Say no to part-worn

media@tyrequote.com — Thu, 03 May 2012 14:33:58 +0000

In this climate we are all trying to save a little extra cash here and there. Replacement tyres can be costly, especially depending on what suits your vehicle best. Safety is seems comes with a hefty price tag, so more and more drivers are opting to buy part worn tyres.

Four new tyres can cost anything up to £1,000, which is a hefty price tag for anyone. At estimated 4 million part-worn tyres are brought by motorists every year – and that’s a figure which is continuing to grow. On the surface it seems like motorists are getting a great deal and half the price. But the reality is much different.

Part-worn tyres are causing a stir in the black market, and despite being illegal, they aren’t selling in secret. For the general public, little is really known about tyre safety, and many consumers are sadly mistaken when purchasing replacement tyres.

Unlike the rest of Europe, the UK has strict rules on the conditions of sale of part-worn tyres. The Motor Vehicle Tyres (Safety) Regulations Act 1994 dictates the acceptable repair, tread depth and overall condition of rubber. Repaired or part-worn tyres should carry the name and registration number of the garage that did the work. Part-worns must also be ink stamped ‘part worn’ on the sidewall to show the tyre has been checked and meets all of these legal requirements.

However with many motorists failing to know what they should be looking for, many dealers can get away with selling illegal tyres with little repercussion. To the untrained tyres, many part-worns look as good as brand new. Most are sold with glossy rubber and the only difference superficially is the price between new and used. The problem is though, when you buy these tryes your buying the history of the tyre too. You are purchasing the bumps, accidents and scrapes the previous owner had got in.

Usually when buying part-worns the tyres are immediately fitted to the vehicle, so new owners won’t get chance to inspect the tyre, and sadly returning them is often not an option.

Taking a gamble on part-worn tyres may seem beneficial but as the costing table below shows…sometimes its better to just invest in new tyres rather than part-worns. The cost difference may be a little bigger, but it could also save your life.

Average part-worn vs new tyre costs

	Part-worn			New
Tyre size	Tread	Price	Cost per mm**	Price	Cost per mm**
165/70 R14	3.84mm	£20.00	£8.93	£30.60	£3.99
165/65 R14	5.17mm	£40.00	£11.20	£30.31	£4.12
175/65 R14	4.90mm	£24.67	£7.47	£30.22	£4.29
195/50 R15	5.17mm	£25.00	£7.00	£32.69	£4.72
175/65 R15	4.25mm	£22.50	£8.48	£37.37	£7.74
205/50 R16	3.95mm	£18.33	£7.81	£41.36	£4.78
205/55 R16	4.00mm	£43.10	£17.96	£37.72	£4.81
195/55 R15	5.42mm	£23.00	£6.02	£39.82	£4.99
185/60 R14	5.17mm	£14.75	£4.13	£31.96	£5.11
175/65 R16	4.50mm	£20.00	£6.90	£95.52	£5.84
155/70 R13	5.06mm	£9.14	£2.64	£26.36	£5.89
165/80 R13	5.00mm	£13.75	£4.04	£27.44	£6.22
165/65 R13	4.50mm	£10.99	£3.79	£25.54	£6.46
155/65 R14	4.84mm	£20.00	£6.17	£30.78	£14.93

*To legal limit. **To legal limit, based on tread depth of 8mm.

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Say no to part-worn