I'm not doing much mileage at present and most of my driving is urban 30 mph. I've got a 2 hour motorway journey coming up in the next couple of weeks. I've noticed my tyres have some crack around the outside tread. I'd rather not go to a tyre pace and ask their opinion since I guess they'll just change them, but what do people on here think ? Are they ok? The images are from 3 of the tyres. The 4th is newer so doesn't have any visible issues. The 3 tyres are almost 3 year old. Only 10,000 miles
Tyres
- Thread starter lfc84
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In the UK those would still pass an MOT, but with an advisory note that they are perishing and cracking, also that last one is worn out on the edge.
It's your car and decision when to change them, how you drive the car should also be a factor.
It's your car and decision when to change them, how you drive the car should also be a factor.
As @BoomerBoom says, this is your car and your decision but I would be looking to change them. My experience is that, by the time tyres look like that, the compound will have hardened and will give diminished grip. It's just not worth skimping on tyres.
Personally I must stress that tyres are one of the most important components in a car as they ultimately determine performance, braking and overall safety. Don't go cheap on tyres! Furthermore those cracks have formed in the grooves of the tread, so this may very well affect the aquaplaning properties of the tyres with respect to the tread pattern.... And it does rain plenty in the UK!
At the end of the day as @CupraGeezer and @BoomerBoom said it's your call, but should you go ahead with the drive, do bear in mind all these aspects and try to compensate for them with your driving instead i.e. take it easy and be vigilant if it's raining.
At the end of the day as @CupraGeezer and @BoomerBoom said it's your call, but should you go ahead with the drive, do bear in mind all these aspects and try to compensate for them with your driving instead i.e. take it easy and be vigilant if it's raining.
Thanks so far for the replies.
It's got 4 Bridgestone Turanza T001 at the moment. Three of them are factory fitted dated 2018. One is newer and in good condition but dated 2017 (front near side).
Is it feasible to replace the 3 factory tyres with T005 and leave one T001? Or should I have all 4 T005 ?
Or what's a good alternative if I move away from Bridgestone?
Sorry for the numpty questions... On the Isle of Man there's no motorways and no MOT !! Although vehicle can be stopped and checked. It must meet roadworthiness laws which I think match the UK laws
It's got 4 Bridgestone Turanza T001 at the moment. Three of them are factory fitted dated 2018. One is newer and in good condition but dated 2017 (front near side).
Is it feasible to replace the 3 factory tyres with T005 and leave one T001? Or should I have all 4 T005 ?
Or what's a good alternative if I move away from Bridgestone?
Sorry for the numpty questions... On the Isle of Man there's no motorways and no MOT !! Although vehicle can be stopped and checked. It must meet roadworthiness laws which I think match the UK laws
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It is always recommended to have the same type of tyre all around. You'll not only have a different type of tyre by replacing 3 and leaving 1 but the tyre will also be in a different condition.
My Continental ContiSport tyres that came fitted from the factory have served me well, but upgrading to Michelin PS4S (for summer tyres) has felt like a far better choice. For you I'd recommend a Michelin all season tyre as an alternative to Bridgestone. All-season tyres suits UK weather the most.
I would change them and ideally put the same tyres all around. It’s not good having different grip levels on different corners of the car. Not sure what car you have but I recently put Michelin PS4 (not the s) on my fr and they are so much better than the contact sports originally on the car, especially in the wet.
I have got a Leon Se Dynamic Technology 1.2
110ps
I guess the lower spec points towards the Michellen CrossClimate rather than the PS4 ?
110ps
I guess the lower spec points towards the Michellen CrossClimate rather than the PS4 ?
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That (CrossClimate) would be a good one to go for.
There's even a video on it by Engineering Explained doing a deep dive with comparisons if you're interested.
Ideally you should have four matching tyres but, unless you intend to take on a track day and push it to the limit, you are unlikely to reach a condition where it makes any noticeable difference.
Long gone are the days when mixing radial and cross ply on the same axle would land you in a ditch, modern cars have wheel geometry designed to give unexciting but safe handling.
On a 1.2 Leon then almost any branded tyre is fine, provided the existing tyre has at least 3 or 4mm remaining then it's worth keeping.
Long gone are the days when mixing radial and cross ply on the same axle would land you in a ditch, modern cars have wheel geometry designed to give unexciting but safe handling.
On a 1.2 Leon then almost any branded tyre is fine, provided the existing tyre has at least 3 or 4mm remaining then it's worth keeping.
I've seen people drive around on far worse cracked tyres and much older using motorways without any issues, for me I suspect they would be fine as only been a 2018 tyre however, no one can safely say they will be ok for sure and for you to ask means you have doubts, so better to be safe and not sorry!
As for replacements, mid range tyres perform so well these days many will never notice the difference between a mid range and a top end tyre for example Michelins PS4 v Maxxis VS5..
As for replacements, mid range tyres perform so well these days many will never notice the difference between a mid range and a top end tyre for example Michelins PS4 v Maxxis VS5..
I’d change them all. I’ve had different tyres on my Golf R between front and rear and it was fine as I was changing from Continental to Michelin and one pair wore faster than the other. I’d move away from Bridgestones as I’ve had them on cars before and they were absolute poo. As yours isn’t a performance car, I’d go with Michelin cross climates. You don’t need the grip of a PS4 and they also have a stiffer side wall which affects the ride quality so cross climates should be fine.
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This certainly possible. My son got four new tyres out of Dunlop but it was a slog. They did not make it make it easy.
They wanted the tyres back so they could examine them, he protested that he could't do that without having to buy new tyres first and who was paying for the postage on the tyres? Overall it took about a year and they only paid part of the cost of the new tyres, they took wear into account, but he did get four new tyres at reduced cost.
Personally, I wouldn't bother. You're probably going to have a fight on your hands as lots of things can cause tyres to crack. Under-inflation, over-inflation, age, chemicals, sunlight, there is quite a big list. You'd have to prove that the tyre was defective.
But you could be lucky. The approach above , asking if they are safe, might well work. There is a chance they might give you money towards new tyres just to shut you up and avoid more potential trouble. It's worth asking.
Personally I'd just change them as I really don't like those tyres anyway. I'd also drive on them. Cracks like that are quite common on older tyres, although maybe not often as pronounced, and they usually do not effect the structure of the tyre.
Thing is if he gets money (probably a voucher) towards new tyres he'd be stuck with Bridgestones again.
Decided to go for 4 Cross Climates. With Quidco 5% and the Michellin promo at ATS it comes down to £286 for 4 which seems like a very good price and worth getting them changed even though arguably a bit ahead of time. I'll get it done whilst away from home. Near to home these would be almost double the price - so another good reason to go ahead. Thanks for all the replies
