A tire can last from 6 to 10 years. In Europe, where you can drive up to higher speeds, most organization call for a maximum of 6 years lifespan. In North America, unless you are in hot or coastal region, 10 years is the recommended maximum for your tires. It is recommended to have an expert look at your tires once they reach 5 years of usage, including spare tire.

Tire rubber will deteriorate under the sun, especially due to UV light and extreme temperatures. Oxygen will also oxidize the compound. Recent technologies tend to reduce these effects using chemical and organic oils and composites.

Most manufacturers will honor guarantees from the date of purchase, not the date of manufacturing (DOT).

Storage of Tire during off season

The off-season storing conditions of your tires will determine how fast or slow you tire will age. Keep them in a cool, dry location, away from the sun. For winter tires, remove them from the vehicle as soon as outside driving temperature is over 7 degree Celsius. Their compound is made to resist cold, not heat.

It is recommended to have an expert look at your tires once they reach 5 years of usage, including spare tire.

Manufacturing Date and DOT

Since 2000, tires have a DOT marking that indicates thee manufacturing date and country. From the last 4 digits, the first two are the manufacturing week and the last two are the year.

From the Manufacturing Plant to Your Vehicle

When you evaluate the age of your tire to determine its condition, take into account that most tires were manufactured outside of the country, mainly in Asia. Once manufactured, they are warehoused at the plant in containers for a couple of weeks, until they are shipped by boat. They then cross the ocean.

It could take another few weeks for offloading the ship, port custom clearance, loading the trucks or trains, transport and finally warehousing.

All things considered, the freshest tires sold on the market will be a few months old. Most of the time, they will have been manufactured from 4 to 9 months before they are sold.