How many months when manufacture date too old?

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recently purchased two tires at Discount Tire. Got home and looked at the date and they were 15 months old. I expected somewhere in the 6 month range. Returned to store and they researched other stores and all of them only had 2018 tires in stock in my size and specific brand. So the manager ordered two new ones of slightly better model tire, same brand. had them mounted but the tech mounted an old one again in lieu of the two new ones. Anyway, manager finally got it straight. They were fantastic about swapping them out, no hassle at all. Great customer service

So, I know that 15 month old tires are still fine if warehoused properly, however, how old can a tire be for you to have it mounted as a new tire? Is a year too old for you or maybe even two years?
 
I have a stockpile of 2006 and 2008 police Goodyear RSA's which are still perfect. I plan to use them regardless.

I would not have worried about them being from 2018 but I understand you should be paying for fresh tires. I am super OCD on motorcyle tires being fresh! I think I had read 4 years shelf life is about the max across the board.
 
IMO 2-3 years is about the limit but I run through tires about every 4 yrs. As rubber ages it becomes prone to cracking on the outside and on the inside when put into service. Consequently using an exterior inspection during mounting as a basis for road worthiness is suspect at best.
 
Originally Posted by Spector
recently purchased two tires at Discount Tire. Got home and looked at the date and they were 15 months old. I expected somewhere in the 6 month range. Returned to store and they researched other stores and all of them only had 2018 tires in stock in my size and specific brand. So the manager ordered two new ones of slightly better model tire, same brand. had them mounted but the tech mounted an old one again in lieu of the two new ones. Anyway, manager finally got it straight. They were fantastic about swapping them out, no hassle at all. Great customer service

So, I know that 15 month old tires are still fine if warehoused properly, however, how old can a tire be for you to have it mounted as a new tire? Is a year too old for you or maybe even two years?





I just went trough the same thing. At the time of install i noticed tires are almost 2yrs old. I asked the SA what tire life the suggest he said 6yrs. I offered to give me a 33% discount (2yrs are gone out of 6) and he agreed. Works for me!
 
Here in Florida, tires get treated to plenty of sun and hot weather, along with fast highway speeds and, in my case occasional heavy loads. I'd say 5 or maybe as much as 6 years is about the limit before sidewall cracking and dry-rot starts.

On the vehicles left outside here, 5 years seems to be a good lifespan.

With my driving style, even the longest lasting tires will wear out in 3-4 years. With that in mind, I'd not purchase a new tire more than 18 months to 2 years old. Depending on the vehicle and tire in question.

Of course, with the current situation, I'll probably not be driving much. So the newer the tires the better!
 
We are not referring to the older natural rubber tires. I think modern tires that are stored away from any UV and in a dry area should last a long time and possible 10-12 years. JMO Ed
 
Many experts agree six years is the safe life of a tire. Doesn't matter if it's been in use or sitting in storage. The adhesives holding the tire together will begin to fail as they age.
 
Originally Posted by Starman2112
Many experts agree six years is the safe life of a tire. Doesn't matter if it's been in use or sitting in storage. The adhesives holding the tire together will begin to fail as they age.


Hired by the tire manufacturers?
 
It is widely believed within the tire industry that properly stored 6 year old tires can be sold as new. I say "believed" because I know of no data that supports that position.

HOWEVER, the company I worked for tested 3 year old tires from their warehouses (obviously properly stored!) and could not find any significant differences in performance.

So I tell everyone who will listen - If you are concerned about the age of the new tires you are going to purchase, say so UP FRONT! I think it is just as deceptive to bring the issue up AFTER the tires are purchased as it is for the dealer to install tires that are old without informing the customer beforehand.
 
Originally Posted by atikovi
I've seen 12 years old "new" tires on Ebay. If cheap enough and no signs of dry rot I'd have no issue with them.


Because of where you live. If you lived in the west you'd be a fool to put on 12 year old tires. It's a big world outside of your bubble.
 
Once everyone demands the freshest of tires, watch the prices go up when they have to destroy perfectly good 3 year old new ones. It shouldn't turn in to a "best as used by" date like it's food.
 
Originally Posted by Traction
Once everyone demands the freshest of tires, watch the prices go up when they have to destroy perfectly good 3 year old new ones. It shouldn't turn in to a "best as used by" date like it's food.


If the store tells you it's 2 years old BEFORE installing them and you agree to it (presumably at a discount), no problem.
 
According to tire manufacturer(s) , a tire is good up to 10 years post production .
I've no qualms accepting 3-4 yo upon installation .

Edit: The 6 year limit by select car manufacturers (not tire manufacturers) as I understood it, referred to OE tires . Not quite applilcable to after market tires IMHO .
 
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My after market Michelin LTX A/T2s cracked at 6 yrs. So with car manufacturers and some tire sources saying 6 yrs is it for tires these days, I believe it.
 
And perhaps I ought to talk about what I know about tire aging.

It's mostly driven by heat. So if you live in cold climates (MN. WI, ND, ID, and MT), you don't really need to worry about tire aging - both before you buy and after the tires are put into service. 10 years is a good in service time limit.

But if you live in a hot climate (AZ, TZ, NV, CA, and FL), both pre-purchase storage and post purchase usage would be concerns. Here, 6 years is a good in service time limit.

Tires in storage age very slowly - to the point where every tire manufacturer's warranty time limits don't start until the tires are purchased. - and while it's a good idea to avoid VERY old tires when purchasing, a few years old hardly matters in the big scheme of things.

Put another way, the clock really starts ticking when you put the tires in service - that storage time only slightly decreases the overall length of time before the tires are too old. For practical purposes, people can ignore how old tires are when they purchase tires, - that the key date is when they purchased them.
 
Btw, Michelin tire (manufacturer) warranty here is 6 years post purchase.
Tire age at time of purchase generally varies from 6 - 18 months.
 
Originally Posted by atikovi
I've seen 12 years old "new" tires on Ebay. If cheap enough and no signs of dry rot I'd have no issue with them.


Some of the dumbest advice I've read on here.
 
Originally Posted by Starman2112
Originally Posted by atikovi
I've seen 12 years old "new" tires on Ebay. If cheap enough and no signs of dry rot I'd have no issue with them.


Some of the dumbest advice I've read on here.


Maybe you didn't comprehend my comment. I wasn't giving advice, just saying what I would do.
 
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