Auto Tire Age & Safety

Many people base their decision on when to change their tires on the number of miles the tires has been used. However, the age of the tire is also a consideration when determining the safety of tires.

Function

Tires dry out as they age, which makes them more susceptible to blow outs even if they have relatively few miles on them.

Time Frame

BF Goodrich claims that tires more than 10 years old need to be replaced. If you have used your tires more than five years, you should check them each year for cracks.

Identification

Each tire should have its date of manufacture stamped on it as part of the DOT code. The last two digits represent the year and the prior two digits represent the week of the year. For example, a DOT number of "4402" means the tire was made in the 44th week of 2002.

Warning

If the DOT code ends in three numbers instead of four, the last digit represents the year and the prior two represent the week. These tires are at least 10 years old and should be replaced.

Considerations

The National Highway Transit Safety Administration cautions that tires will age faster in warmer temperatures due to the extra sunlight. In addition, seldomly used tires will age quicker than tires that are used on a regular basis.

References

• Safecar.gov: Tire Aging
• BF Goodrich: Tire Safety