So I'm doing some winter tire shopping and I've come across some good deals on tires (like 50% off) that are new, but a few years old, like 2008 or 2005. Would these tires be fine or do they "expire" after a while? Or are they not as advanced and newer production of the same model?

 

Tire rubber will definitely degrade and dry out over time. I doubt you'll find any hard numbers on how quickly individual tires degrade on the shelf, but I would avoid anything more than 2-3 years old for your winter tires. If drive infrequently and plan on your tires lasting several seasons, then I would definitely suggest buying new tires to stay ahead of the rubber breakdown.

For high performance summer tires, I would avoid anything more than 1 year old.

 

If they are just daily driver tires , you can buy them a few years old. The old rubber will start to get little cracks in the rubber. If it is so don't even bother.
I would only buy if it was a smokin deal that I was going to use purely for commuting.

 

2008 would be ok and good for another 1-2 years, 2005 is pushing it though. It really depends how they were stored.

 

I just had this conversation with a tire shop regarding my truck. My truck tires have plenty of tread left and they have been on my truck for 6 years.

The shop told me if you have tires on a vehicle for 10 year, replace them even if they are not worn out yet. For my case, my truck tires are still good and no need to replace.

As for buying new tires, this shop will scrap new tires if they sit around for 5 years. They are still good tires, but they won't sell them.

 

depending oh how they are stored, usually in door and away from the sun.
UV lights kill rubber by degradeing and drying out the oil in the rubber.

 

UV and Ozone hurts rubber.

Tire companies do not put a date on tire storage life. Some states/feds do. If stored right, 2005 or 2008 should be fine. Look for cracking in the rubber and color changes.

 

Tire Aging – Part #1

Tire Aging – Part #2

 

2008 is okay, but 2005 is definitely too old for tires you'd daily drive. You want the tires to look nice and black, if they're grey and have cracks in them, they're no good. Typically used tires should go for $20-50 each.