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Used Tires = Dangerous Tires = Personal Injury

Cheap used tires are a bad bargain

Perhaps because of the weak economy or higher tariffs on new Chinese tires, sales of used tires have skyrocketed. Tire sellers maximize their profits by selling used tires. An article in the trade magazine, Tire Business, asks: “What can used tires do for your dealership? Actually, what can't they do might be an easier question to answer. Used-tire trade-in programs can boost both volume and gross profits, as well as help independents compete against mass merchandisers.”[n1]

But what may be a boon to the tire retail market is not necessarily good news for the safety of the motoring public. And, consumers looking for a good deal on a used tire may be buying themselves bigger and more expensive problems down the road.

Used tires are most often sold with a simple visual inspection, which provides no indication about the inner condition of the tire. Most used tire sellers have no knowledge of where the tire came from and what stresses they may have been subjected to. Not surprisingly, used tires – even those that appeared in good shape and with sufficient tread depth – have been implicated in catastrophic accidents caused by tire tread separations.

The Rubber Manufacturers Association, a tire industry trade group has estimated that 30 million used tires are sold to motorists each year – amounting to about 10 percent of all tires sold annually in the U.S.[n2] That inventory is gathered from a variety of sources: tire service center scrap heaps, salvage yards and web classifieds. Most used tires come from large multi-state recyclers who pick up scrap tires and “recycle” them back into the marketplace. If a tire has at least 2/32nds of an inch of tread left and no obvious visual defect it’s resold—after a cleaning and sometimes even a coat of black paint to make it appear newer.

There’s a reason why that used tire was discarded by the first purchaser. But the second purchaser won’t know the reason and odds are, the used tire seller won’t know either. Many defects in a used tire won’t be readily visible and some of the damage is invisible to the naked eye. In 1989, a former Michelin Tire manager published a column in a tire industry trade journal calling for used tire standards. He conducted his own casual survey of used tires for sale and was sobered by what he found on the racks in his area: “My worst fears were realized when I found a number of tires that looked good – until I examined inside. I doubt that the tire fitter or customer would have spotted loose cords in the tires, evidence that they had been run while under inflated. Several tires had tread repairs which would have caused a number of weights to be used in an attempt to balance them and a few had puncture repairs that looked like they had been done by a plumber.”[n3]

Used tire sellers could better ensure the safety of their product through the use of shearography, a machine that can non-destructively examine the inside of a tire, like an MRI uses magnet and radio waves to produce detailed images of body organs. The large used tire wholesalers who move millions of tires can afford shearographic machines that can scan used tires, and flag those in poor condition. Combined with a visual inspection and X-rays, a shearographic exam can eliminate the dangers associated with used tires.

But neither used tire wholesalers or retailers are required to meet any federal standards. A used tire’s road-fitness is governed under state tread-depth laws. Most states set the legal minimum tread depth for passenger vehicle tires at 2/32 of an inch (approximately 1.6 mm) of tread. Some states, such as California, the margin of safety is thinner –1/32nd of an inch of tread. Others have no requirements and defer to the federal criterion for commercial vehicle safety inspections.[n4]

Another good reason to avoid used tires is age. The tire industry, researchers and government agencies now agree that aged tires— regardless of their appearance and tread depth—can be a safety hazard. All tires age, regardless of use. Oxidation causes a tire’s internal components to deteriorate, so even a tire that appears new can be at a high risk of failure because the material and chemical properties of the tire have changed. Think of an old rubber band in your desk– brittle and easy to break, because it has lost its elasticity over time. Yet, age does not automatically disqualify a tire from the used tire market. Used tires are often older tires and stored, before sale, in conditions that may accelerate deterioration, such as extreme heat. The used tire market is an unknown and unregulated source of aged tires.

Finally, if that used tire is recalled, there is no way for the manufacturer to notify a consumer if the tire was purchased used. The lack of records tracking the tires back to wholesalers, or in many cases, the retailers is common. That means a serious problem with a tire could be discovered and that tire’s second purchaser won’t know about it.

In Great Britain, manufacturers of new tires have issued warnings to consumers for more than a decade on the hazards of buying used tires.[n5] In 2007, the RMA followed suit, by issuing a Tire Information Service Bulletin listing many negative factors affecting the condition of used tires.[n6] Also in 2007, Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire told their franchise retailers to stop selling used tires – in part, because it takes too much time to thoroughly inspect a used tire.[n7]

“Used tires may have been exposed to improper service, maintenance or storage conditions and may have been damaged, which could eventually lead to tire failure,” the advisory said.[n8]

In short, cheap used tires are no bargain.

Sources:
n1 Using Used Tires to Boost Your Sales; Gregory James Kennedy; Tire Business; April 3, 1995.
n2 Are Used Tires a Safety Hazard? David Shepardson; Detroit News; June 11, 2007.
n3 Tires for Re-Sale Require Thorough Inspection; Clarence A. Ball; Tire Business; October 23, 1989.
n4 Legal Minimum Tread Depth for Passenger Car Tires in the U.S.A. – a Survey; William Blythe and Debra E. Seguin; Injury Prevention.
n5 Tyre - Ageing (passenger Cars, Light Vans and Trailers up to 3.5 tonne GVW), British Rubber Manufacturers Association; June 5, 2001.
n6 Passenger and Light Truck Used Tires; Service Bulletin 115; Rubber Manufacturers Association; December 2007.
n7 Are Used Tires a Safety Hazard? David Shepardson; Detroit News; June 11, 2007.
n8 Passenger and Light Truck Used Tires; Service Bulletin 115; Rubber Manufacturers Association; December 2007.