Car tyre limits

74jax

Just a general question without getting into tooooooo much detail.


I had my car in for an MOT at the dealer where I bought it, it failed on a tyre - the garage said it was 1mm and that they couldn't allow me to drive my car away without it being changed.


I called where I normally get my tyres from and they checked my records and gave me my measurements for my tyres from 3 weeks earlier and said they didn't think I could have worn them down in that time.


Various calls back and forth to dealer (they even sent me photos of where they were checking the tyre), my husband said they were measuring in the wrong place etc, they said they weren't... anyway to cut a long story short I needed my car back as my dad had just died so had to get the tyre changed and they gave me the tyre back as I wanted to get a second opinion.


I took this back to my usual tyre place who had several people look at it and said the tyre was 4mm, and legal. They advised to call VOSA.


I called VOSA today who were pretty unhelpful and said would I seriously drive with a tyre that low anyway and I was putting the safety of my family at risk. I asked if I could put the old tyre back on if it was in legal limit by another garage and he said only if I didn't consider the safety of my family as a priority.


My question is - do people replace tyres before they WANT too - ie when it's around 4mm or wait until you HAVE too. I tried to explain to VOSA that I would have liked to have kept the tyre on if I could and changed it in my own time, but I'm wondering if in the minority....

ETA - I've just bolded the question as that's all I was really interested in, thought I'd give some background though hence why I wrote more. I don't want to delete as it won't make much sense without it now...

BeenThroughItAll

I replace tyres when they reach between 2 and 3mm remaining. The stopping distance difference (particularly in the wet) between 3mm and 1.6mm is quite significant.

I don't believe for one minute DVSA said anything like you claim, though.

Joe_Horner

So, the long-predicted creep is happening. Legal limit of 1.6mm. But the industry convinces everyone they should change them at 3mm or risk being a kitty killer. But 4mm is almost at the 3mm recommendation so you're "risking your family" if you let them go past that.

4mm is practically half of most new tyres' tread depth, and a third of the wear between new and illegal. VOSA should be hauling the tester over the coals for:

(A) incorrect failure to create sales, and

(B) lying about being able to prevent you from taking the car. Even if the tyre wss down to the cords tjey have ABSOLUTELY NO POWER to stop you driving away.

Phone VOSA back and hope to get someone who knows the rules.


Eta: obviously, the above advice is based on taking your post at face value

bigjl

Not even the Emergency services change at 3mm.

LAS used to be 2mm.

But a colleague had to have a shouting match to get his fronts changed that had gone bald on the inside edge. It was on the old Astra that sat quite low, I pointed it out to him as he had parked on full left lock.

Not sure what legal power the MOT place where using in refusing the car to be removed from the premises.

If the car was clearly unfit to be on the road they should have stopped the test.

I would keep the offending tyre in the shed as evidence if Vosa required it.

The word of your garage several weeks earlier is unlikely to be much use.

But the tyre itself is irrefutable.

Even if they tyre was bald all you had to do is fit the spare or the temp space saver.

Or take the offending wheel to a local tyre shop on its own.

I change as the tyre approach the wear indicators.

Early if the tyre has uneven wear on the inside or outside. I like having at least 1.6mm of tread over the entire surface, not just visible tread and the centre section having 1.6mm.

74jax

BeenThroughItAll wrote: »

I replace tyres when they reach between 2 and 3mm remaining. The stopping distance difference (particularly in the wet) between 3mm and 1.6mm is quite significant.

I don't believe for one minute DVSA said anything like you claim, though.

It wasn't DVSA, it was VOSA? He was ok with me, to a degree, but I think he thought I wanted to put in a complaint, which I didn't I just wanted to know if one garage said it was illegal and another said it was ok, can I put the tyre back on (I'd already found out I couldn't complain as too much time had passed. He got a bit 'worked up' over my time frame and was I making it up, as it happened in November which I appreciate is a while ago, but I explained my Dad died and I waited for the funeral etc to which he said 'that wasn't his concern' which I guess it isn't.


He did say that I shouldn't worry over the 'mm' as the cost of the tyre would be minimal as a little corsa tyre is only £30 (I don't have a corsa though, so I don't really know what he meant about that part) and that the money saved in the 2 months wear isn't worth the worry of putting it on and driving my family around.


I totally get where he was coming from, which is why I thought I'd ask if it's what other people do - I do tend to hand on in there and get every last turn of the wheel out of my tyres, I was wondering if I am in the minority.


It was funny as my colleague was sitting next to me and could hear it and tried to mouth to me to ask if it would be any different if it was a more expensive tyre, (as he mentioned why worry if the tyre is £30 it would be less to worry about by leaving the new one on) and she tried to do some kind of hand signal to a tyre brand to ask him about, but I was clueless and thought she was going mad..... I got a bit lost with what he was saying about corsa's then I don't have one and never said I did....

74jax

Joe_Horner wrote: »

So, the long-predicted creep is happening. Legal limit of 1.6mm. But the industry convinces everyone they should change them at 3mm or risk being a kitty killer. But 4mm is almost at the 3mm recommendation so you're "risking your family" if you let them go past that.

4mm is practically half of most new tyres' tread depth, and a third of the wear between new and illegal. VOSA should be hauling the tester over the coals for:

(A) incorrect failure to create sales, and strangely though they charged less than what I usual pay at my usual tyre place, they asked for the cost and took 10% off

(B) lying about being able to prevent you from taking the car. Even if the tyre wss down to the cords tjey have ABSOLUTELY NO POWER to stop you driving away.

Phone VOSA back and hope to get someone who knows the rules.


Eta: obviously, the above advice is based on taking your post at face value

Totally appreciate what you say, I have the photos still of the dealer and where they measured and my tyre garage have said they will write me a report, but it doesn't really matter anymore as VOSA said too much time has passed - which I totally appreciate is correct.


I will keep the tyre and used when a tyre on my car needs changing, I was just wondering if anyone else 'runs their tyre down' like I do.


he did tell me that government vehicles change at 4.5mm - but I didn't ask what a government vehicle was as I didn't' think I needed to know.

BeenThroughItAll

74jax wrote: »

It wasn't DVSA, it was VOSA? He was ok with me, to a degree, but I think he thought I wanted to put in a complaint, which I didn't I just wanted to know if one garage said it was illegal and another said it was ok, can I put the tyre back on (I'd already found out I couldn't complain as too much time had passed. He got a bit 'worked up' over my time frame and was I making it up, as it happened in November which I appreciate is a while ago, but I explained my Dad died and I waited for the funeral etc to which he said 'that wasn't his concern' which I guess it isn't.


He did say that I shouldn't worry over the 'mm' as the cost of the tyre would be minimal as a little corsa tyre is only £30 (I don't have a corsa though, so I don't really know what he meant about that part) and that the money saved in the 2 months wear isn't worth the worry of putting it on and driving my family around.


I totally get where he was coming from, which is why I thought I'd ask if it's what other people do - I do tend to hand on in there and get every last turn of the wheel out of my tyres, I was wondering if I am in the minority.


It was funny as my colleague was sitting next to me and could hear it and tried to mouth to me to ask if it would be any different if it was a more expensive tyre, (as he mentioned why worry if the tyre is £30 it would be less to worry about by leaving the new one on) and she tried to do some kind of hand signal to a tyre brand to ask him about, but I was clueless and thought she was going mad..... I got a bit lost with what he was saying about corsa's then I don't have one and never said I did....

VOSA do not exist any more.

So, he didn't say anything emotive like 'your children and kittens will DIE if you put that tyre on again', as previously suggested?

PCMcGarry

bigjl wrote: »

Not even the Emergency services change at 3mm.

LAS used to be 2mm.

But a colleague had to have a shouting match to get his fronts changed that had gone bald on the inside edge. It was on the old Astra that sat quite low, I pointed it out to him as he had parked on full left lock.

Not sure what legal power the MOT place where using in refusing the car to be removed from the premises.

If the car was clearly unfit to be on the road they should have stopped the test.

I would keep the offending tyre in the shed as evidence if Vosa required it.

The word of your garage several weeks earlier is unlikely to be much use.

But the tyre itself is irrefutable.

Even if they tyre was bald all you had to do is fit the spare or the temp space saver.

Or take the offending wheel to a local tyre shop on its own.

I change as the tyre approach the wear indicators.

Early if the tyre has uneven wear on the inside or outside. I like having at least 1.6mm of tread over the entire surface, not just visible tread and the centre section having 1.6mm.

Some do, so don't assume the LAS sets the standards.
I'm surprised you don't know the garage has got no power to stop the owner removing their own car. Providing there's no money owed.

74jax

bigjl wrote: »

Not even the Emergency services change at 3mm.

LAS used to be 2mm.

But a colleague had to have a shouting match to get his fronts changed that had gone bald on the inside edge. It was on the old Astra that sat quite low, I pointed it out to him as he had parked on full left lock.

Not sure what legal power the MOT place where using in refusing the car to be removed from the premises. This is what VOSA said to me, he said they had no right to keep the vehicle (or say they wouldn't let me collect it). I didn't know that and as I had just had bad news, did whatever I could to get my car back - making sure I kept the tyre. It is good to know this though, it is something that i'll be able to use in future.

If the car was clearly unfit to be on the road they should have stopped the test.

I would keep the offending tyre in the shed as evidence if Vosa required it. I have it but VOSA sais too much time has passed and they can't prove that was the tyre now (I have photos but see what he is saying), it's more that I can get more use out of it that I wanted to know about.

The word of your garage several weeks earlier is unlikely to be much use.

But the tyre itself is irrefutable.

Even if they tyre was bald all you had to do is fit the spare or the temp space saver. At the time, my mind was a blank, I should have done this but honestly didn't think.

Or take the offending wheel to a local tyre shop on its own.

I change as the tyre approach the wear indicators.

Early if the tyre has uneven wear on the inside or outside. I like having at least 1.6mm of tread over the entire surface, not just visible tread and the centre section having 1.6mm.

Thanks for your comments and handy to know what level you wear it down to also. Thanks.

BeenThroughItAll

PCMcGarry wrote: »

Some do, so don't assume the LAS sets the standards.
I'm surprised you don't know the garage has got no power to stop the owner removing their own car. Providing there's no money owed.

Very true. I used to be able to procure very good part-worn tyres in the right size for my van from a local place that had the contract for fitting replacements to the ambulances. Then I moved 100 miles away, sadly.

BeenThroughItAll

74jax wrote: »

Thanks for your comments and handy to know what level you wear it down to also. Thanks.

Sorry, but per my post above, VOSA did not tell you anything.