went to Good Year to see if they would match the other prices. They told my Dad who doesn't know much about cars that they can't cuz they are so cheap. The reason why they(other discount stores) are so cheap cuz they get the tires from warehouses all over and most of the tires are out dated and don't last long. Now, is it true does tires have dates on them and if so what year should I avoid?|||You might want to try another place, like America's Tire Company or Costco Tire Center. In my experience buying Goodyear branded tires (or others owned by Goodyear) tends to cost a bit more ($20-$40) at a Goodyear tire center than at a third party store like America's Tire or Costco.
As for the tires at other stores not lasting long or being outdated, I don't believe that, they just want you to buy from them. As long as you're buying a quality brand tire you're going to be fine. If a tire is sitting on a vehicle that's not being used then I can understand that you might not want to trust those tire because they suffer from tire rot due to weather and constant stress/pressure on a single side. But in a tire warehouse (like Tire Rack) the tires are kept indoors and they aren't subjected to the stresses of a 1200lb car daily, so I think they'd last really nicely in a warehouse.
And if tires can't hold up to being stored in a warehouse for 2 months, how much more will they hold up when you're driving on them every day in possibly extreme weather conditions?lol
Just stick to reputable brands like BFGoodrich, Michelin, GoodYear, Cooper, etc and you'll be fine. Also a benefit of going to a place like America's Tire, Wal-Mart, or Costco is that those stores are very common around the US so you'll always be able to have your tires serviced for free.|||if they are still in whare houses they are still good, on a bad tire you want to look for dry rot, which is cracks around the edges and side wall rubber, a good set of cheap tries should last at least two years, with proper rotation|||There are dates on them. Its usually near the DOT number. It might be in code form on some tires though. It doesn't matter where you go. All tire dealers will have some old stock if your tire isn't a common tire. Check the date where ever you go.|||I have never heard of that before. but I have had tire dealer's tell me they wont do tire match because they cant make as much money that way.|||yes tires do have things such a dot numbers and this can Track the tire bake to when it was made mo day year place but to tale you just what dat to avoid cant help and no tire don't have a shelf life limit on them only mileage ratings and ply but good year isn't trying to do any think but charge you for the tire you get|||This is one of those things where you get what you pay for. Cheap tires are often times false economy; they don't last long, the warranty is not very good, they are often defective (things like not being truly round ...yes, this does happen, even with new tires) and they are many times made in China.
GoodYear makes excellent tires and will stand behind them as will the dealer you buy them from ...this is why they cost more. I'm not saying buy the GoodYear's but explaining why they cost more and why possibly the dealer is not going to discount them too much. As for what the shop told your dad ...well it sounds to me like a lot of hoo-hah.
Might I suggest you check out Discount Tires(discounttire.com) and see if they have a shop near you. They also have an online "catalog" of the tires they carry so you can see all the particulars of a tire They sell a full range of tires; low priced cheapos to highly specialized ones. Their prices are very good and they offer a very good warranty. I have used them a lot and have been very satisfied with them. Wal-Mart is also a good place to find good, reasonably priced tires.
The big discount tire shops (like Discount Tires, Wal-Mart, etc) typically sell in such volume they don't have "leftover" out of date tires; they pretty much sell enough to keep a good turnover in their stock ...and the volume is what allows them to give better pricing.|||There are indeed date codes on tires. You have to be careful if you are going to buy tires from a discount outlet. There tires could indeed be "new", however they could also be 5+ years old. What you want to look for is the DOT number. All tires rated for highway use MUST have a DOT number on them. On one sidewall, down near the bead area (where the tire seats on the wheel) look for the markings, DOT followed by a series of letters and numbers. The only thing you are concerned with is the very last FOUR digits. XXXX the first 2 numbers of the series tells you what week of the year they were manufactured. So those numbers will range from 01 to 52 inclusive. The last two digits tell you what year they were made. If they were made this year 09 last year 08. Personally I would not buy any tires older than 1 year. Since we are nearing the end of '09 I would not purchase '08's personally. There is nothing wrong with them but I know tires I purchase will last 5-7 years so I want them "fresh" so to speak. I would recommend you stay away from Chinese tires. While my knowledge of tires extends mostly to commercial and light truck I must assume that Chinese passenger tires are constructed to the same standards as their commercial tires, and that warranties are as difficult to obtain for passenger tires as well as the commercial tires. As for my recommendations on brands? I can only recommend what I have experience with. I would not recommend Goodyear (very good tires, GREAT tires really but personally not worth the extra money you pay for the name) Yokohama is a very good brand, Japanese owned not chinese and they stand behind their product and act quickly when problems do arise. Cooper are also a good option at a much lower price then Goodyear. Cooper passenger tires are still currently made in the US. BF Goodrich are also very good, but approaching the price range of Goodyear. If money is not an option for your Father then go with Goodyear or Michelin.|||Tires are like anything else - you usually get what you pay for. Those supposed "discount" places quote you cheap prices to get you in the door by quoting you cheap product. The lowest price does not by any means necessarily mean the best value. Often paying just a few dollars more will get you a tire that lasts significantly longer, gets better traction, is quieter, etc, etc, etc... If all your dad does is shop for the cheapest tires over time he is going to end up spending a lot of money on tires.
Select the best value that fits your budget, not the cheapest thing you can find. Remember, tires are the most important piece of safety equipment on the vehicle. What is more important, your life or your wallet?
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