How to get compensated for defective tires on new Prius (all 4 have tread separation at 30k miles)?

someone mentioned in another thread that the tyre ages from the inside, and that's the concern, you can't detect it visually. my thought is, if the government safety peeps thought it was an issue, the industry would love to sell you new tyres every 6 years or less.

 

Tire manufactures place a date on the tire for safety and warranty reasons. After 6 years from the date on the tire some tire manufactures no longer warranty the tire and it could be considered a liability if used. Road conditions, weather and driver all play a part on the tires wear, tear and life. Some manufacturers say their tires have a life of about 10 years, but cannot guarantee those numbers because wear, tear, storage and driver all play a huge role in the tires life. Some do agree that after 6 years of wear, tear and storage on the tire it should be replaced.

And I didn't mean after 6 years it will start to go bad like food or like milk does after their Experation date, but the 6 years is a number to think about when buying tires or replacing them.

Here are some websites to look at if you have a chsnce.

Tires Expire in Six Years - Tire Safety Group

From edmunds.com
How Old - and Dangerous - Are Your Tires?

Tire Tech Information - Determining the Age of a Tire

 

i don't see nissan thereeven milk doesn't go bad exactly at 6 years. there's some leeway.

 

And you will believe just almost anything you hear, it seems.
Absolutely and totally NOT true.

And they publish that 6 year "disclaimer" mostly for legal reasons.

THIS is what I was basically saying:
"The Rubber Manufacturers Association says there is no way to put a date on when a tire "expires," because such factors as heat, storage and conditions of use can dramatically reduce the life of a tire."

My dad had a pickup that was 30 years old; so were the tires.
Hard as a rock but still functional........probably not safe, mind you but they worked.

I was amazed at how good it rode with new ones.

 

if you want to risk your life and have10, 20 or 30 year tires on your vehicle that's on you. I'll stick to the six year or xxx miles. Whichever come first. Tires are cheap and I rather be safe than sorry. The links provide enough info.

 

I buy nothing but Michelin tires. When I am driving down the highway tires are the last thing I want to have to be concerned about. Ditto for running out of gas. Some people push that as well and I can't understand that either. I don't like walking that much. When my tank gets down to about half I fill up.

 

I've blown enough (very old) tires in my life to know now that it's better to replace tires after a few years than to try and max out or push the tires life. For example If the tire has a tread life of 30k I will not wait till 30k or more to replace them. They're so cheap to replace and it's a very smart investment.

 

Sorry to hear your bad luck. I could not wait for my factory tires to wear out. They were noisy and did wear out fast. I have only had them less then 2 years but have 36,000 miles on them. Just put bridgestone Ecopia ep422 plus tires on and so far I love them. Just take a deep breath and relax. Get new tires and enjoy your prius.

All the research I have done, I think the Michelin tires Energy savers and bridgestone ecopia ep422 plus is a good choice. With no extra air in my ep422 plus, I have gone from 43 mpg to 48 on the highway at 70 mph. This is my 2 cents.

 

Not trying to dig up a grave, but this is the latest story of old tires contributing to a fatal accident that I can think of. The driver was also a professional race car driver too.

According to some reports including L.A County Sheriffs Office the crash that killed Paul Walker and his friend who is a professional race car driver was linked to two 9 year old tires that were mounted on the car. According to the Article Porshe recommends you to change your tires every Four years.

New Report: 93 MPH Speed, Old Tires Caused Paul Walker Crash

Paul Walker death: New report blames 93-mph speed in fiery crash - latimes

 

They may of been brand new off the rack but 9 years old. Manufactured date code is small

 

They also place a manufacture date on the tire because they are required by law to do so.

 

Just one story from me concerning tires. In 1976 I bought a new 88 Oldsmobile. It had a vibration in it that the dealer could not find. I went on a 600 mile trip. The next morning I could see that the tread had separated so much on one front tire I could put my fingers under it. It had U.S. Royal tires. I put 4 new Michelin tires on it and no more vibration. Been using nothing but Michelin ever since and no problems with tires.

 

If I lived in a climate where I did not drive on snow or black ice I would pick the Michelin Energy Savers
as well.

It really is important to match tyres to driving conditions, and not just pick one of the best of any arbitrary category.

 

I went with the best tire for my driving and road conditions. I live in Oklahoma USA and we see enough snow and ice to warrant a good tire for both summer and winter plus I drive 75 mile a day for work. So it was not from an arbitrary category

 

And just exactly how do you think that relates to what most drivers do on a daily basis ???
I think it has pretty much no bearing at all.

And just to be clear, I do NOT advocate running tires until they fall apart.
But age alone isn't always a good indicator that they need to be replaced.

Ones that sit out in the direct sun in a hot climate will weaken a LOT faster than ones kept in a garage in a moderate climate.
If you drive 93 MPH, you should be more concerned about having good tires than if you only drive to church at 30 MPH once a week.

You should be aware of the age of your tires but just because they pass the 6 year mark does not automatically mean that they are now somehow unsafe. It depends on the situation.

 

No argument from me, but I wonder if I have understood the take home message:

If the tyre has adequate tread remaining and minimal sidewall cracking, is it good to go for any season, typical driving ? Or are there 'it depends..." that I have to consider ?

I hope you know I am not baiting you. I am just looking for some practical advice.

 

I'm a cheapskate about some things, but not about tires.
I replace them before they've reached minimum tread depth, and I would tend also to examine them and seriously consider replacements before the six year point.
However (comma!!!)
Nothing very interesting happens to tyres MERELY because they've been around for 6 years.
Environmental factors (ozone, road conditions, sunlight exposure, etc...) can age some tires rather quickly.
I've got 3 tires on 2 motorcycles that are over six years old that I would not hesitate to ride on.
I think that M/C tires are every bit as critical as auto tires, but the 'rule of thumb' for rules of thumb is that they're JUST a rule of thumb.

OEMs have many warnings, cautions, notices, and hints in their owner's manual because nobody but slip and fall lawyers usually reads factory owner's manuals.

For a car, six years is when you ought to consider replacing tires for age rather than remaining tread depth but as ER2 pointed out - correctly IMHO, there are other factors to consider in addition to age.

YTMV.

 

I keep it simple and get new tires when Discount Tire recommends I do so. As I mentioned earlier, I've gone as long as 8 years, so it's not like they try to push new tires on me unless they think it's time. They were upfront about it too saying there was plenty of tread left and it was based purely on age.

 

My practice has always been a combo of tire tread and performance. I've not had it yet with the Prius, but on my pickup, if the tread wear indicators were showing, it was time to replace, but I also judged performance in the rain. If I felt tires lock while stopping when the road was wet, even if there was adequate tread, that means the compound has hardened and effectively has no "stick" in wet conditions....time for new tires...certainly before winter arrives.

Some tires stick well until they are bald. Others are useless long before then. YMMV.

 

93 miles was the factor along with driver stupidity