Second-Hand Car Tires: The Expensive Troublemakers.

I have a lot of experience using second-hand tires.

There was even a time I couldn’t even afford one single new tire for the car I was driving, and I was using that car to deliver pizzas.

I remember once when I was returning from work one night.

The car already was running on second-hand tires and believe me, they all were in very bad shape.

So I was on the way home when I noticed that one of my tires got flat. In fact I quite expected that, as it was matter of time.

As I didn’t have any spare tires left, I had to drive 3 kilometers with my flat tire. It felt like driving a tank.

When I stopped the car in front of my place, I noticed that the rubber had become like chewing gum.

I then called a guy I knew and asked him to bring me some more second hand tires for 10 dollars each. They also didn’t last long.

Like me, many car owners are tempted to purchase second-hand tires. While the cost may be initially lower, it will become an expensive sport over time and may even lead to accidents, as driving with bad tires can be really dangerous for you and for the others on the road.

In this article I’m going to give you some reasons why you should think twice when you consider buying second-hand car tires.

1. Their History is UNKNOWN.

When purchasing second-hand stuff, and I’m not only talking about tires here, you can never be sure what you are actually getting.

What is the item’s history? Who were its previous owners? How they originally acquired that thing? How they maintained it? – questions that can never be answered.

Why?

Whatever others tell you, you can never be sure if they speak the truth.

Actually, do you know one strange, yet interesting thing that always happens to my father when he buys second-hand cars?

They always tell him that the previous owner of the car was a doctor.

You know, doctors normally tend to keep their stuff clean and maintained.

How comes that every car he buys was driven by a doctor?

I’m not saying that they are all lying – they may even be telling the truth and all the cars may really be previously owned by doctors. But for some reason, I feel something is fishy here, and I personally cannot trust people when they try to praise their stuff that way.

The same applies to tires.

When buying second-hand tires, you don’t know what the tire has passed trough, or how the tire has been stored all the time (for example).

There is a little “trick” on how to check the year when the tire was made. Look for the letters “DOT” on the sidewall of the tire, near the rim. It is followed by some numbers which serve as the “ID” of the tire. The last 4 digits represent the week and the year the tire is made. Let’s look at the image below. (Source: Goodyear.com)

In our case, the DOT number is M64B IC1R 3317.

The numbers we are looking for are “3317”. They tell us that the tire is made at the 33th week of the year 2017, which means that the tire is made around August 14th to August 20th in 2017.

Alright, now it doesn’t mean that if the second-hand tire we buy is made one or two years ago, it will be 100% good, as there are a lot of things to consider – like how the tire was stored, the driving style with which the tire was exploited and many more things.

Believe me, rarely someone will be that honest to tell you: I used to drift with these tires, and when I changed them, I kept them under the sun for 2 years. I believe that one should be really desperate to buy those tires from that guy or girl.

So having in mind that the tires could be poorly maintained and with unknown history is a big “NO-NO” or “Red-flag” or however you want to call it, when considering buying them second-hand.

2. Hidden Damage and Defects.

Another red flag is the knowledge that the tire may have been damaged and somehow masked, before selling.

Let me tell you what I have in mind. Imagine passing over a nail without noticing. Later that day, you randomly notice something shiny coming out from the tire, and when you take a closer look, you see that the damage was already done. Note that having a sharp object inside the tire doesn’t automatically mean that the air will be deflated instantly. In some cases it may take up to several days, as it depends on the hole size and the position of the object.

You then decide to go the tire technician to get the tire repaired, rather than changing it. You know, it’s cheaper that way. But the technician tells you that repairing it and parching the hole will be only a temporary solution and you should consider changing the tire ASAP. Well, your hands are now tied. You know for sure you have spend some bucks on buying a new one, but then the idea hits your head: why not sell the old damaged tire, saving some money? After all, who will know that the tire is parched.. you will never tell the person that will buy the tire from you.

Unfortunately a lot of people think that way and this may cause a lot of harm in the future to others. Imagine you buy the tire from that person and get on the highway. As you don’t suspect anything, you drive calmly on high speed and then the tire suddenly explodes. It’s pointless to talk about what harm can be done.

So knowing that the tire may come with masked punctures is another “NO – NO”.

Limited Lifespan and Cost Efficiency.

Sometimes people are trying to eliminate some expenses. That’s understandable, especially today, as everything is so expensive. But when talking about safety, it’s very dangerous. Not only that for “small” price you buy something with bad quality, but in the long run it will become an expensive sport. Believe me.

Second-hand tires often have a limited remaining lifespan compared to new tires. That basically means that they end up needing to replace them sooner than you expect.

On the other hand, buying new tires will allow you to rest peacefully, as you will have reliable tires for the next 25,000km (15,000 miles) to 50,000km (31,000 miles) without worrying of changing them prematurely. And eventually you will even end saving up more that way.

New tires are for sure a more cost-effective choice in the long run.

Cheap = Expensive.

While the appeal of saving money with second-hand tires may be strong, the risks and drawbacks far outweigh the short-term cost savings.

You should always prioritize safety, performance and longevity when choosing your tires, even if it may cost a bit more in the beginning. Investing in new tires eventually end up saving you more than buying cheap ones.

What is your opinion on that? Do you prefer new tires or second-hand tires? We will be more than happy to hear from you. Reach us out below, in the comment section!

Like always, drive safe!