‘You’re gonna have to figure it out yourself.’
Being a car owner will entail regular maintenance and replacements for certain car parts, like tires. Driving with worn-down or old tires is never an ideal scenario for the driver or anyone around that vehicle. So, it’s essential that drivers stay on top of tire maintenance for safety.
A mechanic from Auto Fitness in Gainesville, Georgia, @autofitness1, responds to a Facebook post he says he saw in which an angry customer was denied tire service for one specific reason. As of this writing, the TikTok about it has generated over 1,700 views.
“I saw a gentleman have a rant on Facebook about the fact he took his 92-year-old mother’s car into a tire place to have it repaired. The tire place declined to fix the tire,” he begins.
The mechanic goes on to explain that it wasn’t for the tread depth that the nail was too close to the sidewall.
“They declined to do it because the tire was 15 years old,” he reveals.
Before giving more details, the mechanic addresses the hypothetical commenter who would say 15-year-old tires can still be driven.
“Now, listen, I know I’ll have somebody or a few in the comments that is like, ‘I’ve been driving on my tire for 47 years and 342,000 miles.’ Liar, Cleetus. Stop it. No one cares, and no one believes you. Go back to your 11 followers,” he says.
The mechanic then provides reasons why it’s a bad idea to drive on tires older than five years.
“If your tire is between six to ten years old, the rubber will start to break down. It’s the best idea to get the tires replaced after five years,” he shares.
The mechanic knows that customers will speculate that this tire expiration date is a way to make more money. However, the mechanic says this is far from the truth.
“I want you safe. Twenty-nine dollars to patch plug a tire. I’m sorry, it ain’t worth it. I will lose the sale over not having a liability, then I will trying to put somebody in tires just to make money. It just ain’t worth it,” he explains.
Many viewers agreed with the mechanic’s opinion around the Facebook post that was brought up.
“I will never understand why people do not understand the importance of a good tire. Blows my mind,” one TikTok commenter said.
“From a safety standpoint, if it’s over 8 years old no matter what, we replace tires. I don’t care that the rubber feels fine, or looks like a new tire. It’s not,” another added.
“Too many people seem to think that tires are a one time purchase,” a third commented.
“Brakes and alignment check every 6 months, oil every 5k, tires when recommended by my techs,” one suggested.
“Dry rot danger is real,” another says.
“I turn away most any tire over 5 years old. There’s a few exceptions,” one mechanic revealed.
“Truth. 5 years for the average tire,” another shared.
Maintaining tires in good condition is a basic requirement for safe driving. Driving on tires that are old, rotted, or have exposed cords is simply dangerous. The chance for accidents drastically increases when tires aren’t in top shape.
Tires typically last around 50,000 miles in most cases, Kelley Blue Book reports. Most drivers will wear down the tires naturally with daily driving, but it’s the infrequently used vehicles that need to be mindful of tire aging. NerdWallet reports that tires should be replaced at least every six years.
In other words, tires do have an expiration date and need to be replaced accordingly. Even if the tires still have more than the minimum legal limit of 2/32″ tread life, the tires still need to be changed after five years.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) shares that tire aging occurs due to service, environmental conditions, and storage, which impact and change the tire’s rubber and shape. The tires become more prone to failure as they age.
To discover when your tires were manufactured, the last four digits of the DOT Tire Identification Number (TIN) need to be located on the tire sidewall, as this will reveal the week and year. For example, “2618” will indicate that the tire was made in late June 2018. With this example, the tires would need to be replaced regardless of tread depth.
In addition to tire aging, tires are also impacted by miles driven, temperature, and environment, as all degrade the rubber. While it is impossible to prevent rubber from degrading, some preventive measures can be taken, including tire rotations and filling tires up to the correct PSI.
The risk of blowouts, flat tires, or tread getting removed increases when the tire tread depth is below 2/32”.
To test the tire tread depth, the penny test can be used. To complete this test, a penny needs to be inserted upside down into the tire’s tread. If Abraham Lincoln’s head is fully revealed, the tire needs to be replaced since it’s bald. If any part of his head is covered, the tires still have some life in them.
Motor1 has contacted Auto Fitness via email and TikTok direct message. We’ll update this story if they reply.
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– The Motor1.com Team