At first glance part worn tyres seem like a bargain, especially as a good set of tyres from a premium brand is not cheap nowadays.
Did you know that a lot of part worn tyres come from Germany and other European countries where the legal limit is 3mm? So that seems ok as they are still "road legal" in the UK - right? Well let's think about this, that means there is only 1.4mm of life left in that tyre, so how long is that going to last you? A new tyre, for those that don't know is 8mm, so at the very least you will be changing your tyres a lot more often. It may also be difficult to buy a tyre that matches (or is close to) the tread pattern of your other tyres, or buy a full set of matching tyres. In fact the legal limit for a part worn tyre is only 2mm so about the depth of a credit card from being illegal.
But Alan, a part worn is only £20 so who cares how long it lasts, you say. According to Tyresafe the cost per millimetre of a part-worn tyre is on average £6.33, compared to just £5.32 for a comparable new tyre. Not looking like such a bargain now is it?
Add to this you don't know the history of the tyre and unless you know where to look, the age of the tyre, it sounds more part safe than part worn. You may be lucky enough to buy a part worn tyre with plenty of tread left, say 5-6mm but make sure you examine it for any cuts or nicks and most importantly check it's age. To do this you need to look for a 4 digit code on the tyre, this will show you the week and the year the tyre was made, so 12 15, means the 12th Week of 2015. If your tyre has only got a 3 digit code then it was made before 2000 and you should definitely ditch it before it ditches you. If your tyres are over 5 years old it may be time to replace them, regardless of how much tread they have left. On older tyres you will often see some crazing on the side wall as the compound of the tyre dries out due to UV exposure.
Dealers will often put part worn tyres on a car, especially those at auction, so make sure you check the age, condition and whether they are a matching set, at the very least per axle.
A 2017 survey by safety body Tyresafe found that only four out of 67 used tyres it inspected met legal regulations. More than half had defects compromising their safety.
So apart from the obvious safety issues what other consequences are there?
Penalties for driving a vehicle with tyres below the legal tread depth: Up to £2,500 fine and three penalty points - FOR EACH TYRE!
I'm not saying don't buy a part worn tyre and sometimes, for instance, if you are buying a second set of wheels, you have no choice. But be smart, stick to brands you've actually heard of and check them over.
THINGS TO LOOK FOR
- Cracking in the sidewalls or tread
- Unsafe repairs (look for plugs in or near the sidewalls of both sides)
- Objects such as nails and screws in the tyre
- Bulges or lumps in the tyre
CZ
The 4 digit code on the far right gives you the date of manufacture