Are Used Tires A Safety Hazard? Bridgestone Instructs Retail Stores To Stop Selling Them

Amid growing safety concerns, one of the largest tire manufacturers has decided to stop selling used tires at company-owned stores. Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire recently told its 2,200 retail stores to stop selling used tires, while the Rubber Manufacturers Association for the first time sent a service bulletin warning that "used passenger and light truck tires that have an uncertain or unknown history pose a potential risk." Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire LLC, the Nashville-based subsidiary of the Japanese tiremaker, said Friday its chief operating officer, Bill Perdew, had told its outlets to stop selling used tires immediately. According to Bridgestone, it was a small percentage of the company’s business. NHTSA has been conducting tests on new tires to determine their durability and may pursue a test this year to simulate aging. NHTSA rewrote its tire safety performance requirements in 2003, increasing the stringency of the existing high speed and endurance tests for tires. BMW AG, Ford Motor Co., DaimlerChrysler AG, Toyota Motor Corp. and Volkswagen AG have backed guidelines that tires should only be in service for six years.