Tyre ages, check them.

[accord83]

I've just found out how dangerous buying an old car could be. The Manta (I know it's not a Ford) has been garaged since I bought it, but on the drive back from deepest Lincolnshire in October the tyre feedback felt "hard". The front tyres were Dunlop and the rears Federal, looked good with 6mm tread, (new old stock?). I had a new set of 4 Uniroyals fitted yesterday. I dated the tyres as they came off, the Dunlops were both 1996, so 20yrs old, the Federals? 1986 and 19 Bloody 82  !! 

 They looked excellent when taken off but the Dunlops were as hard as a hookers heart. I wouldn't have liked to drive at speed through bends on a 34yr old tyre.

The codes are available on the internet if you don't know when your tyres were fitted.

[Vista]

Yep and isn't there an age by which they'll fail an MOT now?

[accord83]

Not at the moment as far as I'm aware.

[Gareth62]

On caravans it recommended to change them every 5 years

[HotRodMatt]

A few years ago after I'd owned the Mk1 ten years, me and a mate were flying down the M1 very early one sunny Sunday morning en route to Ford Fair, reaching 120 on a fair few occassions. Great fun at the time but looking back now, the tyres were already on the car when I bought it so were at least a decade old, and they certainly weren't premium brands! I think we were lucky not to have had an accident, as we wouldn't have walked away.

[mk2 mike]

Yep and isn't there an age by which they'll fail an MOT now?

I believe it's 5 years old.

[Audicab26]

First thing I did was change mine - found that they were 15 years old, loads of tread but zero grip. Bought 5 Continentals.

[irishtorag]

in Ireland tyre date is 6 years old then nct(mot) fail

[buzzard]

I believe it's 5 years old.

It's 10 years . But it's not a fail. It's a advisory . Garages have to sell with in 3 years of production that's why they have sales .