The tires on my 4runner suddenly are showing cracks inside the tread area running the grooves. These are 60,000 miles with only 30,000 miles on them although they are a few years old. Bought them at Discount Tire and for once purchased the warranty. Would these tires be considered to need replacement? I haven't been by and asked yet. I'm just trying to figure out if they are going to give me the runaround.
How old is "a few years old"?
I'll have to go check. 3-4 I would guess.
Michelin? They have a habit of aging out faster than most people can wear them out.
If they are only 3-4 years old, take them back. Uncommon condition but it does happen. I would not consider them safe.
Ask them if they would pass those tires in a state inspection, there's your answer.
BrokenYugo wrote: Michelin? They have a habit of aging out faster than most people can wear them out.
Friend of mine had this issue with the Michelins on her Tundra, I think she got pro rata reimbursed towards a new set based on the wear, but that was about it.
06HHR wrote:BrokenYugo wrote: Michelin? They have a habit of aging out faster than most people can wear them out.Friend of mine had this issue with the Michelins on her Tundra, I think she got pro rata reimbursed towards a new set based on the wear, but that was about it.
It seems to be mostly the truck/SUV Michelins and their soccer mom all seasons that do this. Their performance tires don't seem to have the same cracking problem, for whatever reason. That, or nobody has ever made a set last long enough to experience it...
Just because you bought them 3-4 years ago, doesn't nessesarily mean the tires themselves aren't older.
It may just be that I'm getting older, but I think of things that happened "3 or 4 years ago" and my wife politely reminds me that it was back in "Nineteen hundred and ninety-eight."
i had nitto dura-grapplers on the avalanche and they were cracking between the treads with 2 year old date codes. nov 12 date, cracking in late 2014. i don't think tires are made like they used to be.
BrokenYugo wrote: Michelin? They have a habit of aging out faster than most people can wear them out.
I can vouch for that. But mine cracked on the sidewalls.
BTW these are Goodrich.
Just check and bought them in Aug 2010. I can't find the date code to decipher.
We don't have state inspections.
Usually Discount Tire looks for reasons not to do the free rotation and rebalance. I need to take it in anyway for a rotation and will see if they hit me up with "we can't do that ...they need to be replaced". They once refused to put the original spare on the ground (its a 99). Refused to rotate another time because the inside edge of my front tires were down to the wear bar.
Pirelli's are REALLY bad about that. Also, tires that see both summer and winter will age out quicker than tires that see one summer OR winter. That wild temp change dries out the rubber faster. If I get 3 years I'm happy to be honest.
In reply to spitfirebill:
6 years of UV hitting the tires? You got your money's worth.
BrokenYugo wrote: Michelin? They have a habit of aging out faster than most people can wear them out.
That happened to a set of Michelin Pilots that I had. They only had about 10,000 miles on them.
Date code is usually on inside of sidewall near wheel (4 digits, with 2 digit week number and 2 digit year number.) And yes, time goes by quickly and seems to accelerate as I age. This the built date this week would be 16 16
The date codes aren't always molded onto both sidewalls. Look on the inside side wall, too.
The Tire Rack has a page with pictures showing how to find and read the code.
iceracer wrote: The Tire Rack has a page with pictures showing how to find and read the code.
They are mounted with the white letters in. So the code probably is on the inside.
6 year old tires cracking is normal. It has more to do with heat cycles and UV radiation than it does with mileage. Regardless of use, a tire shouldn't really be expected to last more than 6 years unless it lives in climate controlled storage when it's not on the road.
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