News Show Reveals Sale of Old ‘New’ Tyres in US

An undercover investigation conducted by media in the US has shown that some of the country’s largest tyre retailers are selling tyres that are well beyond the age limit recommended by safety advocates and some car manufacturers. The hidden camera investigation was carried out by the news show “20/20” and ABC News network affiliates throughout the US in an attempt to see if tyres more than six years old – the maximum tyre age recommended by Ford and other carmakers – were being sold as ‘new’ tyres.

In California reporters found a tyre made in 1999 and two from 2002 being sold as new by Goodyear, the seventh largest US tyre retailer. At Walmart, the third largest tyre seller, tyres dating back to 1999 were also found at more than one location. Sears, the fifth largest US tyre seller, sold tyres ranging from seven to twelve years old.

In response to these findings, Sears released a statement saying, “It is unusual that there would be tyres that old in our stores. We follow an inventory process of first in, first out, and we turn our tyre inventory an average of more than three times a year. We note that there is a difference of opinion in the tyre industry (the Tire Industry Association, RMA and the major tire manufacturers) about the service-life limits of tyres.”

Goodyear and Wal-Mart have apparently commented that age is not the key factor in tyre safety, and that consumers should pay attention to other maintenance issues. According to Goodyear spokesman Jim Davis, “We don’t support age-based limits on tyres because there’s no scientific data to support that.” Wal-Mart spokesperson Linda Blakley said, “Should the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration) create a ruling related to age of tyres and its effect on the safety of our customers, we would of course comply.”

Some of the largest tyre manufacturers, including Bridgestone/Firestone and Michelin, however, have advised retailers to remove tyres from service 10 years after the date of manufacture. The bulletins note that consumers should follow the tyre replacement recommendations in their vehicle owner’s manual if they offer different advice on a tyre’s shelf life. Ford, Chrysler, BMW, Audi and Toyota all recommend that tyres be replaced six years after they were made.