How Old Are Your Tires?

We were talking on the air last Saturday about all the loose rubber you see on the road these days.  I suggested much of the problem is underinflated tires.  As many of you head out on the highway for the holidays, taking a few minutes to verify you have the proper tire pressure can save you a breakdown and possibly your life.

Back in 2000, I was Chairman of the Ford National Dealer Council at the time when Explorers were rolling over. I was in hundreds of hours of meetings on the subject and did over 150 TV and media interviews. The burning question was whether it was the vehicle or the Firestone tires. It seemed pretty obvious to me…most of the rollovers were in Texas, Arizona and Florida, the states with the hottest weather.

because it is over 5 years old. You should check this on your current vehicle AND when you buy new tires.

One other important note: the identification number on a tire is not unique to that tire like your VIN is to a car. The numbers on your tire are intended to identify batches of tires, like in the case of the Explorers above. The entire number on a tire tells NHTSA which factory made the tire in question. Never buy a tire that is not stamped DOT, those have not been deemed safe by the Department of Transportation.  There is pending legislation now to identify every single tire with a unique number, and would be registered to you so you can be identified in the case of a recall.

One last thing, nobody can eyeball a tire and tell if it is 20% low on air.  Go to a tire shop or get yourself a good tire gauge.  Tire pressure should be checked monthly and certainly before any trip.

Reprinted from Car Pro.

The post How Old Are Your Tires? appeared first on LewRockwell.