Every driver knows that the car’s cost will add up over time. Just when you’ve replaced your battery, you learn that it’s time for an alignment. Right after you’ve replaced some belts, you find out that you need new tires.
Treating your car well and getting the recommended maintenance on time is the best way to protect your car from unexpected repairs. However, you can’t avoid all these expenses. After all, tires don’t last forever, no matter how often you balance and rotate them, so you may be tempted to try to save money by purchasing used tires instead. However, this is always a bad idea.
Here are a few reasons why you should never buy used tires.
Used tires are a safety risk to your loved ones
Are used tires worth it? Buying used tires vs new ones is not debatable when measured against the life of your loved ones. According to the Ontario Provincial Police (O.P.P), speed was the primary cause of fatal roadway collisions in their annual report. This year’s Canada Road Safety Week theme was “Safer You. Safer Me. The decisions drivers take don’t just affect them.” When you choose to buy used tires, you become a safety risk to your loved ones, other drivers, passengers, cyclists, and pedestrians.
Imagine taking your children to school, as you do every day. You are driving within the law, and a speeding driver suddenly moves toward you. A split-second decision requires you to move your car away from the speeding vehicle. At that moment, the grip of your car’s tires and your calm attitude keep everyone safe.
If your vehicle has used tires, they are likely quite close to the minimum allowable tread depth. The tread might also have run down unevenly as the previous owner did not rotate the tires and did not do regular wheel alignment and balancing.
Why is tire tread depth important? Because the tire tread grips the road as you drive and is the bond between your vehicle and the ground. A shallow tread, as you would have with used tires, makes it harder to control a vehicle when you must suddenly change direction.
Used tires are a safety risk to your loved ones and not worth it.
Older tires are more likely to fail
When you shop for used tires, you have no idea what shape they are really in. You don’t know if the tires were driven for too long or if they were driven while carrying heavy loads. Even if the outside isn’t bulging and the tread looks fine, the tires may have severe damage that you cannot see. Moreover, the inside of the rubber may be degrading or cracked.
Even tires that have been well cared for will break down over time. The rubber will start to oxidize and degrade. You could be driving down the road, and your tires could just blow out.
Some tire manufacturers say to replace your tires every 10 years, but some experts say the cut-off is more like 6 years. You also need to replace the spare tire, even if it has just been unused in your trunk.
You can’t rely on honest dating of tires from a used tire supplier. The only way to know for sure is to check the date yourself. You can find this information right on the tire. You should also check the dates on new tires since they can sit in a factory for months before being delivered or sold.
Sellers can fake the quality
Not every tire that gets a flat or has a nail puncture has to be junked. Many products are available that provide a quick fix for the tire, making it driveable for a short amount of time. However, these products do not restore the integrity of the tire, and the safety of the tire is compromised.
When you buy used tires, there is a chance that the seller has used some of these products or other methods to make the tire seem of higher quality than it is. Some sellers use rubber products to make the tread seem healthier than it is. Others simply paint the tires black to make them look newer than they are.
You can inspect used tires to look for signs of problems, but the work of a skilled con artist will be hard to detect. You’ll only discover your mistake weeks or months later when the tire blows out while you’re driving. The only way to protect yourself is to buy your tires new from a reputable seller.
You won’t be notified of safety recalls
Despite the extensive safety testing that manufacturers perform on their products, some issues aren’t discovered until long after those products have been on the market and used in a variety of situations. Manufacturers rely on purchasing or registration information to contact owners in case a problem arises, and the product must be repaired or recalled.
If you buy used tires, the manufacturer will not have your information, and you will not be notified in case of a problem. You may have heard about the issue on the news at some point, but it could be months after the problem was discovered. Had you purchased your tires new, you would have been one of the first to know about the problem.
Sometimes, the manufacturer will pay for the repair or replacement if a product has to be repaired or recalled.
Again, if you bought your tires used, you will likely not qualify for this service. Even if you do, the manufacturer has no way to let you know. You’ll end up spending money you didn’t have to in order to replace the tires.
You will be overpaying for tires
Saving a few dollars by purchasing used tires isn’t worth it. You won’t even save money because you’ll end up paying more on frequent replacements and potential damage to your car – since blowouts are more likely and can lead to a wipeout or an accident. It is very important that you always buy new tires directly from the dealership or an authorized vendor.
Shopping with the right vendor ensures that the tires are installed correctly to factory specifications. The vendor can also guide you on the best tires to buy for your particular vehicle and your driving habits.
Best practices for tire safety
Now that we know the reasons why buying used tires is a bad idea, let’s look at a few tire safety best practices suggested by Transport Canada.
- Tire maintenance improves fuel economy.
- Measure the inflation pressure of your vehicle’s tires, including the spare, at least once a month.
- Use the correct tire pressure as underinflation reduces tread life and increases fuel consumption.
- Measure the pressure when your tires are cold.
- Inspect the tires regularly for damage and uneven wear as catching the problem early could save you money.
- Rotate the tires according to the vehicle manufacturer’s recommendations in the owner’s manual.
CRS tire services in Hamilton support these practices and offer tire rotation and tire balance services. Driving causes tires to become worn down. Rotating them spreads the wear evenly across all tires, keeps the tread depth uniform and tires last longer. Balancing tires while having them rotated prevents vibrations, suspension damage, and excessive wear and tear. Buying new tires and looking after them is better value for money than getting used tires.
Don’t take a chance on your family’s safety. Visit CRS Automotive in Hamilton to buy the new tires that your vehicle needs today.
