It is easy to take your tires for granted. If you are a driver who tends to neglect regular tire care, you may miss important signs that your tires are no longer in good shape. The condition of your tires has a direct effect on your vehicle’s performance and your safety on the road. Driving on bad tires is extremely dangerous, and you might not even know you are doing it. 

Signs of Tire Trouble

Signs of tire problems may begin with small cracks in the rubber on the surface and inside of the tire. Over time, the cracking accelerates, and eventually the steel belting in the tread detaches from the tire. Once this happens, the tire is bad and no longer safe. We cannot stop the aging that ultimately leads to bad tires, but hot temperatures, under inflation, and poor tire maintenance are known to speed up the aging process. 

How Long Should Your Tires Last?

According to Car and Driver, the general consensus is that “most tires should be inspected, if not replaced, at about six years” and definitely “swapped out after 10 years, regardless of how much tread they have left.”

How to Determine a Tire’s Age

The U.S. Department of Transportation requires a DOT number to be printed on the sidewall of every tire. Tires manufactured after 2000 will end in a four-digit code. The first two digits indicate the week the tire was manufactured. The second two digits identify the year.  If your tire ends in a three-digit code, it is over 20 years old and should definitely be replaced.

To learn more about your tires, the Tire Safety Group offers a free tire facts app. Available for Android and iPhone, the app enables you to get a free Tire Facts Report by entering the DOT code from your tire.  The report lets you know if a tire is old, defective, or has been the subject of a recall. The app shows you where to find the code on the tire and even includes a flashlight function to help you see the code clearly!