Have a 2001 Stratus Coupe with Goodyear Eagle LS 205-55 R16 tires. Car has only 23,000 actual miles, tires are originaland have a lot of tread left and have been rotated every 5,000 miles. Tires are smooth, show no signs of cracks. The car has been garaged for last 4 years and only driven 3-4 times a year plus once every month for short distances just to keep battery charged. Tires have nevergone flat.

The tires were manufactured7 yrs and 3 mo ago. Planning a 1700 mi trip and am wondering if they need to be replaced because of the age. I have talked to Goodyear dealer and an independent who said if no signs of cracks and plenty of smooth tread, should be OK. I plan to have them inspect the tires.

Some recommendationsare to replace tires after 6 years regardless of visual condition.

If two tire dealers were to say they are ok, does anyone have any similar experience with a similar situation or know of a definite rule for replacement?

Thanks,

 

change them anyways. my girlfried had some lires that visually looked good and they were also about 6 years old and she was driving on the freeway and the tread came off of the tire. the reason: they were old. it also knocked out the fuel sensor so that was a few more dollars besides replacing the tires.

 

For a long trip, I would tend to agree that the safest thing would be to replace them. If you are just running errands around town, the speeds are lower, and you are never too far from home. On a long trip, tire failure can be a major inconvenience. Also the sustained high speeds tend to build up more heat and stress on the tire, sometimes revealing problems that were not detected before.

 

Thanks dapirate and Ben. It is amazing how the opinions vary depending on who you ask locally. About 50% say to change, others say if they do not have cracks, don't change them. One local large tire dealer person who answered the phone said "driving on tires older than 5 yrs old is illegal" and that they could not even fix a flat on one due to the potential liability!

Sounds like it would be best to change them.