Technician finds 20-year-old tyres on nearly new car

The new owner of a 63-plate car hadn't realised a used car dealership had fitted it with dangerously old tyres

Technician finds 20-year-old tyres on nearly new car
Managing director at AA Tyres, Mark Shankland pointing out the dangers of old tyres.

An off-duty AA patrol man spotted the car on a driveway to house which he was visiting to pick up an online purchase.

The oldest of the tyres fitted to the car was produced in 1993, another was made in 1995.

The combined age of all four tyres on the 63-plate car was 64-years. AA technician, Dave Jones recognised that the nearside rear wheel had a tread pattern which had been discontinued for a number of years.

On closer inspection he discovered that the weathered tyre was in fact 23-years-old.

Mr Jones said: “As a tyre fitter, you tend to look at what people are driving on when you’re stopped at the lights – it’s a bit geeky.

“So when I was picking something up I’d ordered online, I immediately spotted that something was wrong with the car’s tyres – especially as they were attached to a relatively new model.

“What stood out about one of these tyres in particular was the pattern on it – a style which hadn’t been used in a number of years.

‘Dull and perished’

“You could also see that they were dull and perished – showing how old they were.

“This is an extreme example, but it goes to show how important the customer’s awareness of their own tyre condition really is.”

The owner of the vehicle asked to remain anonymous and didn’t seek compensation from the dealership that fitted them.

He said: “I was in a state of shock – I still am.

“When the fitter told me that the combined age of my tyres was older than I am, I just asked for them to be whipped off and replaced as soon as possible.

“It felt like I’d been driving around on a deathtrap.”

Have you come across dangerously aged tyres on one of your customers cars recently? Share your comments below or send your pictures to [email protected].

2 Comments

  1. Having previously suffered £4K worth of damage to a caravan with an 8 year old tyre bought new 12 months before…. Perhaps you should run an article on how to identify the age of a tyre.

    Reply
  2. Having previously suffered £4K worth of damage to a caravan with an 8 year old tyre bought new 12 months before…. Perhaps you should run an article on how to identify the age of a tyre.

    Reply

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