NCT question re advisory on tyre

You might have bought the tyres a lot less than 6 years ago but they may have been manufactured more than 6 years ago although legally I thought they had to be manufactured within two years of the sale date.

From ChatGPT - Find the age of a tyre:

1️⃣ Look for the DOT code

On the sidewall you’ll see “DOT” followed by a series of letters and numbers.

The date code is the last 4 digits.

Important: it may be only on one side of the tyre — you might need to look at the inner side.

2️⃣ Read the last 4 digits

Example: DOT … 3521

35 = week of manufacture

21 = year of manufacture (2021)

➡️ That tyre was made in week 35 of 2021 (late August 2021).

They go by the year of manufacture which is stamped in the tyre wall, you purchased it less than six years ago. Tyre age is an advisory from the NCT and is failed on the tyre condition not age.

Why are you going back if its just an advisory

Oh, I read it couple of times and still picked it up wrong

Didn't realise they could make you change them

You don't have to replace the tyre just because it got an 'Advisory' on the last test.

Replace it if it is damaged or worn. Legal wear limit is 1.6mm, some drivers voluntarily replace at 3mm or less.

You shouldn't fail because of the age alone, that's an advisory. Must have been something wrong like low tread.

If tyres aged to the point where they were dangerous, it would be a failure. The 'advisory' that you get is 100% because the tyre trade lobbbied the minister to put that into the regulations. Another example of vested interests being put before the interests of the consumer.