I bought my first MX5 2 days ago. I read up as much as I could about things to check, being particularly careful to look for rust. When I went for the initial look/test drive I noticed that the tyres had small cracks in them. I asked the dealer and they said they were nothing to worry about, that the MOT the month before had not mentioned them, and that it would have a pre-sale inspection and if there was a problem they would be changed. I put a deposit down and a week later collected it.
Looking at the tyres now, it seems from the stamp they were made in 2013, and have quite a bit of cracking. The tread is fine around 4-5mm which is presumably the main reason a dealer would change them. I donât feel all that comfortable driving around on tyres that look like this that are 11 years old, but should the dealer bear any responsibility here? If they are technically legal and not flagged up in the MOT do I have any case that they tyres are not fit? Buying 4 new tyres days after shelling out for the car is not great!
If I have to get new ones, what tyres last well and donât crack like this for the MX5? Preferably not really expensive, but decent tyres. Thanks
If the car got by MOT then I doubt the dealer would give a hoot with the car already out the door. It is regrettable in the first instance that they would be happy with the age and condition of those tyres but they are likely delighted to have the stock moved before summer runs out.
I would chance it and see if they are willing to part fund a set of replacement tyres but either way, I would not be comfortable driving a sport car on such perished rubber.
Regardless of the brand you choose, at 11 years old, tyres - if not already worn out - will probably show signs of perishing. Ours did similarly to yours on our 5 year old cars with âpremiumâ tyres. Itâs doubtful the dealer will offer to replace them, they may have to clinch the deal but youâve bought it now. If theyâre honorable they may sort it or at least contribute to their replacement but it would be hard to argue itâs happened since you bought it after such a short time.
I mentioned it on the first visit so he canât say itâs happened since. It was a rare model and I had to travel a bit (including an expensive ferry) so didnât want to go back and forward for a 3rd time over that.
This Yokohama web site (no idea if itâs official) says: âYokohama recommends the replacement and disposal of all passenger and light truck tires whose D.O.T. production date is 10 or more years old, even if the tire appears to be undamaged and has not reached its tread wear limitsâ
It might be worth suggesting to the dealer who sold you the MX-5 that the tyres are outside of the manufacturerâs recommendations, and seeing whether they will at least partly recompense you for the cost of replacements?
I totally agree that these tyres should be replaced with new ones. Although this purchase may hit your pocket harder than you would like, tyres, like brake pads and other consumables, are not expensive in the large picture of car running costs and are a good investment in terms of safety.
What model of MX5 do you have and where do you live? Let us have a look at a photo of it: we are interested.
I am running Bridgestone Potenza S001 tyres on mine because they came with the car. They work fine for me, but when I need new ones I would go for Michelin Pilot Sport. Here in Austria I have to change tyres for the winter; but that is not necessary in the UK. If winter weather is going to be a problem for you, I advise all season tyres. Others here will no doubt give you good suggestions.
Well dodgy if that tyre in the first picture passed a pre delivery inspection let alone an MOT the previous month.
Matching set of the same brand?
I think itâs too late TBH theyâve had their money, youâll be lucky for any contribution for replacements but worth a try.
Is it a MK3 and 17" alloys, can recommend Kumho PS71, have had 3 sets over the my time with Mk3âs, probably around ÂŁ350 ish fitted if looking in all the right places, maybe a tad more??
If the car had been delivered to you unseen - you would have a very strong case for rejection or getting the defect fixed.
Unfortunately - the fact that you inspected the car - pointed out a defect - and then still continued with the transaction - probably removes any responsibility of the dealer to do anything about it.
My local mot station would deffo have failed the car on those tyres ( or as a minimum - noted an advisory )
Tyres perish also on the insides. You cannot gauge what is going on there clearly. In my opinion. your tyres are potential blow outs waiting for a motorway to do it. So here we have 4 little footprints of rubber well past their sell buy. In addition, they âcureâ over the yearsâŚthey go harderâŚand it may be their grip left the building along while back. Youd not sell them on on Fleabay Iâd wagerâŚand you really ought not to have closed the deal with him/her. Come back? To quote you quoting him/her " if there was a problem" Well there sure is. for you though. The thing needs fresh rubber all round. Iâd not even take it to Tesco like that. You could have a go at him and ask for a discount, but if heâs prepared to take chances with your lifeâŚhe wont be too fussed opening his wallet. If he is an MOT stationâŚwellâŚthey got roolz
Itâs a mk3.5 Powershift in stormy blue with hardtop, I donât have any photos yet itâs been raining. That model is quite rare here and itâs been great to drive so far. It was between this and a BMW Z4, and after test driving both I much prefered the MX5, even though the Z4 is way faster on paper.
Iâd check where the mot was done. You can look it up at https://www.check-mot.service.gov.uk/ as you have the vin number, you can see where it was motâd. it could well be that they did the mot themselves.
No matter how rare the model I would not touch any vehicle with those tyres on, nor deal with anyone who thought they were okay because they passed an MOT. Those tyres are on a performance car for heavens sake and they are unlikely to be upto the performance of the rest of the car particlarly in the rain.
Sadly your only hope is the âso called dealerâ will make a contribution in light of Philips post re Yokohama recommending tyres be scrapped at 10 y.o. My recomendation particularly for a performance car would be Goodyear Assymetrics or Michelin PS regardless of cost.
If I were considering the purchase of a car with tyres in that condition, I would
a) check to see whether other important maintenance had been neglected, and
b) insist on a discount.
But this has to happen before money changes hands, unless you are able to shop the company for selling potentially lethal goods, and I would factor in the cost of a new set of tyres in deciding whether I was getting value for my money. At the very least I would take this car for an MOT re-test. (While many tend to think that the MOT is an unreasonable obstacle to enjoying life, most aspects of it are designed to ensure safety on the roads!)
The bottom line is that, while they may be acceptable for pootering around town, the tyres in the picture are the kiss of death for motorway driving at 70-80 mph, and I would not risk my life and that of others by driving on them at such speeds.
From the consumer rights point of view, the seller will probably say that you inspected the vehicle and accepted the condition of the tyres at the time of sale. Personally, I wouldnât have done. Iâve walked away from a sale of a BMW Z4 coupe that was on sale (for above book price) I desperately would have liked after a main dealer refused to accept that rear tyres with less than 2.5 mm of tread left needed changing, especially on a high performance touring car and so did brake discs with a deep wear step at the outer edges. This is why itâs a good idea to have a car inspected by either the AA, the RAC or whatever if youâre unsure.
Do you have anything to lose by engaging with the dealer who sold you the car, and explaining that on getting home and checking the tyres more closely, youâd realised they actually all need replacing? You could explain that youâd taken his/her comments about âWeâll sort them if they need fixingâ at face value. Maybe say that perhaps the dealer hadnât realised themselves how bad they are, and invite them to take a look at the enclosed photos? Then ask if theyâd like to cover the cost of four new tyres?
They may well engage, and at least offer you a contribution towards the cost. If they donât, Iâd mention Trading Standards to them. But always best to try playing nicely first!
These below, the online company I link to is just for reference. Iâve used them for a price comparison when shopping for tyres for my daily driver.
Probably donât expect a local garage to compete on price fitted, my local place offered a price fitted which was great and also got the tyres (not from there) the next day for fitting.
