Tirerack warning

[captain slowly]

About 6 months ago, I ordered tires from tirerack for my wifes GTI. Nothing fancy, just some Continental DWS. Got the tires mounted and balanced, all was well. A few weeks later, she hits a pothole and punctures the sidewall. No problem, tirerack gives you roadhazard coverage so I call them. They ask for the DOT numbers, and that's where things get interesting. They had sold us 5 year old tires! After much back and forth they agree to send us tires that are actually new.

Fast forward to last week, I order tires for my S2000, as the ones on the car were not worn, but were original to the car and were 17 years old. Figured it was time. So I went back to tirerack, and bought the number 1 rated tire in the size I was buying-- the Michelin Pilot Exalto PE2. It was also one of the most expensive. Got them shipped to my installer, got the car aligned. A few hours later it dawns on me that I should go out and check the DOT's. 3 tires are made in 2015, one in 2012.....Mother effer. Here we go again. Call tirerack who now tell me that they sell tires within 4 years of production, and that they are kept in a climate controlled warehouse, are rotated and that the lifespan of tires is 10 years and I still have 7 years left on three of my tires, but admitted the one that was made in 2012 should have never been sold to me, so they'll replace it. They'll do nothing regarding the other three.... but they did tell me that in the future, if I want "newer" tires, when ordering I should specify that I want the newest DOT's... So yeah, I feel cheated but there's nothing I can do short of wasting more money, which I won't do. So todays lesson is, if you choose to order from tirerack, request the newest DOT's available, and check the tires BEFORE you have them installed.

[10"]

Originally Posted by captain slowly

About 6 months ago, I ordered tires from tirerack for my wifes GTI. Nothing fancy, just some Continental DWS. Got the tires mounted and balanced, all was well. A few weeks later, she hits a pothole and punctures the sidewall. No problem, tirerack gives you roadhazard coverage so I call them. They ask for the DOT numbers, and that's where things get interesting. They had sold us 5 year old tires! After much back and forth they agree to send us tires that are actually new.

Fast forward to last week, I order tires for my S2000, as the ones on the car were not worn, but were original to the car and were 17 years old. Figured it was time. So I went back to tirerack, and bought the number 1 rated tire in the size I was buying-- the Michelin Pilot Exalto PE2. It was also one of the most expensive. Got them shipped to my installer, got the car aligned. A few hours later it dawns on me that I should go out and check the DOT's. 3 tires are made in 2015, one in 2012.....Mother effer. Here we go again. Call tirerack who now tell me that they sell tires within 4 years of production, and that they are kept in a climate controlled warehouse, are rotated and that the lifespan of tires is 10 years and I still have 7 years left on three of my tires, but admitted the one that was made in 2012 should have never been sold to me, so they'll replace it. They'll do nothing regarding the other three.... but they did tell me that in the future, if I want "newer" tires, when ordering I should specify that I want the newest DOT's... So yeah, I feel cheated but there's nothing I can do short of wasting more money, which I won't do. So todays lesson is, if you choose to order from tirerack, request the newest DOT's available, and check the tires BEFORE you have them installed.

I was told this recently by a guy who repairs tires that Tire Rack buys "old stock" and sells it for cheaper. In fact they buy stock that other sellers often pass on for very cheap which is how they create a bigger profit margin. Makes me very cynical about their business practices...can you imagine what percentage of the general public will specifically ask for newer DOTs? 1% or less probably so they make a killing selling crap tires.

Most customers don't even notice...but after being told something similar a few times by different people and reading about experiences like yours I may just stay away from them completely. Saving money is not as important as quality for me...

[captain slowly]

Originally Posted by 10"

I was told this recently by a guy who repairs tires that Tire Rack buys "old stock" and sells it for cheaper. In fact they buy stock that other sellers often pass on for very cheap which is how they create a bigger profit margin. Makes me very cynical about their business practices...can you imagine what percentage of the general public will specifically ask for newer DOTs? 1% or less probably so they make a killing selling crap tires.

Most customers don't even notice...but after being told something similar a few times by different people and reading about experiences like yours I may just stay away from them completely. Saving money is not as important as quality for me...

Even my installer told me that I'm the only one he knows who would check DOT dates, but completely agreed with me being pissed off at tirerack. Like you said, 99.9% of people would never check this, and will be perfectly happy with the perceived savings... until something goes wrong. I won't be doing business with them going forward, and frankly, I'm pissed off at myself that I did not recall the last experience I had with them with my wife's car. It never even crossed my mind...

[rowsdower]

Thanks for the heads up. I never would have thought to check, either.

[Tommm]

Now I feel like an ass. I am coaching their Street Survival school again. I am telling kids and their parents who don't know how to check their oil to look at Tire Rack for tires. I am pushing their decision guide. Not cool.

[StuP]

So, how old can a 'new' tire be and still be acceptable ?

[captain slowly]

Originally Posted by StuP

So, how old can a 'new' tire be and still be acceptable ?

From what I understand, once a tire is 5 years old and never been mounted on a vehicle, it can no longer be sold.

[tock172]

It's actually a lot more common than you guys think. The average lifespan of a tire is 6 to 10 years, and it's not unusual for a tire to sit in inventory for a while before it is sold and then mounted, especially if its a rather uncommon size.

I look at the date codes of all of my tires and actually remember them for almost all of my four vehicles. I bought a new set of tires from a specific brand for my E30 last year (2017) and the tires were actually manufactured in 2015, but because hardly anyone runs 14" rubber anymore, they sat around for a while. A few years doesn't matter as long as they were properly stored. I have a set of rear Michelin PSS for my 135i sitting in a closet for when my current ones wear out.

It's also not exclusive to Tirerack, as Discount Tire also holds some pretty substantial inventory and some of it isn't brand new either.

Tires do not have an expiration date. Some shops may be unwilling to work on an older tire, but it really comes down to how the specific unit was stored and maintained.

Originally Posted by Modern Tire Dealer

Our industry has never come out and set an expiration date on tires. I understand why: If stored properly and treated properly by the consumer, they can last a very long time, longer than 10 years. And there is a legal issue involved; set a date, and lawsuits will follow.

Source

Above all, I've found Tirerack to be pretty honest about what they sell. It's not uncommon to see tires listed with their production year in the subtitle if they're more than 1 to 3 years old. See linked screenshot.

[zx10guy]

I'd be curious who else people would go to if it's not Tire Rack. A long time ago I worked with NTB on getting a set of Yokohama AVS Intermediates for my car which doubled as the tires I used for autocrossing. NTB didn't have them in stock and were special order. They said they would match or beat Tire Rack's price.

After all was said and done, they came up with a very attractive price for all four tires mounted and balanced. I went ahead with ordering them through NTB. The tires arrived and I get a call to bring my car in. I do so and was in the bay area as they worked on my car. I looked at the stack of AVS Intermediates about to be mounted on my wheels. Something caught my eye as I looked at the UPS shipping label which had yet to be removed. NTB ordered the tires from Tire Rack.

I don't know how the various tire places do business with each other in terms of sharing inventory, but don't be surprised if you go with a different store front and the tires still end up coming from Tire Rack.

[captain slowly]

Originally Posted by tock172

It's actually a lot more common than you guys think. The average lifespan of a tire is 6 to 10 years, and it's not unusual for a tire to sit in inventory for a while before it is sold and then mounted, especially if its a rather uncommon size.

I look at the date codes of all of my tires and actually remember them for almost all of my four vehicles. I bought a new set of tires from a specific brand for my E30 last year (2017) and the tires were actually manufactured in 2015, but because hardly anyone runs 14" rubber anymore, they sat around for a while. A few years doesn't matter as long as they were properly stored. I have a set of rear Michelin PSS for my 135i sitting in a closet for when my current ones wear out.

It's also not exclusive to Tirerack, as Discount Tire also holds some pretty substantial inventory and some of it isn't brand new either.

Tires do not have an expiration date. Some shops may be unwilling to work on an older tire, but it really comes down to how the specific unit was stored and maintained.



Source

Above all, I've found Tirerack to be pretty honest about what they sell. It's not uncommon to see tires listed with their production year in the subtitle if they're more than 1 to 3 years old. See linked screenshot.

I don't feel like doing a screenshot, but here is the link to what I bought. It doesn't say anywhere that I'd be getting a tire made in 2012https://www.tirerack.com/tires/TireSearchResults.jsp?tireIndex=0&autoMake=Honda&a utoYear=2001&autoModel=S2000&autoModClar=&frontWid th=205%2F&frontRatio=55&frontDiameter=16&frontSort Code=44950&rearWidth=225%2F&rearRatio=50&rearDiame ter=16&rearSortCode=45750

[Gangplank]

The higher performance your needs, the more important tire mfg date codes are. Racing motorcycles, new tires are better. Riding motorcycles anything 5 years old is garbage. On my car I'll accept buying 3-5 yrs knowing I'll wear them out in 2 years. If you want "new" learn how to read tire codes and ask for new tires. Oh and, yes tire rack sells old tires...

[Ewcmr2]

Huh!?
You’re unhappy because TireRack took care of your problems? You drove on the tires for six months and then were unhappy and got TireRack to replace them?
Then you did it again?

Sound like great customer service to me.

[bagekko]

Interesting, any time I did pay attention to DOTS on tires I got it was always recent and close in time. I know TR and others have posted warnings if date codes were older. They must not like you to send you old tires twice lol. Its wrong that they gave you a hassle on tire replacement. Only time I used such a service was with DTD, no questions asked shipped out new tire, didnt have to send old one back, they said they only require that after you file so many claims.

[captain slowly]

Originally Posted by Ewcmr2

Huh!?
You’re unhappy because TireRack took care of your problems? You drove on the tires for six months and then were unhappy and got TireRack to replace them?
Then you did it again?

Sound like great customer service to me.

Actually, I do feel that if I have to make sure a murchant sells new stock, that is a problem. The expectation is that when you buy something new, it is new. Also, I had to cover the cost of mounting and balancing, so.. thats a problem. Yes, I did it again. I didn't think they'd pull the same shit again, but they did. So I had to deal with the inconvenience on one tire, as it was 6 years old, and the rest were 3. Truth be told, I'm not happy at all about getting 3 year old tires, but I'm not about to deal with this whole bullshit all over again. If you would be OK with this, may I offer you a week old BigMac?

[bagekko]

Thing is employees are paid so little these days and dont care, no business properly rotates/manages stock etc. You can go into any supermarket these days and find expired products on the shelf. I usually check but on somethings you forget to, like the gatorade once I bought that expired a year before. Even medicines at CVS, Walgreens, etc are expired. Almost always the Tassimo cappuccino at BBB is expired.

I understand the frustration, but unless you can pick it off the shelf yourself, your at the mercy of fresh inventory or luck of the draw.

Originally Posted by captain slowly

Actually, I do feel that if I have to make sure a murchant sells new stock, that is a problem. The expectation is that when you buy something new, it is new. Also, I had to cover the cost of mounting and balancing, so.. thats a problem. Yes, I did it again. I didn't think they'd pull the same shit again, but they did. So I had to deal with the inconvenience on one tire, as it was 6 years old, and the rest were 3. Truth be told, I'm not happy at all about getting 3 year old tires, but I'm not about to deal with this whole bullshit all over again. If you would be OK with this, may I offer you a week old BigMac?

[captain slowly]

Originally Posted by bagekko

Thing is employees are paid so little these days and dont care, no business properly rotates/manages stock etc. You can go into any supermarket these days and find expired products on the shelf. I usually check but on somethings you forget to, like the gatorade once I bought that expired a year before. Even medicines at CVS, Walgreens, etc are expired. Almost always the Tassimo cappuccino at BBB is expired.

I understand the frustration, but unless you can pick it off the shelf yourself, your at the mercy of fresh inventory or luck of the draw.

I don't disagree, but I cannot accept this, which is why I will be checking the dates before I mount the tires going forward, as that was the premise of this thread to begin with- check the product you are being sold because you can't trust tirerack to do the right thing. Those that are okay with buying older tires can ignore my advise.

[MightyMouseTech]

Originally Posted by StuP

So, how old can a 'new' tire be and still be acceptable ?

Law here in Ontario is 7 years.

Many people here obviously don't work with tires. Getting 3,4,5 year old tires happens quite often, the supplier does not matter. Bashing one company for this is pointless. Order a more common tire/size (like Mich PSS) and you are more likely to get fresh ones.

[bagekko]

I hear ya, will definitely be checking my DOT codes all the time going forward, only did about half the time previously. Will also put the notes on orders like was suggested to you.

Originally Posted by captain slowly

I don't disagree, but I cannot accept this, which is why I will be checking the dates before I mount the tires going forward, as that was the premise of this thread to begin with- check the product you are being sold because you can't trust tirerack to do the right thing. Those that are okay with buying older tires can ignore my advise.

[mackeroni]

Bought my Michelin Pilot SS's from Tire Rack in 3/2012. The fronts were 3 months old. The rears were 8 months old. I checked at the time they were delivered to my installer and was pretty happy to get fresh tires.

This set is still on my car (summers only) with over 27,000 miles on them. Almost down to the wear bars in the rear. Will still go to Tire Rack next spring for a new set, but thanks for the warning, Captain Slowly!

[bagekko]

27k miles on the rears of PSS, I wish I could get that much life lol

Originally Posted by mackeroni

Bought my Michelin Pilot SS's from Tire Rack in 3/2012. The fronts were 3 months old. The rears were 8 months old. I checked at the time they were delivered to my installer and was pretty happy to get fresh tires.

This set is still on my car (summers only) with over 27,000 miles on them. Almost down to the wear bars in the rear. Will still go to Tire Rack next spring for a new set, but thanks for the warning, Captain Slowly!

[Gangplank]

Originally Posted by bagekko

27k miles on the rears of PSS, I wish I could get that much life lol

No joke! I wish I got that much out of the fronts!

[champignon]

Depending on the situation, I usually find that Tire Rack is the cheapest and best option. If you live in snow country and are in the habit of owning a set of mounted snow tires for the car(s) you drive all year, Tire Rack is seriously cheaper than any other option I've found. Usually, I look for a set of rims that are on sale and that will look good on the car in question, then get 4 snow tires to go on them, usually with TPMS sensors (unless the car doesn't use them). The prices on the wheels, tires, and sensors are the best out there, and if you have them mount everything up and balance it, I'd challenge you to find a deal even remotely as good. If you get a smaller, square set of snow tires for your car that normally uses staggered tires, the package can be very very cheap for something that looks good and works well on your car.

Then I have the dealer swap the tires each season, which runs maybe $50, and more or less insures that the tires and wheels won't be trashed (cannot be said for a lot of other installers).

All around good deal. I will make a point of asking for new tires in the future, however, thanks OP.