Warning: Check The Age of New Tires Before Buying

When buying new tires, can you be sure that the tires being sold are actually “new”? A couple of years ago, we posted an ABC News story on aged tires. The crux of the report was that tires can remain stocked in tire stores for many years and eventually be sold as new. Tires over six years old can be a significant safety hazard as the tire carcass can dry-out over time and be prone to a catastrophic blowout. This is despite the fact that the tire appears to be in perfect condition.

As an older tire won’t appear any different from a recently manufactured unit, the best aspect of this story is the illustration of the little-known tire “DOT” (Department of Transportation) code (see it below) that shows the date of origin on every tire.

As ABC News as been running this story again on their site, we thought we would pass it along again. Yes the piece is a tad sensationalist, but the knowledge offered is quite valuable.

Here is an excellent demonstration of the tire DOT code, courtesy of Kuhmo Tires USA. The “Date of Manufacturing” code in this case is “3805″ which means the 38th week of 2005.

This story may be more about lawyers and journalists looking for a big score, but nevertheless, look for this code next time you buy tires.