U.S.A.:'Sell-by date' sought for tires - Ford Forums

Stacy94PGT · 09-23-2003, 03:25

Strategic Safety group says rubber compounds break down; industry opposes regulation

By Jeff Plungis / Detroit News Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON -- A leading safety group called on tiremakers Monday to put expiration or "sell by" dates on tires, including spares, citing evidence that some rubber compounds can break down over time.

Consumers driving on older tires could face catastrophic risks, Strategic Safety said, referring to a rash of lawsuits in the United States and a new safety warning in Europe.

The research and consulting firm said manufacturers need to provide expiration dates because older tires can become unstable, even if their tread has not worn down.

In a letter to federal regulators, the group highlighted 20 recent incidents where older tires failed, leading to 10 deaths.

"Consumers need to have information about the health of their tires," said Sean Kane, a partner with Strategic Safety. "They need to know when that tire expires."

Following random road checks, the Tyre Industry Council of the United Kingdom recently issued a consumer warning after discovering motorists driving with tires between 10 and 15 years old. The London-based council urged U.K. consumers to replace any tire 10 years or older and warned against using a 6-year-old spare tire.

Volkswagen AG, BMW AG, and Mercedes-Benz AG already use owner's manuals that advise consumers to replace tires after six years, regardless of tread wear, Kane said.

Currently, even determining when a tire was manufactured is a laborious task that requires getting underneath a car with a flashlight and decoding a long Department of Transportation "tire identification number" branded on the sidewall. The last four digits of the number indicate the week and year the tire was made.

The U.S. tire industry opposes laws that would require the replacement of tires after a certain age. Tires vary widely between brands and even within the same brand, said Rubber Manufacturers Association spokesman Dan Zielinski.