Check the Tire Manufacture Date Before Buying New Tires
Maybe men know all about tires and just will not tell us, or maybe they don’t know all they should. As a single woman who is responsible for purchasing tires, having the oil changed, or just taking the car in for general repairs, it pays to know a little something about cars. This does not mean a woman needs the skill of a mechanic, but she does need to know enough to ask intelligent questions. The truth is that most women who take their cars into the garage for repairs would just as likely understand what a brain surgeon was talking about. This is not to say that most women are stupid. In fact, there are just some things that women never thought they would need to know.
However, women do need to know about the tire manufacture date stamped on tires before buying the next set. The stamp tells exactly what it says — the date the tire was made, or approximate date. This is particularly important for the safety of the person driving or riding in the car.
Tire manufacturers will warranty a set of tires for up to five years from the date of manufacture. Of course, they never bother to tell the consumer but assume that we should know it. This is an important fact because tires will dry rot over time. In some cases, tires can be stored for years before being sold. They may look new, with a good tread but if the tires are more than two years old the consumer should ask for a newer set.
The best way to explain this to a single woman is to compare it to shopping for meat at the grocery store. Most meat has a “sell by” date. Of course, the meat is usually good for several days after the specified date, but we certainly do not want to spend money on meat that may go bad within a day or two.
The same thing is basically true about tires. Tires do not have a “sell by” date but rather a tire manufacture date. That leaves it to the single woman consumer to figure out the “sell by” date. Let’s say a tire was manufactured in 2006 and it is now 2010. The manufacturer will only warranty the tire for one more year for blow-outs while driving and other similar incidents. However, if the tire had a manufacture date of 2009 the consumer can reasonably expect the tire to be good for four years from the date of purchase, again realizing this is 2010.
The manufacturer only guarantees the tires for malfunctions such as blow-outs from dry rot or cracks in the sidewalls or other tire defects. This means that if a nail is run over and the tire goes flat, it is up to the consumer to fix it or replace it regardless of when the tire was made.
It is important for everyone to know where to look on the outer walls of the tire to locate the date stamp. However, for single women who have no one to check those little things for them, it is wise to learn where the stamp is located, how to read it, and what it means. After all, a good shopper is not going to pay for meat that is about to go bad when she can purchase freshly cut meat. It’s a matter of health and safety. The same holds true when it comes to buying tires. The price is going to be the same regardless of age, so it pays to get the newest set of tires possible — for the safety of the owner of the car and any passengers.
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