Tire Service Life
Tire Basics
Cooper recommends that all tires, including full-size spares, that are 10 or more years from their date of manufacture, be replaced with new tires.
Tire service life is not determined by chronological age. The useful life
of a tire is a function of service and storage conditions. For each individual
tire, this service life is determined by many elements such as temperature,
storage conditions, and conditions of use (e.g., load, speed, inflation
pressure, impacts and road hazard damage) to which a tire is subjected
throughout its life. Since service and storage conditions vary widely,
accurately predicting the service life of any specific tire based on calendar
age is not possible.
Under no circumstances should a "maximum" service life recommendation
for a tire be considered as an "expected" service life. Tires
must be removed from service for several reasons, including tread worn
down to minimum depth, signs of damage (cuts, cracks, bulges, impact damage,
vibration, etc.) or signs of abuse (underinflation, overloading, improper
repair, etc.).
In some cases a vehicle manufacturer may make a recommendation for tire
replacement earlier than 10 years for their products based upon their understanding
of the specific vehicle characteristics and application. If so, the consumer
should follow those vehicle manufacturer's specific recommendations for
their vehicle.
