Over the last 10 years or so, there’s been a great deal of publicity surrounding the age of tyres sold within the Australian market.

This attention was warranted, as many opportunistic tyre retailers turned importers, adopted the practice of importing & reselling used “summer” and “all season” tyres. 

In theory, these tyres were perfectly legal as they had sufficient tread depth however, on closer inspection the tyres age often exceeded ten (10) years from production. 

The age of these used tyres combined with an unknown past and exposure to extreme climate change, made for a potentially dangerous situation.

Fortunately, this practice has been largely stamped out, however tyre age is still critically important.

There are some states of Australia where the Date of Manufacture can be an issue for registration

It is not uncommon for your new tyres to range from a handful of months old to several years of age before you buy them! All tyres are produced in batches, and with the variety of tyre sizes, brands and patterns available, low volume tyres may be stored for several years before being sold. Not to mention that all tyres are now produced off-shore, meaning the import process alone can take anywhere from 1-3 months. 

Generally, buying a tyre that is up to 4 years old presents no problems with safety, grip, handling or performance, providing they are stored appropriately. This means storing in a cool, dry environment out of direct sunlight and away from electric motors, chemicals or other materials that can degrade the rubber.

See the accompanying photo to show you how to identify when your tyre was made.