Is the 5 year age limit enforced on used tyres as well - if we bought a 1 year old set of tyres it'll then have 4 years lifespan before they are to be changed?
I thought tyres would be changed after 3 years of usage?
Thanks.
When I was in Northern Europe we expected tyres to last 4 years with anything up to 90,000 miles, subject to these factors:
- composition of tyres; higher performance/handling/speed usually meant softer compound shorter lifespan
- driving habits; accelaration, breaking can make an enormous difference, especially with a high performance engine
- weight of car; a 2 ton 4x4 is going to bash the life out of the tyre a great deal quicker than, say, a Yaris
- maintenance of tyre; correct inflation, correct wheel alignment avoiding uneven wear and tear, periodic (10,000 km) tyre rotation etc.
I found however that despite the above my tyres never lasted as long in sunny climates and they tell me that the UV rays deteriorate the rubber, which is why you used to see people covering their tyres if they were going on holiday (there again people also hang a CD from their rear-view mirror to avoid getting caught by a speed radar). Whether this is true or not, my tyres (Michelin on a Jeep Cherokee) rarely last longer than 3 years before they become hard, noisy and uncomfortable.
Clearly your mileage will vary.