I work for an ltl trucking company. We deliver lots of tires to dealers. Today I delivered some laufenn tires to regional chain shop.
I got there just b4 they got back from lunch so I went ahead and sorted them in the trailer.
There were 6 of 1 size that looked dirty. Kind of brown instead of black. I checked the date and was surprised to find they were made in the 49th week of 2014.
I go there pretty often and know the receiver so I showed him. He said he’s found some in the warehouse that were 10 years old. He brought it to mngmts attention and they said it was no problem. Someone may be in for a surprise with their new tires.
Good point. My most recent tire purchase I bought 8 tires all at once, and spent 5-10 minutes checking all the dates and the tire’s condition before leaving w/my tires. This slightly annoyed the staff at the tire shop I think, but better safe than sorry. My quick inspection showed all the tires had recent dates and all were in good shape.
I check the codes but I usually wait until I get home. Usually no big surprise but on one car I had three different dates which is unusual. All within a couple months though so no big deal. I record it in my record book just because I have nothing else better to do. I honestly can’t remember what car it was but think it is long gone. Yeah I like to check the date but I’m just as interested in which plant the tires came from.
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First, I think if one wants “fresh” tires, then one ought to state UP FRONT what they are willing to accept. That way, everything is above board and there is no confusion about the issue.
Second, the tire industry thinks that any properly stored tire within 6 years of its production date can be sold as new without reservation. The key point is “properly stored”, and many tire dealers don’t do a good job in this department. Heat and ozone and the usual suspects.
Then there is the issue of the tire dealer’s integrity. It is one thing to subscribe to the 6 year limitation and not tell the consumer he is getting 5+ year old tires, and quite another to sell 10 year old tires with no warning whatsoever.
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Definitely!
But, let us not forget that those Laufenn tires are cheapos that are made in Indonesia, and are marketed to people who are shopping solely on the basis of price. Someone who is really interested in high-quality tires probably wouldn’t be buying that brand in the first place.
So if someone bought a new Chevy with rust and oil leaks normally associated with an older car, you would say sorry should have bought a Cadillac?
To me a new product of any price should perform and last like new. A new laufenn or a new Michelin. Its like if the warranty on a product started the day it was made, not put in service.
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No, I definitely don’t recommend buying a Cadillac!
To express myself more fully… If someone fully educates himself regarding tires, he/she would… hopefully… be aware of the importance of checking manufacturing dates, and also regarding the possible shortcomings of cheapo tires. My belief (and, of course, I could be wrong…) is that most people who are shopping for tires solely on the basis of price are not likely to get involved with things like checking manufacturing dates. They should, but…
And, of course, any retailer that would intentionally sell over-aged tires to unsuspecting consumers deserves a place in hell.
I’m sorry but this just doesn’t make sense. There are various quality levels of most every product and that will include longevity. If I buy a Tool Shop drill for $20 instead of a Milwaukee for $150, there is a definite difference in the way they will do the job and how long they will last. If I buy a $100 set of tires instead of a $1200 set, there will be significant differences in how they will perform even though they are both round and black.
But that drill doesn’t have a shelf life/expiration date.
Yeah it didn’t come out like it sounded in my head. I meant if you purchase a new product it shouldnt be nearing the end if it’s useful life unless it’s being discounted.
I wasn’t even aware of the date codes on tires until the guys at Sam’s club started checking them when I was delivering there. They had received some old tires from a very big name manufacturer and had to start checking and sometimes refusing delivery.
Tire manufacturing dates are a very real concern if you are the end user, and here’s why: Several large chain tire dealers have as a corporate policy that they will not “work on” any tire that is over a certain age. For example, at Discount Tire, they will not perform leak repairs, tire rotation, or install onto a vehicle any tire that is 10 years past the manufacture date–even if it is in good condition and has plenty of tread remaining.
This would be a huge problem if you buy tires that are already several years old, because the free leak repair/balancing/tire rotation services that you pay for with the tires would expire before the usable tread is consumed.
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