, how old should new tires be when you buy them?
The most ideal age of a new tire should be under a year from the moment the tires left the manufacturer’s assembly line. That means that it is best to buy tires that are not more than a year old.
However, you can still buy tires that are more than a year old as long as they are not more than 18 months old. Anything older than a year and a half would only lead to losses on your part because you won’t be able to use the tires for a longer period of time. Of course, there is also a dangerous aspect when it comes to using older tires.
It is important for you to know that you shouldn’t be using older tires. The reason is that tires will begin to age the moment they leave the assembly line. That basically means that they are already going through the process of breaking down and deterioration even when they are only sitting on the shelves and are unused. This is due to the fact that the organic compounds on the rubber are still exposed to externalities (such as light, oxygen, and heat) that can steadily break them down.
Even if some tire stores keep their tires in storerooms that are dark and temperature-controlled, you need to understand that this isn’t enough to stop the process of deterioration. That is because the different compounds in the air can still cause the tire to break down.
As the rubber on the car breaks down either due to age or simple wear and tear, it will be dangerous to keep on driving with such tires precisely because of how it will be more difficult to maneuver the vehicle.
So, if you are using a deteriorated tire that has been sitting on the shelves for years, the chances of the tire breaking down through regular use will be much greater than tires that are not as old.
In a study conducted by Safety Research & Strategies Inc., tires that are older than six years tend to be more dangerous. It was in 2012 alone when six-year-old tires were connected to 233 deaths. This means that you need to have tires that are not only new but also fresh. Starting with a tire that has been sitting unused for years will only speed up the process of the tire’s aging to such a point that you might only be able to use it for a few years before it begins to wear out.
It is important to note that tires will most likely only be good for a six-year period starting from their manufacturing date and not from the date you bought them. So, if you bought tires that are already two years old, you only have four years to use them before you have to replace them. And the same is true for tires that are said to last for up to 10 years.
What is too old for new tires?
Now that you know how old new tires should be, it is important for us to discuss how old is too old for new tires. That is because there really aren’t a lot of laws that will prevent a store from selling older tires. And this can lead to mistakes on the part of the consumer, as there is a chance that they will end up buying tires that are already several years old.
As mentioned, it is best to avoid tires that are more than 18 months old. This can be tricky because tire retailers are not legally mandated to pull out tires that are already several years old. So, even if a tire is already six years old, a retailer can still legally sell that tire. And this can lead to problems because such a tire, no matter how well it was stored, can lead to accidents.
So, before you have a tire installed on your car, you need to look at them first because there might be a chance that you are going to end up with older tires. You don’t want to end up with dangerous tires that are already four years old.
The best way to tell the age of the tire is to inspect the tire and then look for numbers. You might be able to see a set of numbers that are in front of the word DOT, which stands for Department of Transportation. There will be two sets of numbers that can indicate how old the tire is. For example, if you see those numbers saying 1118, that means that the tire was made on the 11th week of 2018.
You can also try looking at the fine print on the treadwear warranties to specify how old the tire is. Even if a tire does have a warranty that is up to 10 years, you have to remember that the warranty is not the determinant of how long the tire will last. Remember that these companies are covering the warranties for the tires and not for the car or the passengers in the vehicle.
It is important for you to be vigilant when it comes to buying new tires because consumers who end up buying older tires are not entirely protected by the law. As the old adage says, “let the buyer beware”.
Are new old stock tires bad?
If you do end up buying older stock tires that have already been around for a few years, is that necessarily bad? Well, not entirely.
For example, if you bought tires that are already three years old, that isn’t necessarily something that is bad because the tire will still be good enough to use. In fact, there is nothing wrong with new tires that have been around for three years since the date of their manufacturing.
Still, that doesn’t mean that you should buy these tires. While these older tires may be safe, the fact of the matter is that you will only have a few years left to use them. If we follow the six-year rule, that means that three-year-old tires will only have three more years left before you need to replace them.
So, while it might not be entirely bad to buy new tires that are on the older side in terms of their age, we advise that you don’t do so. It’s like buying food that is close or has gone past its expiry date. While there might not be anything entirely wrong with that, you are only putting yourself at risk.
