That'* not true. The rubber starts to deteriorate after it'* built. It may look new, but it'* slowly degrading. They did a report on one of the news magazines on TV about a father that bought tires for his SUV from a gas station. His son went on a trip with said vehicle and had an accident and died from his injuries. The cause of the accident was a tire shredding apart. When they checked the dates on the tires after the father said he just bought them, the tires were (2) two years old before they were even mounted. That was just one of the (5) five stories they had about tire failures due to age. Here'* a story I found on it. The defense rests.



New Warning: 'Catastrophic Failure' Discovered in Aged Tires


The Action Comes After an ABC News Investigation Into the Dangers of Old Tires


By JOSEPH RHEE
June 3, 2008

19 comments

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After years of delay, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) issued a consumer advisory today warning motorists that outdated tires, even if they appear to be brand new, can lead to "catastrophic failure." Critics had charged NHTSA with dragging its feet on the issue, despite the agency'* past acknowledgement that aged tires are a serious safety risk. (Click here to read NHTSA'* consumer alert)
(ABC)
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"The vehicle industry, the tire industry and the government have known about this problem for years, but consumers have been kept in the dark", said auto safety expert Sean Kane. Kane had petitioned NHTSA in 2004 to issue a consumer advisory on aged tires, but until today no action was taken.

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NHTSA Slow to Act on Hazards of Aged Tires, Critics Charge

PHOTOS: Aged Tires: A Hidden Road Hazard?

WATCH: Aged Tires: A Driving Hazard?


Today'* advisory warns motorists as they prepare for summer travel that "Old tires also are subject to greater stress, which increases the likelihood of catastrophic failure." The advisory also informs consumers how to determine the age of their tires be reading the DOT code on the sidewall. (Click here for explanation of DOT age code.)

NHTSA'* action comes on the heels of a 20/20 investigation into the dangers of aged tires. Our investigation detailed how as tires age, they can dry out and become brittle, leading to a possible catastrophic tread separation. Despite more than 100 deaths in the U.*. attributed to aged tires, NHTSA turned down a petition by Ford Motor Co. to impose a six-year shelf life on tires.
Today'* advisory does note that "some tire and vehicle manufacturers have issued recommendations for replacing tires that range from six to ten years of age. Consumers are advised to check with their tire or vehicle manufacturer for specific guidance."

This is what the NHTSA has to say about tire aging and tire replacement:

While tire life will ultimately depend on the tires’ service conditions and the environment in which they operate, there are some general guidelines. Some vehicle manufacturers recommend that tires be replaced every six years regardless of use. In addition, a number of tire manufacturers cite 10 years as the maximum service life for tires. Check the owner’* manual for specific recommendations for your vehicle. Remember, it is always wise to err on the side of caution if you suspect your vehicle has tires that are over six years of age.

Source: Safercar.gov

There are certainly issues within this forum that will illicit a wide and vast opinion range, as well as a host of 'research' or proof that is used to support ones claims. In the spirit of all this, this is an information exchange forum where readers can and should make their own decisions based on what is being shared.

Let'* keep things civil, impersonal, non adversarial and keep ego'* in check.

Personally I dont care if a tire is 12-18 months old when I get it as new. I have never had a tire on a car more than 2-3 years max. And at 54, thats a whole lot of tire. And as a Sears installer many years back, I can say with the amount of sizes a retailer has to carry, it is very possible to get a tire a year old. Big deal. Dry rot doesnt begin to affect a tire until 6-10 years. So I dont see how 2 year old tires freshly mounted caused an accident because of age. SUV tires shred for unknown reasons to this day and I have heard the blame put on everything from engineering to manufacturing to materials. And so now a "news magazine" says it'* because the tire is 2 years old. I find that claim ridiculous, given what most everyone involved that know a little more than a reporter and producer say is 6-10 years. Given wear characteristics and the time stated for longevity by credible sources, I dont see this as an issue for a large majority of drivers. I guess if you had a Summer/ Sundays only car, the life span might be an issue. Other than that its a bunch of smoke blown out by media looking to prolong the sensationlism of a story. I lost trust and credibility with most News magazines and 20/20 along time ago.

As Purple said, we all have opinions, now mine has been given. Forums are for an open exchange of opinion, we dont have to agree.

Most any tire bought as new will be fine. Soemtimes rotation of stock takes a while. If your unhappy with a tire then ask for a different set. Personally I have never worried about the age of a new tire and never had a issue. Tires generally last 4 years on my cars. So even if it'* 2 years old when I get it I'm fine. In the end it'* your car, your choice.

You get 4 years out of a front tire Dan??? I'm truly dissapointed. I know you can try harder. I average 15,000 and they are whipped.

I relaize here that for a long time people thought, "Hey,... it'* rubber and last forever" Dry rot was something you thought happened when tires were left in contact with the ground for long periods of time unmoved. It is now accepted thought that tire age is 6-10 years regardless of where or in use. Thats a given. But lets turn the Forum into sensationalistic news show echoing in on things that exaggerate this issue here. It'* being played out to an extreme. Unless info is from an accredited research source, please let the journalists keep it to the airwaves. I feel for the gas station owner who is being blamed for such an unfortunate incident by a New organization for the sake of producing the show. As I stated earlier, they are pinning an accident to the tire shredding because it'* 2 years old. Ridiculous. Hope they sold alot of advertising...............

I have 3 sets Venom. Winter tires, summer tires, and track tires.

Ooooo SNAP! Surprised you dont have "formal tires" for that "special occasion" Hahahahahaaaaaaaaaa.

Kumho makes 'em in a wide variety of colors now. I'd thinking dark red for my GXP. Thye actually put out colored smoke,...;. when you do burnouts.
Where'* BillBoost??? They even have Purple!!!

Looks like someone drove threw paint.

Dan..now you can have holiday tires...green for Christmas, Orange for Halloween, Red for Valentines Day....

LOL!! Holiday tires. Man whats the tuning world coming to?LOL