How Many Years Should New Car Tires Be Replaced?
3 Answers
New car tires generally need to be replaced after two to three years of use. The methods for replacing and maintaining tires are introduced as follows: Method for replacing tires: Park the car in a safe location, turn on the hazard warning lights, and firmly engage the handbrake. Place a triangular warning sign at an appropriate position behind the car. Take out the spare tire, along with the wrench and jack provided with the car, and install the tire after removing the old one. Methods for tire maintenance: Regularly clean out stones stuck in the tire treads, minimize exposure to direct sunlight, promptly check tire pressure, pay attention to suspension maintenance, regularly inspect front wheel alignment, and adopt careful driving habits. Choose smooth roads while driving, avoid objects that can puncture or scratch the tires, and steer clear of chemical spills that may corrode the tires.
Having driven for over a decade, I've realized that tires are like shoes—they need replacing after prolonged use. New car tires generally require consideration for replacement after five or six years, but you can't just go by age. My family's SUV, which doesn't see much city driving, had fine cracks all over the tread when inspected in its fifth year. Even though the tread depth was still good, the mechanic said the rubber had aged and was prone to blowouts. Since then, I've made it a habit to squat down and check the tire sidewalls for cracks or bulges every time I wash the car. Especially for those who frequently drive on highways, don't risk using tires for too long—after all, tires are the only part of the car that makes contact with the ground. Once on the highway, I saw the car ahead suddenly suffer a blowout; luckily, nothing serious happened, but it made me even more vigilant since then.
I tend to be quite rigid about maintenance, so I replaced my car's tires exactly five years after purchase. The mechanic said the tread wear was still acceptable, but I noticed significantly longer braking distances during rainy seasons, especially with hydroplaning on wet roads. After researching, I learned that tire rubber begins hardening after 3-4 years, with grip deteriorating annually. Now I routinely check the tire manufacturing date by locating the four-digit DOT code on the sidewall - for example, '2121' indicates the 21st week of 2021. Tires age faster in poorly ventilated, humid garages or when constantly parked outdoors under direct sunlight - under such conditions, inspections for replacement should begin at four years.
