I bought 4 Goodyear Assurance- P195/70R14 (90T)tires from Just Tires in Sept.,2004 when the car had 45134 miles. There are a lot of hairline cracks between the treads though the treads are only half worn. The car has 83,000 miles now. I would like to keep the car for 2 more years. Should I buy two new tires just for the front? Thanks for any information.
Have you checked the actual age of these tires? Google decoding tire serial numbers. Regardless, crack are bad, if it were me I’d replace them.
You should replace all of your tires. Once tires are 5-7 years old, they should be replaced no matter what the tread looks like because they break down when exposed to sunlight and the atmosphere. The cracks you’re seeing are most likely dry rot.
Visable hairline cracks are a clear sign that the elastomeric components of the tire are breaking down. Since these are a critical part of the tire’s strength overall, a tire with cracking is operating in a weakened state. Tires absorb huge impacts and are the only thing you have holding teh corners of your car up, even at highway speeds.
Yes, they should be replaced. A few hudred bucks to protect you against sudden failure is a really cheap price to pay.
replace all 4 if all 4 are showing the cracks