Whitewalls? That tire is so last century! By the time a tire is this old, you're just begging for trouble. Probably too old to qualify for recall, but here's the list of Firestone recalls for your amusement:

FIRESTONE TIRE RECALL NOTICES - LATEST RECALLS FOR FIRESTONE TIRES - ARFC

They are 7 years old. They should have already been replaced. It is recommended people replace tires at 6 years of age no matter the tread condition.

Tires Expire in Six Years - Tire Safety Group

Here are some more:

Firestone Tire Recall Information | Firestone Tires

Yeah I know....just sadly some of us just don't have the money for new tires every three years....I've ran tires in the past for long periods but never knew there was a self destruct date....I'm already on the corner with my tin can fighting for tire change :bigcry:

I typed in the DOT numbers from the Dunlops on my Triumph. Turns out they were made in France in 2007. I'm more concerned about the "Made in France" part than the fact that they're pushing eight years old. Depending on the weather I should have them worn out somewhere between Christmas and St. Patrick's Day.

I have noticed the fronts with odd wear pattern also. It's like the weight in the rear completely throws off the front.

That website is clearly an advocacy group (or person I might add), and they bend facts to support their mission. He states "A large body of scientific evidence supports that most tires should be replaced six years from the date they are manufactured" but no such body of evidence exists. The reference he gives for that statement doesn't even support his statement. The ref he provides is:

U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, DOT HS 810 799, Research Report to Congress on Tire Aging, August 2007.

If you take the time to read that report, you will find the following statement in the conclusions "[NHTSA] must take additional steps before it can have a sufficient understanding of the aging phenomenon to support any possible safety standard or consumer recommendations on the issue."

And in case anyone cares, that same report shows that Continental and Michelin both support a 10 year maximum lifespan of their tires. The claim of a 6 year lifespan for all tires is simply false and that website is intentionally misleading.

This is a confusing statement. John Dunlop invented the pneumatic tire, so Dunlop has been at it for a few years. And some of the best tires are made in France (e.g., Michelin). Perhaps your comment was a joke that I misunderstood.

Keep an eye on the Discoun Tire Direct site. About 1 week BEFORE (day of, weekend of is too late) each major holiday (4th of july, labor day, thanksgiving etc) they have a sale. I picked up a set of 195/65R15 Cooper CS3 tyres (made in Merica) for $169 shipped to my door. The tires were $120 off the regular price. DIY mount and balance cost me another $50 in equipment and consumables and I ended up swapping about a dozen tires on several of our cars (long story). I mounted 2 of the old tires (5 years old) on the MB and Volvo full size spare rims because the old spares were 15 and 20 years old. Most people neglect the spare tire until they need it.

The real question is, what tire pressures were you running with on that tire??? :rolleyes::w00t:

I imagine the tire was low and not noticed. the suspension on these mb are so good that you can have a tire that is pretty well flat and you might not notice it.

I drove from Lafayette to Indy one time in my 72 220D with a very low Michelin and did not realize it until it blew out. The car was swaying around a bit and I thought it was windy outside. Eventually the poor tire came apart but it had taken a lot of abuse before it did.

An older tire would not last so long probably.

2008 or 1998? Is there a triangle next to the date code? The date code is usually on the inside-facing sidewall.

6 years for new tires? Most tires are worn out by then, if not then it is likely that the car is garaged and not driven as much, not exposed to the sun as much.

An ambiguous number like that is great for tire companies, but completely useless and misleading IMO.

If you live in the sun-deprived West Michigan for example, and garage your car, and cover it outside at times, and drive it summers only (or have summer/winter tires), your tires can easily last 10years or more. Once your tires begin to start hardening and cracking you're finished no matter how new/old they are. I've had 10-year-old Michelins that were in great shape, I also bought a vehicle from Texas with 18-month old (by date code) Yokohamas that were already badly cracked.

What we need more than a one-size-fits-all expiration date on tires is intelligent inspection of tires, many cars here in the US would never be allowed on the road / would never pass the T.U.V. inspection in Germany, they actually inspect the car for safety, ... what a concept.

With my driving amounts... tires barely last 3 years. I usually wear out the fronts first. I try to always incorporate the spare into my tire replacement scheme... my MB's have 5 new tires, and since I'm swapping out the fronts, I'll put the spare on one side and one of the new in the spare spot...

Checked the night before and they were all at 30PSI..not cold....I can go check the other ones to confirm....I am ready to be stoned now :D

Reading comments about the tires, these ones were also made in the same plant that produced the ones that made all those SUV's flip....Lots of comments about tread separation on this model.....I won't be running any more firestone tires....Once I get new tires, I will slash the sidewalls so no one attempts to resell them and kill a family....