Overview
- Freedom of Information data shows 3.1 million individual tyre faults caused MOT failures between July 2023 and July 2024 in the UK.
- Scrap Car Comparison is advising immediate at-home checks of the DOT code, whose last four digits reveal the week and year of manufacture.
- October YouGov polling found 60% of drivers only replace tyres when absolutely necessary, suggesting many may be driving on ageing rubber.
- MOT testers inspect for age-related cracking and degradation in sidewalls and tread, issuing advisories or failures depending on severity.
- Guidance recommends specialist inspections once tyres are over five years old and replacement at ten regardless of tread, with inactivity, heat and UV accelerating perishing.