Tire cracks

My daughter bought a 2002 honda civic from a small dealership. It has 78,000 miles on it. She brought it to get an oil change at a tire place, and they told her the tires were 7 years old and had cracks, and they needed to be replaced. The cracks are horizontal cracks towards the top of the tire. The tread doesn’t look so bad, but they said it was 2/32. My daughter also said there is a vibration that seems to be coming from the bottom of the car.My husband thinks the tire place is just trying to sell tires, but I am concerned about my daughters safety. What do you think??

If the tire guy’s description is accurate, it’s time for new tires. The vibration may be related to the tires too. Is there anyone yo trust who can look at the tires?

Actually my daughter just told me the mechanic said the tires had half life, if that makes any difference.

I do have someone I can trust who can look at the tires, but I can’t do it until next week. Am I being to crazy if I think that she shouldn’t drive the car until it’s checked again??

If the tires are indeed this old (the date of manufacture is on every tire) it’s definitely time for replacement. It’s not even a big deal on this car they’re so inexpensive-you can get 4 new tires for this model for about $250. They’ll perform better than what she has now in the dry and wet anyway-as long as they’re a reputable brand.

If you can’t buy new tires now when they are this old, when do you buy them? You don’t know the exact popping date but you want to change them before the calendar gets there. The calendar may be slow but it will always catch up to the tires. Worn tires are the easiest thing to fix.

Yes, you are being crazy. There is a problem and it involves the safety of your daughter.

Get it fixed, NOW!!

Seven year old tires should be replaced, even if you don’t see cracks. The rubber compounds in the tread harden over time, and this hardening causes the tire to lose traction–particularly on a wet surface. Even on a dry surface, a sudden evasive maneuver to avoid another car can turn into a spin-out when tires have poor traction.

For about $300., you can help to ensure your daughter’s safety in this car, so even if she is not inclined to replace the tires at this point, I would suggest that the OP, as a responsible parent, should make her a gift of 4 new tires.