# Tire wear due to miles driven vs age **URL:** \ **Category:** General Discussion\ **Tags:** accord, honda\ **Created:** [December 13, 2022, 6:16pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/tire-wear-due-to-miles-driven-vs-age/187911 "2022-12-13T18:16:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![hardt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dec6dc/32.png) [@hardt](https://community.cartalk.com/u/hardt)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2022, 6:16pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/tire-wear-due-to-miles-driven-vs-age/187911/1 "2022-12-13T18:16:32Z")
I was driving on the highway on a very rainy morning yesterday and with the cruise control on when suddenly the VSA ACTIVATION INDICATOR came on and turned off the cruise control. I had never had this experience before so it was very unnerving. This happened twice in succession and then stopped. Afterwards I read up on the indication and surmised that my tires slipped and caused the activation. My tires are Bridgestones and were purchased 8 1/2 years ago but only has about 30,000 miles on them. I googled this problem and saw this at a Bridgestone website: Many drivers are not aware that minimally used tires, like the ones on recreational vehicles, collectible cars, or even spare tires, tend to experience aging instead of wearing, due to a lack of driving. An aged tire has a substantial amount of tread; however, the structural integrity of the tire is weaker because the tire needs to be driven for the chemicals in the rubber to remain effective. Some how that does not seem to ring true to me. I understand that the rubber hardens with age and exposure to the environment but do the chemicals in the tire need to be “massaged” to retain good tire characteristics??? Anyway I just thought I would throw this question out to a group that knows more about cars than I do. ---
**Author:** ![VOLVO-V70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8e8cbc/32.png) [@VOLVO-V70](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VOLVO-V70)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2022, 6:19pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/tire-wear-due-to-miles-driven-vs-age/187911/2 "2022-12-13T18:19:34Z")
Yes age has made your tires less safe an also in heavy rain you should not be using Cruise Control ( It might even say that in your owners manual ) ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2022, 6:28pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/tire-wear-due-to-miles-driven-vs-age/187911/3 "2022-12-13T18:28:44Z")
Yep, age hardens tires. Check your sidewall to see how old your tires are, could be 10 years. Replace them regardless. ---
**Author:** ![hardt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dec6dc/32.png) [@hardt](https://community.cartalk.com/u/hardt)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2022, 6:38pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/tire-wear-due-to-miles-driven-vs-age/187911/4 "2022-12-13T18:38:28Z")
Yep, went back to the owner’s manual and it says cruise control should not be used in heavy rain, winding roads, etc. …lesson learned. I plan to replace the tires next year when they will be 10 yrs old since manufacture. The part that really caught my attention was about the tires needing to be used so that the chemicals can retain the tires characteristics…that seemed strange to me. You would think that once the tire is made, the chemical properties would be set forever…but I guess not! ---
**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2022, 7:10pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/tire-wear-due-to-miles-driven-vs-age/187911/5 "2022-12-13T19:10:24Z")
> [@hardt](#): > > I plan to replace the tires next year when they will be 10 yrs old since manufacture I think you should replace them NOW and your VSA agrees… I do not know where you live nor if you store your car outside… but tires can become hard as rocks (and completely unsafe) in FAR less time than 10 years if you live 1) Where it is hot, 2) Where it is very sunny, 3) If you park outside, not in a garage or the rubber compound to build your tire hardens faster than others. I replaced a set of tires I had on my sit-out in the hot Florida sun truck after only 7 years because of heat-and-age hardening. Those 4 little black gummy tire patches are the only thing between you and death. ---
**Author:** ![lion9car](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/59ef9b/32.png) [@lion9car](https://community.cartalk.com/u/lion9car)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2022, 7:11pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/tire-wear-due-to-miles-driven-vs-age/187911/6 "2022-12-13T19:11:38Z")
See: > **[Do Tires Age? - Part 1](https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/techpage.jsp?techid=138)** > > Nothing Lasts Forever... and Tires Are No Exception > Tires are manufactured by bonding rubber to fabric plies and steel cords. Despite the anti-aging ingredients mixed into the rubber compounds, there is a realization that tires are perishable, as... > **[Do Tires Age? - Part 2](https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/techpage.jsp?techid=183)** > > Should Drivers Replace Old Tires Even if Their Treads Aren't Worn Out? > While most drivers' past experience might not indicate it's necessary, the growing realization that tires are perishable means tires on some vehicles will possibly age out before... ---
**Author:** ![bing](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bing/32/4619_2.png) [@bing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bing)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2022, 7:17pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/tire-wear-due-to-miles-driven-vs-age/187911/7 "2022-12-13T19:17:43Z")
Yeah tires harden with age but you should not be using cruise control in bad weather. Snow, rain, ice. It might be in the book somewhere. ---
**Author:** ![hardt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dec6dc/32.png) [@hardt](https://community.cartalk.com/u/hardt)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2022, 7:50pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/tire-wear-due-to-miles-driven-vs-age/187911/8 "2022-12-13T19:50:41Z")
Ok, thanks for the feedback…I live on the east side of the Big Island of Hawaii so the weather is very benign on the tires and the car is garaged. Costco where I buy my tires is on the other side of the island, (where I was driving to when I had the traction problem) about 75 miles distant, so we only make the trip over about 3 or 4 times a year. (Yeah, I know it is a short trip for you mainlanders, but for us locals, a 1 1/2 hr drive is a long ways!!) I measured the tread depth just now and it is 7/32" and when it was new it measured 9/32 so the cheap skate in me makes me want to hold off but you guys are right and I will buy a new set soon…as the saying goes “you can’t take it with you” and safety first makes sense! ---
**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2022, 7:53pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/tire-wear-due-to-miles-driven-vs-age/187911/9 "2022-12-13T19:53:07Z")
> [@hardt](#): > > Hawaii so the weather is very benign on the tires No, it is not. It is always warm and mostly sunny. Rough on rubber. You would be better off in the UK… cool, overcast and damp. ---
**Author:** ![hardt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dec6dc/32.png) [@hardt](https://community.cartalk.com/u/hardt)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2022, 7:55pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/tire-wear-due-to-miles-driven-vs-age/187911/10 "2022-12-13T19:55:25Z")
Oh, ok, I thought tires are like humans but I guess not! LOL ---
**Author:** ![old\_mopar\_guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/6bbea6/32.png) [@old\_mopar\_guy](https://community.cartalk.com/u/old_mopar_guy)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2022, 9:13pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/tire-wear-due-to-miles-driven-vs-age/187911/11 "2022-12-13T21:13:19Z")
10 years is way too long to keep a set of tires. Your tires are unsafe **now**. Waiting until next year to replace them is foolhardy. ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2022, 9:31pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/tire-wear-due-to-miles-driven-vs-age/187911/12 "2022-12-13T21:31:33Z")
Unless you are just put-putting around town at 35 mph or less, I’d say a set of new tires are in order. One more datapoint: Ask around the local shops if they will repair flat tires or install tires of that age? I expect many of them will say “No, we won’t”. ---
**Author:** ![Purebred](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/purebred/32/46796_2.png) [@Purebred](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Purebred)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2022, 9:39pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/tire-wear-due-to-miles-driven-vs-age/187911/13 "2022-12-13T21:39:08Z")
> [@hardt](#): > > tire needs to be driven for the chemicals in the rubber to remain effective As far as I can see, no one has validated the above statement from Bridgestone. Yes, we all agree the OP’s tires need to be replaced ASAP, but I think Bridgestone’s statement is hogwash. TireRack articles seem to contradict Bridgestone’s statement. ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2022, 9:47pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/tire-wear-due-to-miles-driven-vs-age/187911/14 "2022-12-13T21:47:01Z")
Seems hard to imagine how driving the tire has much effect on the effectiveness of the molecules inside the rubber. I’m thinking that’s not the issue. Maybe it is when the tire is being driven the tire has a chance to return to a round shape, rather than a flat section in one spot, that seems a good thing for tire life… And a driven tire isn’t facing the same direction all the time, so sunlight doesn’t concentrate in one spot. ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2022, 10:04pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/tire-wear-due-to-miles-driven-vs-age/187911/15 "2022-12-13T22:04:40Z")
I can think of one reason - driving would wear off the outer hardened tread, letting the slightly less hard tread take over traction duties. ---
**Author:** ![CapriRacer](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/capriracer/32/22_2.png) [@CapriRacer](https://community.cartalk.com/u/CapriRacer)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2022, 3:01am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/tire-wear-due-to-miles-driven-vs-age/187911/16 "2022-12-14T03:01:04Z")
Allow me to confirm that “exercising” a tire redistributes chemicals in the rubber. Rubber is really not a solid, but more like a matrix. I tend to think of “spaghetti” as an analogy. There are chemicals that sit in the matrix, but aren’t a part of the matrix chain. Some of those chemicals are antioxidants that are supposed to protect the rubber from attack by oxygen. So sort of like chunks in a meat sauce. ---
**Author:** ![Nevada\_545](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/nevada_545/32/41232_2.png) [@Nevada\_545](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Nevada_545)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2022, 3:15am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/tire-wear-due-to-miles-driven-vs-age/187911/17 "2022-12-14T03:15:07Z")
> [@CapriRacer](#): > > Allow me to confirm that “exercising” a tire redistributes chemicals in the rubber. My father explained that to my 20 years ago, I think he got the information from a RV periodical. ---
**Author:** ![oldtimer-11](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e79b87/32.png) [@oldtimer-11](https://community.cartalk.com/u/oldtimer-11)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2022, 5:54am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/tire-wear-due-to-miles-driven-vs-age/187911/18 "2022-12-14T05:54:00Z")
Was this “information” from a Bridgestone Tire Company website or a Bridgestone tire dealers website? Big difference. Smells booogus to me. ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2022, 12:12pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/tire-wear-due-to-miles-driven-vs-age/187911/19 "2022-12-14T12:12:59Z")
> [@oldtimer-11](#): > > Smells booogus to me. Its validity was already confirmed by CapriRacer, our resident tire expert. ---
**Author:** ![Purebred](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/purebred/32/46796_2.png) [@Purebred](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Purebred)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2022, 12:14pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/tire-wear-due-to-miles-driven-vs-age/187911/20 "2022-12-14T12:14:40Z")
Capriracer is the tire expert, I accept his explanation though it is hard for me to wrap my brain around the concept. [Next page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/tire-wear-due-to-miles-driven-vs-age/187911.md?page=2)