Tires: 2002 Toyota Camry, allen tire co, toyota camry

Question
Hello, I purchased a 2002 Toyota Camry from my mother in law in July, 2012 with only 10,500 miles on it.  It's a true blue grandma car :)  She has dementia and it sat in the garage for three years.  Allen Tire Co. out here in CA says the tire has expired the manufactures date.  Is this true?  They agreed  it shows no sign of cracking but the tire does read 2001.  What do you think?

Thank you very much!
cheryl

Answer
Cheryl,

Most tire manufacturers have issued bulletins stating that tires ought to be taken out of service when the tires are 10 years old.  That's because the rubber deteriorates over time - even though the wear might be minimal.  This is to prevent a tire failure due to structural deterioration.

Many point to cracks as an indicator of the state of deterioration, but that is only a way to tell if the tire is bad.  It is not reliable to tell if the tire is good.  Tires can be bad without showing signs of cracking.

So, yes, those tires need to be changed.