I currently own a 2005 Prius, and am working on purchasing a second prius, a 2007. It has 25,000 miles on it, fully loaded and is in awesome condition. I did notice however when I was inspecting it yesterday that all 4 tires have very fine cracks going around the side walls on the outside. I know that this cars was traded into this dealership last fall and it has been sitting on the lot since then. I know that asphalt will leech the moisture from the tires and cause this sort of dry rot. The dealership says that almost all of their cars gets this way and something just isn't sitting well with me. Ive been googling around and while I can find a few sites, posts, comments saying as long as they are not deep it shouldn't be a problem, for the most part feedback has been negative/time to replace the tire. I asked the dealership to inspect the tires to ensure they are safe, but I thought I'd shoot out a quick post and solicite some feedback. This Prius was originally purchased 04/07, so in theory these are the original tires with 25k miles on them. Regardless of mileage can after almost 4 years the tires be unsafe? So, what do you all think?
IMO, if nothing else is wrong with the vehicle, purchase and just get new tires. The original tires suck anyway. You might try to get the dealer to cut the price by a couple hundred in compensation, but they probably won't go for it since Prius demand is likely going way up like it did in 2008. You'll find many different recommendations on tire lifetime, but most are ~6 years. Note that a MY2007 may have been manufactured in 2006, and who knows when the tires were manufactured, so the estimate of tire life being 4 years is a minimum value.
The condition you are describing is often referred to as weather checking or weather cracking. Very light cracking is usually considered a cosmetic nuisance and nothing more. Many manufacturers warrant their tires for a period of time against this condition so you could check with an appropriate dealer. I applaud you for looking carefully at the tires as this is an afterthought for many buyers. Good luck.
Thanks, I'm getting a good price on it, but after the initial bargain down the dealer won't budge, so I'm trying to work any angle I can. However, I do know demand is up for these. It's odd that this dealership (not a Toyota dealership) has held onto this since this past fall. Not only does is the mileage at 25K but it is loaded with GPS, backup camera, 6 disk changer, Sat radio. I'm pretty happy over all, but just really wanted to make sure the tires are safe. My only other concern is the 12V battery since they really only last 3 years. I doubt this one has a new one it it, and I'm sure it's still holding a charge, but it may only last another year. My 2005 Prius I bought Toyota Certified in Nov 2009 had to have the 12v replaced by Nov 2010.
Replace them all. Sounds like they've been on the car since new. I personally wouldn't risk using them. They've had little use and are now 6 years old. They're also your only contact with the ground.
I recall living in southern CA in the mid-70s when smog levels were quite high to the point where one's eyes would water when outdoors and it was normal to see tire sidewall cracking as you described, due to high ozone levels. Then I moved to the SF Bay Area in 1979 (Silicon Valley) and lived there for 21 years. No sidewall cracking. I then moved to OC in 2000 and lived there for 9 years without noticing sidewall cracking. I would suggest replacing the tires if you buy the car because 1) I don't like Goodyear Integrity tires, 2) with 25K miles the tires are probably 75% worn anyway so you are not giving up much useful life, and 3) the sidewall cracking doesn't give confidence that the tires will tolerate summer high temps and sustained high speed driving.
Very small surface cracks are not uncommon on tires. Check the history of the car (was it an Arizona/So Cal car?) and manufacturing dates on the tires (if the tires were switched for any reason, they may be older than the car). If they are only 4 years old and only have 25,000miles on them, they're good for another couple of years.
Tires have a "half life". A common guideline is to replace them every 5 years, regardless of mileage. Cracks develop in any tire after 3 to 4 years, and get more pronounced by 5.
One thing Toyota skimps on is tires. I had a 2007 Corolla With less than 33,000 miles on it. PLENTY of tread left. The sidewalls had the small cracks you described. Discount Tire recommended replacement. I declined. Two tires went flat within two weeks. Replace the tires. Mine let go at low speeds. No danger; no fender damage from a blowout. It might have been different if I was on the interstate @ 70mph+.
Tires are cheap. Stranding and possible road hazards are not. Replace them all. Also, get the Optima kit from eLearnaid and replace the 12V battery. You might not thank me if you do, but if you don't the OEM battery which has not been regularly run for six months very likely WILL cause you grief, and you'll then ask yourself "Why didn't I pay attention?" You say the basic car is a good deal -- together these two changes will run you about $400 and result in a much safer, more reliable Prius.
if you already beat them down on the price they probably wont go any lower because bad tires, normally a dealer will either throw on a new set, or drop the price by a few hundred to get a deal done, you could ask them what would be their best price to throw on a set if you paid for it after you buy the car?? they might just do it to get the car sold. tires for them are cheep and almost no time/labor to install. on the other hand you can buy a good set of tires from tire rack and get installed for around 400-500 bux total. tires ARE a wear item, i wouldnt let old tires kill a deal if car is in good shape and good price, the oem tires were crap anyway, many people changed them before tehy wore out due to crappiness. bigger question is why it has been sitting on the lot for so long? and you say its not a dealership??? run a carfax on it, or ask them for it and make sure its the correct VIN, you might want an independent mechanic to inspect, if it ever got hit/damaged. i agree that the tiny 12 V battery could easily die if not run regularly, dont be suprised if it does, but also not a dealbreaker, just replace it. you can also ask a local dealer to pull up the vin and see if it has a service history, if you tell them you are about to buy a car, and they will be your primary dealership for service, they can check if the recal has been done etc etc etc, you can ask if anything else major has been done, 5 front end alignments??? you might find out something that tells you past problems have occured.
FYI, info on decoding the date of manufacture of tires in this thread: http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-ii-...shooting/50992-aged-tires-driving-hazard.html
I would recommend against having them throw on any set of tires. You are more than likely going to get poorly rated cheap tires, like the OEMs. There is a pretty recent consumer reports recommendation/testing of tires. I used this information plus allot of input from individuals on this site to decide what tires to buy. My prius does not have VSC . And initially I regretted getting one without it, as my parents car has it and it is amazing. However, with the great tires (hankook 727) I have, the conditions I have seen VSC active in my parents car (didn't have great tires), are almost no existent. I still wish that I had VSC, but I am not going to sell this car any time soon (once I start getting a paycheck), like originally planned. I believe the tires are the most important part of you vehicle, really your life rides on them. Hope this helps!
If you just need new tires, Walmart sells Goodyear Viva Authority Fuel Max LRR tires for $85 each Walmart Goodyear Goodyear Viva Authority Fuel Max Tire P205/55R16 : Questions, Answers, How To, FAQs, Tips, Advice, Answers, Buying Guide But this is a good time to consider winter tires. Nokian Hakkapeliitta R
You live in New England and plan on driving on Goodyear Integrities?! You are aware a set of -good- all season tires such as Nokian WRGIIs cost $400? If these garbage tires fail you causing an accident the -minimum- cost will exceed $1000, and lives may be put at risk. Buy the car, replace the tires with real ones. It has rim protectors on it right now.
