Do new, unsold automobile tires have an expiration date?
I have often wondered if brand new tires have a shelf life, just like bread, milk, and canned food. can new tires, sitting on dealers shelves, dry rot? are there laws that cover the expiration dates on new, unsold tires or are we at the mercy of the new tire dealer and pray he is telling us the truth? and, do new tires actually have an expiration date and how do we locate it on each tire?
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6 Answers
all tires have an expiration date and it common for them to still be on the shelf after that date.. However I dont know where the date is marked on the tire.
Rubber will eventually break down of its own accord.
There was TV special about this and I also saw it on youtube. All tires have a manufacture date, usually on the inside of the tire in the form of a code for the month and year of manufacture. The special said that you should refrain from buying tires that are over two years old. The did a survey and found tires in some stores that were more than 20 years old but were being sold as new.
The tires we buy today are synthetic rubber. The compound is formulated so that it does not oxidize, or break down, like natural rubber. It would take a very long time to degrade in a warehouse.
Are there any laws, anywhere, that govern expiration dates on new auto tires? i have searched and no luck. maybe, some Congressman or Senator will read this question and develope a new law and tire expiration dates.
@john65pennington I doubt that there are any laws like that, hence 20 year old “new” tires. I thought cops knew the law. That’s what the state trooper said while he was writing my ticket.
I am a habitual speeder and the only one in the Pennsylvania 6-point class over 25 years old. That also explains my interest in high quality tires. Don’t want to be doing 90 MPH trying to hide from the trooper and have a blowout.
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