While I don't agree with the sensationalized spin on this by ABC, it is good to know how to read the DOT date code to determine the age of your tires. It's interesting to note that many (most?) of the occupants of the "museum of death" are trucks & SUVs, not cars. The recommendation to use tires less than 6 years old is a great idea, but not everyone can afford to replace tires based on age, especially if the tread is >50%. The Tire Rack article Luke posted later in this thread has a more reasonable 6-10 year age recommendation (
click here to view the original article). Probably the major "take away" here is to make sure any "new" tires you purchase are fresh:
10-minute video (looks like it was from 20/20) :
http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=4826897
Here's a Tire Rack link showing to how determine the age of a tire:
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/techpage.jsp?techid=11
A significant item not mentioned, is that tread separation / failure as shown in the video is FAR more likely at high ambient temperatures and/or high speeds. Meaning that a 30-year-old tire could probably be used until it was bald at 70°F and <55mph. But a 7-year old tire on a heavy SUV, going through Death Valley in July at 80mph, could easily fail in a short period of time. Also not mentioned was the importance of proper inflation pressures - this has a huge effect on the tire's operating temperature at speed. European car mfr's specify to add 4-8psi (approx) for increased loads (luggage, etc) and/or for continuous high-speed driving (80-100mph or more). Under-inflated tires can cause excessive rubber temperatures, followed by tire failure. YMMV, etc, etc...
