Are there laws regarding the sale of used tires??

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A few years ago, I was looking for a used tire for a Civic when I was down in GA. I went to two places and they were all pretty bad. One guy laughed at me when I asked to see what the date of manufacturing on the sidewell. He basically acted like I was being an idiot for checking. I'm glad I did since it was manufactured 6 years ago. I ended up buying a new tire from Sam's club.

So you can imagine my worry when my cousin (who is clueless about cars) told me she took her tire in to fix a leak and they also told her one of her sidewell has a bubble. She bought a used tire. This was in NYC. I told her to meet up with me right away. I checked the tire and was surprised at how good they were! Date of manufacturer was only 1 year ago and the tire had 70-75% treads. This was for a 18 inch tire, a known brand and was only $40 with installation included.

Maybe NY has more stringent laws? Or there are just a oversupply of cars junked with good tires?
 
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Haha being from NYC they were probably stolen,lol. I grew up there and there are no rules. I do agree though in many places the used tires can be really scary. Many people don't care what they sell and to whom. On the other hand most people buying the used tires are just looking to get by on a $5 tire since they simply don't know any better anyway. That's how it was when I lived there.
 
There should be strict laws on this. It would keep people like my stepfather from endangering others. He has never bought a new tire. Somehow he thinks paying $30 every month or two for a used tire (because he always gets the worst ones) is cheaper than paying $90 every 3-4 years. Every time he drives his vehicle he is a rolling accident waiting to happen.

I think used tires should not be legal for sale. There are plenty of uses for a junk tire. They can be mixed with other compounds to fix potholes or pave roads. Or even build a tire swing. For the really bad ones, there's always rubber mulch.
 
In my state mounting a defective tire is illegal, as it is illegal to modify a vehicle so it won't pass state inspection. This in a nutshell means the tire needs 2/32 tread and can't hiss air.

There is probably some broad over-arching law like "selling suitable for a purpose" but a seller could feign ignorance and claim the buyer actually wanted a tire swing.
 
I don't know what is in effect elsewhere, but in my city, tire resellers are required to immediately brand the tires they take off of vehicles with a unique code and then store them in a locked area awaiting pickup by a recycler. This prevents people from sneaking in at 2:00 a.m. and grabbing tires that may blow up on them a week later. It also controls the tire waste problem in my area where every other vacant street is a dumping ground.
 
I buy used tires and have had zero problems. I don't discuss the date I just have a quick look. Just bought two for my old pick up.
It sits 99% of the time. The tires on the car I'm driving to work, in about an hour, are 8 years old.

I suspect that 95%+ of tires are worn out before they get too old to be unsafe.
 
Originally Posted By: soyeahiknow
A few years ago, I was looking for a used tire for a Civic when I was down in GA. I went to two places and they were all pretty bad. One guy laughed at me when I asked to see what the date of manufacturing on the sidewell. He basically acted like I was being an idiot for checking. I'm glad I did since it was manufactured 6 years ago. I ended up buying a new tire from Sam's club.

So you can imagine my worry when my cousin (who is clueless about cars) told me she took her tire in to fix a leak and they also told her one of her sidewell has a bubble. She bought a used tire. This was in NYC. I told her to meet up with me right away. I checked the tire and was surprised at how good they were! Date of manufacturer was only 1 year ago and the tire had 70-75% treads. This was for a 18 inch tire, a known brand and was only $40 with installation included.

Maybe NY has more stringent laws? Or there are just a oversupply of cars junked with good tires?


Also have to beware of Dryrot... it looks like lil cracks in the tire. i have seen tires that have lots of tread of them, but the TIRE is totally dry rotted and that is very dangerous.

Some you can spot very easy and other you really need to look.

Take a look at pics.

2u5fh49.jpg

C/P
Here's what a mild case of dry rot looks like. That was what 2 of our tires looked like at 4 years of age. Michelin warrants the tires for 5 years from date..if you dont bend over and look you might not notice.

2qd03mu.jpg

If you have dry rot like this replace that tire ASAP! or at least put it on the back of car if you dont have the $. I have seen some dry rotted tires last a few years... but its not worth it.


9kblf4.jpg

Now lots of people don't look for this.. The valve stem can have dry rot... and even if your tire is in good shape or even NEW... If they did not replace the valve stem yours could look like this.. If it does look like this replace it ASAP



5xveyc.jpg

Some people might not be able to know how to tell the year the tire was made.. Here is pic that shows what you need to look for and what the numbers mean.

Sorry If Im off topic but this is important and could save a life.
 
It should be against the law to sell recalled tires. IIRC a news outlet on Atlanta did a story on them and found "new" Firestone for sale.
 
I am not aware of any laws forbidding the sale of used tires - good, bad, or indifferent.

But I want to draw a distinction to help people understand what is going on.

Standard Phrase: I am not a lawyer (IANAL), and what I am about to write is based on my understanding and shouldn't be construed as being authoritative or definitive. I encourage any lawyer who is reading this to correct or color any or all of what I write below.

While we think in terms of "THE LAW" meaning there are statutes or regulations governing how things are supposed to be - as in "legal" and "illegal" - there is another part that is called "Common Law" that governs many aspects of how "THE LAW" works.

One aspect of this is "Civil Law" - as in lawsuits. One principle is that someone who is supposed to have expertise can not ignore that expertise and do something they know to be unsafe.

In this case, selling an old tire would fly in the face of the knowledge anyone who sells tires for a living should have. They ought to know that old tires become unsafe simply because of their age - and they shouldn't sell them - even if they get the buyer to sign a waiver.

An individual might not know that, so buying a set of old tires from an individual carries a "buyer beware" kind of thing with it. But buying tires from a tire store is a completely different matter.


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So, OK attorneys. Have at it!!

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And of course, "not having a problem" isn't a very good reason to continue some practice. After all, I have never been in a plane crash, but I know they do occur and I am aware there is a risk every time I step into an airplane. Same with used tires.
 
Originally Posted By: tony1679
There should be strict laws on this. It would keep people like my stepfather from endangering others. He has never bought a new tire. Somehow he thinks paying $30 every month or two for a used tire (because he always gets the worst ones) is cheaper than paying $90 every 3-4 years. Every time he drives his vehicle he is a rolling accident waiting to happen.

I think used tires should not be legal for sale. There are plenty of uses for a junk tire. They can be mixed with other compounds to fix potholes or pave roads. Or even build a tire swing. For the really bad ones, there's always rubber mulch.


Way to swat flies with a sledgehammer! I'm selling 4 used tires soon...nothing wrong with them, just the wrong size for my Dak. (They're on a set of Cragars I'm buying.) Someone will be getting a nice deal on a set of 33" Generals!
 
Here in Alabama no worries about used tires. As long as they hold air even though there is little or no tread, cords showing you are good to go.

Last Summer we were at the local bank when one blew out next to us on a pickup.

Have one headlight working and possibly a a tail light, you are good to go for night driving. One of the 3 brake lights working. Good to go. Signal lights burned out or not working. No problems as most don't use them anymore anyway.

Brakes not in good shape? No worries either as most don't bother stopping for stop signs or red lights either.
 
I had one put on about 3 years ago after running over a small rubber strap with two metal hooks on the ends. I think trucks use them to tie down tarps.

Found a nice Mastercraft lsr but it BLEW when the installer started inflating it with air. Found another tire there and used it for 6 months or so. Then put on a new set of tires. Hearing a tire explode upon install isn't a comforting feeling.
 
I sold a few rims that had really, REALLY bald tires mounted on them. I was selling the rim, I wasn't trying to sell the tire. I don't have any way of dismounting the tire myself, so the buyer got a free junk tire with his new rim. I stated that clearly in the ad. One guy said he was actually more interested in the tire than the rim.
shocked.gif
Not sure what he wanted it for. He inspected it and bought it.
21.gif
. Another guy tried using the bald tire as a bargaining chip
lol.gif
"Well, the tire is really bald..." "Dude, the ad clearly said the tire is bald! Even if it was just a bare rim, I would still be asking the same price!"

I still have one more rim/bald tire for sale...
 
Originally Posted By: SrDriver
Here in Alabama no worries about used tires. As long as they hold air even though there is little or no tread, cords showing you are good to go.

Last Summer we were at the local bank when one blew out next to us on a pickup.

Have one headlight working and possibly a a tail light, you are good to go for night driving. One of the 3 brake lights working. Good to go. Signal lights burned out or not working. No problems as most don't use them anymore anyway.

Brakes not in good shape? No worries either as most don't bother stopping for stop signs or red lights either.


This is what modern society has become... There's no hope.
 
I've only ever bought one used tire, that was from Discount Tire last fall. I asked the sales guy and he said it was their company policy to only sell used tires with at least 50% tread and no more than 3 years from date of manufacture. Not the law however that I'm aware of.

It was a descent looking 2 year old Michelin LTX M/S tire, 245/75R16E for $40 mounted and balanced. I bought it to replace my 10 year old spare on the Suburban I just bought. Made me wonder why I buy new tires! For a vehicle that doesn't get many miles on it and age will kill it first, not a bad way to go.
 
There are very stringent law,but some shop are open only seasonal .like bike week etc.in those circumstance its hard to find baddy .but there are known list of good garage online ,just stick to those and you wont have issue no mather the brand.
 
Originally Posted By: yvon_la
There are very stringent law,but some shop are open only seasonal .like bike week etc.in those circumstance its hard to find baddy .but there are known list of good garage online ,just stick to those and you wont have issue no mather the brand.


Wow, somebody failed English. Every post by this user is almost incomprehensible.
 
I see alot of people cannot draw a distinction between junk and used. Often a shop will install wheels and tires on a new vehicle and have "like new" tires at an awesome deal. I've seen people come in with an unrepairable flat and broke. A used tire will get them by until they can buy new.

One should not wish to dictate what the world must do, to suit themselves.
 
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