Most drivers judge tires the way tire shops taught them to: by tread depth. That is reasonable — but dangerously incomplete. A tire can have deep, healthy-looking tread and still be a hazard, because rubber degrades with age whether or not the tire is ever driven. In a hot climate like Georgia’s, that tire aging happens even faster.

How tires fail with age

A tire is not a solid piece of rubber. It is layers of rubber, fabric, and steel belts bonded together. Over years, oxygen and heat slowly break down those bonds from the inside. Nothing looks wrong from the outside. Then, often at highway speed on a hot day, the tread and outer belt peel away from the tire body — a tread separation. The result can be a violent blowout, a sudden pull to one side, and a loss of control. Tread separations are especially dangerous for SUVs, vans, and light trucks, which are more prone to roll over when a driver fights a failing tire.

A tire that has never been driven can still be old

This is the part that surprises people. A tire sold to you as “new” may have spent years in a warehouse or on a distributor’s rack before it ever touched your car. Used-tire shops sell tires of unknown history every day. And the full-size spare that has hung under a truck bed for a decade is aging the whole time. Age matters independent of use — which is why many automakers and tire manufacturers recommend replacing tires at around six years from the date of manufacture regardless of tread, and some say no tire should remain in service past ten. Tire aging may also be more of an issue in hotter areas, including the south.

How to read your tire’s birthday

Every tire carries a DOT code on its sidewall. The last four digits are the week and year of manufacture — “3219” means the 32nd week of 2019. Check every tire on the vehicle, including the spare. If a tire shop just installed “new” tires, it is worth checking the date code before you drive away.

When a tire failure becomes a legal case

Some tire failures are simple road hazards. Others are products cases. Tires can be defectively designed or manufactured — belt adhesion problems have driven some of the largest recalls in automotive history — and manufacturers can be responsible for failing to warn consumers that tires degrade with age. Sellers and installers can face liability for their own negligence, such as installing a badly aged or recalled tire. Georgia law adds a wrinkle: a ten-year statute of repose generally runs from the date a product was first sold, which can complicate claims involving old tires. These cases are technical, and the deadlines are unforgiving.

One thing matters above all: preserve the tire. Never let a shop, insurer, or salvage yard discard a failed tire or the vehicle it was on. The physical evidence is the case.

John Hadden and his colleagues at Penn Law have years of experience in handling product liability cases, including tire defect claims. Call (404) 254-6622 if you would like to discuss a claim with us.