Old tyres

sickntyred

Hi All,

I bought a used car (2008) from a main dealer less than 3 months ago. It came fully serviced and with a 6 month guarantee.

When buying, I checked the tyres and the treads looked fine.

Yesterday I noticed there were small bits of rubber missing from two tyres. I brought the car to tyre dealer who looked at them and told me the tyres are very old; two of them are 8 years old and two of them are 12 years old.

When it bought the car I didn’t expect new tyres on it, but I did expect safe, legal ones. I plan to return to the dealer but before I do I want to ask your advice. What is reasonable action for the dealer to remedy this? I specifically bought from a main dealer because I wanted the reassurance of some standard of quality.

Thanks in advance.

biko

You should expect fresh tyres from a main dealer. Go back and demand it.
Make sure to get a brand you recognise.

That said, just because tyres are 6+ doesn't mean they are a danger.

I'd double check the " two of them are 8 years old and two of them are 12 years old" considering the car is 8 years old.

punisher5112

Possible part worns were fitted

VincePP

You bought a USED car. You inspected the tyres. You were happy.

You've driven the car for three months - were you driving on some magical surface that don't wear tyres?

You hardly expected new tyres on an 08 second hand car?

Sorry, but there is absolutely nothing the dealer needs to do.

If you don't drive much, get a couple of second hand tyres.

As for 12 year old tyres - manufacturing date of car and date of first registration is usually different. Not unusual for a car to be made 3-4 years before its sold and as they are effectively sealed during storage, no "aging" takes place, hence even in nct, age of tyre is only an advisory comment.

JohnBoy26

VincePP wrote: »

You bought a USED car. You inspected the tyres. You were happy.

You hardly expected new tyres on an 08 second hand car?

Sorry, but there is absolutely nothing the dealer needs to do.

No harm going back tbh. It looks like someone had part worns fitted at some stage. I'd have them changed asap though.

sickntyred

Op here. Thanks all for your fast responses. The car tyre dealer showed me how to read the code that confirms the date of manufacture, so the age he advised is correct.

I'm going to have to change them straight away.

I think it's reasonable to expect that the tyres on a used car sold by a main dealer would last last longer than three months. I'll talk to the dealer and see what he says.

VincePP

sickntyred wrote: »

Op here. Thanks all for your fast responses. The car tyre dealer showed me how to read the code that confirms the date of manufacture, so the age he advised is correct.

I'm going to have to change them straight away.

I think it's reasonable to expect that the tyres on a used car sold by a main dealer would last last longer than three months. I'll talk to the dealer and see what he says.

Nope, tyres would always be excluded from a warranty - even on a new car.

As above, the car could be manufactured 3 years prior to being first registered and the tyres made the year before the car.

Unfortunately, i can't see how the garage can / would do anything.

Special Circumstances

Devils advocate here, but they are not illegal and they are not automatically unsafe. You will pass nct on old tyres that have no other problems. If there's odd bulges or just lumps separating rather than wearing that's a different matter.

Now, there isn't a hope I'd drive on tyres that old, I've seen tyres well past their best at 7years. If you bought from a main dealer you might have some luck here, especially if they're actually breaking up. You may also end up with Chinese plastic yokes.
Worth a shot. I'd take a voucher towards a service over a crap set of tyres. I have no idea if this is a reasonable prospect... on the rare occasion i visit a main dealers they look at me like I'm going to rob something.

JohnBoy26

sickntyred wrote: »

Op here. Thanks all for your fast responses. The car tyre dealer showed me how to read the code that confirms the date of manufacture, so the age he advised is correct.

I'm going to have to change them straight away.

I think it's reasonable to expect that the tyres on a used car sold by a main dealer would last last longer than three months. I'll talk to the dealer and see what he says.

Three months is a long time though for tyres, of course the mileage done in that time would have a significant bearing on the amount of wear. It's the age of the tyres that would worry me more than anything else though.

Squatman

you and your ironic username

George Dalton

VincePP wrote: »

If you don't drive much, get a couple of second hand tyres.

That's probably the logic used by the previous owner, hence the OP being in the situation they are in now....

sickntyred

Thanks again for all your replies. I appreciate getting all your opinions.

CiniO

sickntyred wrote: »

Hi All,

I bought a used car (2008) from a main dealer less than 3 months ago. It came fully serviced and with a 6 month guarantee.

When buying, I checked the tyres and the treads looked fine.

Yesterday I noticed there were small bits of rubber missing from two tyres. I brought the car to tyre dealer who looked at them and told me the tyres are very old; two of them are 8 years old and two of them are 12 years old.

When it bought the car I didn’t expect new tyres on it, but I did expect safe, legal ones.

They were legal. No legal age limits there.
Safe - probably not.

8 year old tyres is borderline IMO.
12 year old tyres is just taking the p1ss.

I plan to return to the dealer but before I do I want to ask your advice. What is reasonable action for the dealer to remedy this? I specifically bought from a main dealer because I wanted the reassurance of some standard of quality.

Thanks in advance.

Well, you see what kind of standard of quality you got.
No point in paying extra premium to buy from main dealer. You would be well better off buying privately for 80% (or less) of price you paid.

I'd also doubt the "fully serviced" bit, which you mentioned.
Except from changing oil and filter they probably didn't do much more. Maybe air filter.
I doubt other stuff like pollen filter, fuel filter, coolant, brake fluid, etc were changed.
But obviously I'm only guessin.

Del2005

The time to point out 12 year old tyres is before you pay for a 2nd hand car not after 3 months. At best you'll get ditch finders at this stage, the dealer would have known what tyres were on when sold so they aren't going to fit anything any good if they do replace.

Was looking at cars a few years ago and one had 2 barely legal and none matching. When I asked for a bit of a discount to get replacement tyres was told that they are legal, I left but someone will have bought the car.

savagethegoat

tbh, the price you negotiate on a second-hand car buys the car as it stands, warts and all. The time to spot the warts is before you buy and that's when you negotiate for new tyres or money off...not 3 months down the road.

9935452

sickntyred wrote: »

Op here. Thanks all for your fast responses. The car tyre dealer showed me how to read the code that confirms the date of manufacture, so the age he advised is correct.

I'm going to have to change them straight away.

I think it's reasonable to expect that the tyres on a used car sold by a main dealer would last last longer than three months. I'll talk to the dealer and see what he says.

Did the tyre place say they are unsafe?