Is it safe to buy 80-90% tread used tires for a 2001 Civic DX-G?

Hi all,

I need to buy 4 all-season tires and I thought to save some $$, I could
look into buying some good used tires that have about 80-90% tread
still on them. I called around and the savings are about $100 instead
of buying new. My question is, it this a good idea? Is it safe to buy
used tires?

Thoughts?

Derek

 

Probably not, because you do not know what has happened to the tires
before you saw them. Some damage is not visible (broken belts, etc.).

On the other hand, the tires I have on my Honda are used. They were
not used when I bought them but they sure are now. And they have a lot
less than 90% tread.

Would I buy used tires? Yes. Have done so in the past, will likely do
so in the future.


Elliot Richmond, Ph.D.
Freelance Science Writer and Editor

 

eh? i read that as "no, but i do it myself". doesn't that really mean
"yes"?

 

If you are buying from a reputable source, yes. Tires are traded in for a
variety of reasons and decent tire shops will not accept bad ones. The
previous owner probably bought custom wheels that required different size
tires, and that type of owner usually takes care of his "baby." You've
probably seen the posts by people who immediately changed from the stock
brand X tires to his favorite brand Y tires as soon as he got his
RoadShredder 3000 home. Those tires are literally as good as new.

Mike

 

That Ph.D. must have his head spinning!

 

The original question was, is it safe? I stick by my answer. It is not
*completely* safe, because you never know. Of course, new tires are
not completely safe, either.

On the other hand, would I buy a used tire? That was not the original
question, it was a new question that I introduced. Then I answered it.
For example, I was in another town a while back and one of my tires
got a large cut in it, on a Sunday afternoon on a holiday weekend.
Since no tire places were open and I did not want to drive back home
on the emergency spare, I bought a used tire.

See, it's really very simple. Even a Ph.D. can understand it.


Elliot Richmond, Ph.D.
Freelance Science Writer and Editor

 

i agree with mike.

 

that's a squirm. you're now saying; "no, but yes. because they're as
risky as new."

bottom line, there's nothing more intrinsically wrong with buying a used
tire than there is buying a used car that already has tires on it. or
using your own tires once they're no longer new.

 

Clearly there are lots of different opinions here.

The one strong warning I will offer is:

Always get tires without tubes in them.

It is fairly rare to have a true "blow out" with a
tubeless tire. If there is damage the tire tends to
leak and go flat slowly. Think minutes to days.

Tires with a tube can have a major defect and the
tube can still hold air. If the defect gets big
enough the tube can push out and if it ruptures
the tire will lose air quite suddenly. Think just
a few seconds. At freeway speeds this is very
dangereous.