Why You Shouldn’t Purchase Part-Worn Tyres

If your vehicle is in need of new tyres, you may be shocked at how much replacement tyres can cost. 

Whilst it is often cheaper to buy second-hand tyres than new, the implications that come with part worn tyres are significantly high. Tyresafe suggested that 13 out of 152 dealers they visited in an investigation into part-worn tyres in the UK were selling ‘road-worthy tyres’. 

You may be thinking, what are part worn tyres exactly? They are simply tyres that have already been used by another vehicle. These sort of tyres are generally imported from Germany as the legal minimum tread depth for cars there is 3mm. Once tyres in Germany have reached this limit, road users would remove these tyres and buy new ones. The tyres are then imported into the UK and sold as part-worn as the legal minimum tread depth stands at 1.6mm. 

As opposed to buying part-worn, here at etyres we sell high-quality tyres for motorists on any sort of budget. We have everything from budget tyres to premium, which includes Uniroyal tyres all the way to Michelin tyres. We recommend mid-range tyres as they provide great safety and handling, lasting you a longer time than budget tyres may. And due to the recent outbreak of coronavirus, imports of budget tyres are steadily declining, suggesting mid-range to premium could be a better option. So rather than looking into part-worn, why not look through the range of tyres we stock? You can check them out here. 

Moreover, it is completely legal to sell part-worn tyres in the UK. However, the Motor Vehicle Tyres (Safety) Regulations state that tyre sellers must sell tyres that have an original tread pattern of 2mm, be marked as part worn,  show no bulges, lumps or other external or internal damage, and must pass an inflation test before they are sold.

As your tyres are the only part of your vehicle that are in direct contact with the road, they play an indispensable role in the accelerating, steering, handling and braking. Tyres require suitable tread depth to maintain control, especially in hazardous weather conditions and emergency situations, meaning it is incredibly important to stay on top of regular tyre maintenance. Concerningly, 40% of accidents caused by vehicle defects are tyre related. A recent study on stopping speeds revealed that part-worn tyres are more dangerous than drunk driving – you can find more on this in our Global Collision Comparison.

Unfortunately, it is always possible for part-worn tyres to have hidden faults within them. Structural damage to the inside rubber can occur over time, which will significantly affect the handling of the tyres when driven on roads. The weakening of rubber on tyres can subsequently result in a blowout, which can be extremely dangerous, especially when driving at high speeds. 

With part-worn tyres, you can’t assume their history. It’s highly likely that tyre sellers won’t even know where the part-worn tyres that they’re selling originate from. This is because they could have either been because the tread has worn down, the vehicle was in an accident and has been written off or the tyres could have been shipped from a different country. Either way, here at etyres we really don’t recommend buying them. 

The internal construction of a tyre is vital for it to perform as optimally as possible so that when you begin to travel at high speeds, your tyres keep your safe whilst also handling the road surface to the best of their ability. One great take away from this blog post is that not all budget tyres may be great for your vehicle as they could wear quicker than say a mid-range tyre. However, at least when you do buy a new budget tyre, you’ll sleep peacefully knowing they aren’t harbouring any secrets to how they have been treated or used and abused. You will also have new tyres with 8mm of tread and a greater lifespan as opposed to part worn. So if you’re on the hunt for some new wheels, you can check out our range of tyres here.