GM Stands Out on Tyre Aging Issue

(Akron/Tire Review) In an unusual split from its Big 3 brethren, General Motors did not take the opportunity to stand with Ford and DaimlerChrysler on the subject of tyre aging. GM, in a statement issued earlier this week, said it would not endorse the other automakers’ position that tyres six years old or older should be replaced.

“The fact is that most tyres wear out before they age out,” said James Gutting, director of GM’s Tire and Wheel Laboratory in Milford, Michigan. “We recognise that tyres do age, and we are participating in studies that are trying to get a better understanding of the issue.” Mr Gutting said. “The customer operating environment for the main aging factors varies greatly, and that makes it difficult to select a specific age when tires should be replaced.”

Alan Adler, GM product safety communications manager, said that all tyres used on GM vehicles “must pass an extensive battery of qualifications… including a test that accelerates a tyre’s aging process.” GM’s statement said: “The three main contributors to premature aging are high temperatures, high speed and heavy loads…we do not recommend replacing tyres after a certain number of years.”