4 reasons not to buy part worn tyres
At WMM, we’re frequently asked by motorists if we can fit part worn tyres on their vehicle. Our answer every time is a resounding ‘no’ and here are our four reasons why.
1. Part worn tyres are dangerous
It is against the law to sell a part worn tyre over four years old and not clearly marked on the outside as part worn. But people do - and flaunt the law.
If you buy a part worn tyre that is then involved in an accident, you will have no course for redress.
2. It is not cost-effective
A new tyre has a minimum tread depth of 8mm - legal usage 6.4mm. A part worn tyre, if you are lucky, will have 4mm – legal usage 2.4mm.
This means that a new tyre will last almost three times as long as a part-worn tyre.
3. The tyre's history is unknown
At WMM we remove tyres from imported Japanese vehicles that have 6-8 mm of tread on them. Why?
They have hairline cracks between the treads and even though they have passed a MOT test we consider them dangerous.
4. The tyre’s source is unclear
Most part worn tyres are imported, mostly from continental Europe, with many from Germany where the legal minimum tread depth is 3mm. These tyres are typically sold with around 50% of the original tread depth – meaning they have often been used for several thousand miles prior to the sale.
If you’re still wavering, check out these stats:
92% of second-hand tyres get sold without being correctly labelled as part worn. Over 2,200,000 cars a year fail their MOTs due to tyre defects; 98% of part worn tyres are sold illegally and over 34% of them have potentially dangerous
forms of damage or non-compliance.
None of this is made clear to the public when they buy a part worn tyre.
Causes of accidents in the UK in 2016: Brakes – 1,052, mobile phones – 651, tyres – 1,072.
The message is clear: Don’t put your life – and those of your loved ones at risk. Stick to high quality tyres like the one pictured above.