Insurance Void on Old Tyres?

[tigger73]

Was talking to one tyre place today and they said that if you buy some of the older manufactured tyres around on fleabay or even tirerack that your insurance won't cover you in an accident.

I'm going to talk to my insurance company on Monday, however was just wondering if anyone has come across this before.

[tigger73]

Been doing a bit more investigation and pulled this off the iTower insurance site:

What are the dangers of old tyres?

It is common knowledge among car enthusiasts that tyres have a definite expiry date regardless of the amount of use. For the average vehicle owner, this piece of information seems to have got lost along the way.

Even if a tyre has never been used and appears to be in perfect condition, it is still unsafe to use if it is more than 6 years old.

The life span is shorter still for tyres in use which have other factors that contribute to their longevity such as wear and tear. The concerning thing is that many drivers don’t know this fact and the number of accidents attributed to aged tyres is on the increase.

An aged tyre straight off the shelf looks brand new but the internal structure is significantly degraded. Like other rubber products tyres have a limited life span. Over time this degrading of the structure of the tyre leads to reduced adhesion which creates tread separation. No matter whether the tyre is used or not, this degradation will occur.

These internal structure changes are impossible to identify without extensive testing so even an expert would not be able to tell the difference between a new and aged tyre.

Old tyres can cause a number of problems including:

* Loss of control of the vehicle
* Reduced grip on the road
* Reduced ability to grip, particularly in wet conditions

All of these can have fatal consequences for the driver and other motorists. In recent years car manufacturers have become more aware of the increase in accidents related to aged tyres and have begun to issue warnings with their tyres. Still, motorists are largely unaware of this as these warnings are usually hidden inconspicuously on the tyre.

As a car owner there are a few things you can do to ensure your tyres are safe. Some suggestions are:

* Firstly, check your tyres for information from the manufacturer that tells you how old the tyre is. If you can’t find that information, have your tyres tested by a professional
* If you have to use an old tyre such as a spare, drive more slowly and carefully and change the tyre as soon as possible
* Be very wary of buying used tyres if the dealer can’t specify the age of the tyre
* Replace your tyres even if they look okay after six years of use


However they haven't gone as far as to say that your insurance will be voided if you're running on old tyres, but I'd be checking the fine print on my insurance policy.

[Martin]

One of our sydney tire shops is selling brand new Toyo R888 semi slicks rather cheap
Within the many details of the advertisement it clearly states they are 2007 production

I'm only likely to get to track 4 times year - so I would have these on spare rims for 3 years easy
That could have a nasty outcome if the tyres are already 6 six years old!
(I think it's unlikely but if there was a failure the outcome could be nasty at the track)

[tigger73]

Yes it looks like there's a bit of dumping of old stock happening about the place.

If they're cheap there's probably a reason for it.

In the end I don't think it's worth the risk even though I do high km's and will wear them out in 12-18 months.

And tread separation on the track sounds like it might end up with a car heading the wrong direction into a wall or something.

Bad thing is it'll be some young kid that will end up buying these old tyres because he/she can't afford to pay full price.

I mean they may still be OK but you wouldn't like to bet your life on it.

What would be nice to see is that the load/speed rating get derated with age of the tyre. Say 1 rating per year??? Just a thought.

[Guest001]

Whilst I support the 6 year theory The rears on my 100 ser Cruiser were 8 years old when I put them on second hand.

They had only been used as spares and were only down 1mm. They were BFG A/T 275/70/16 Have 13mm of tread new.

I did a trip around Australia on them towing a 3 tonne van Never even had a puncture. When I got back home they showed less damage than the two fronts which had some splitting on edge of sidewall and were only about 3 years old.
They all had done 61000km and still had 3mm on average left.

I was lucky as they got a hard life loaded all the time so I dont advocate anyone trying the same.

However if your tyres have legal tread and dont blow out I cant see why insurance should deny a claim UNLESS a really old tyre is the definite cause.

There is no LEGALl requirement as to the life of a tyre, only a tread depth requirement.

Easy to check There is a little oval stamped on the sidewall with 4 numbers in it like 2308 Which means it was made 23rd week of 2008

[Tom87]

Its a serious issue. I've been in a car which suffered 2 tyre blow outs in one trip. First tyre was only 5 yrs old about half tread. Second tyre (spare) was 9yrs old and un-used.

It isn't worth the risk.

It is a shame that only the enthusiasts know about this. Not even the law makers have any guidelines or standards set for this. Loud exhausts and speeding are far more important issues which need to be addressed.

[Guest001]

Its a serious issue. I've been in a car which suffered 2 tyre blow outs in one trip. First tyre was only 5 yrs old about half tread. Second tyre (spare) was 9yrs old and un-used.

It isn't worth the risk.

It is a shame that only the enthusiasts know about this. Not even the law makers have any guidelines or standards set for this. Loud exhausts and speeding are far more important issues which need to be addressed.

Also can depend on the make. A lot of vans had Dunlop LT tyres on them and had a disproportionate number of failures.
I had two on my van and one threw the tread off and wasnt very old but had been a spare for a couple of years.
The other one became deformed and went round instead of flat across the tread. Looked more like a tube than a tyre.
Was about 6 years old and hadnt been used either.
Replaced with Bridgestones and had no more trouble...
If you want to keep tyres for a while they should be stored in the dark and covered up. Also if on a van and stored outside put some cover over them as they deteriorate in sunlight if just left sitting.

[BrashDaniels]

Top thread and something I've never heard of before. Will be checking my wife's old tyres in the morning.

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[Paul_R]

I bought an 18 year old Land Rover some years back. It was on it's second set of tyres. The owner, who had bought the truck new, told me he only replaced the tyres about 10 years earlier because one of the originals had blown out...

I drove straight to the tyre fitter for a third set. The tyre guy could not believe how brittle and stiff the tyres he was taking off were. Given that I would have been airing down a lot for sand driving the old tyres couldn't have lasted long.

Don't drive around on old tyres. Your insurance co might not care, but neither will you if you are dead.

[Transporter]

Yes, it's been on TV a few times. Also the tyres that are showing the signs of perishing on the side wall should be replaced. I've seen some Kumho tyres that perished in a shorter time than 6 years, obviously how you use your car and where you park it has an affect on that as well.