Tire change interval

[bokmeipai]

I purchased my 4 runner used it is a 2006 sr5 with 21k miles with the original tires on it. They still have a lot of thread but I noticed on outer side of tire I noticed many small cracks by the outer thread, is this safe ? should I get new tires? The previous driver rarely drove vehicle , it was parked in an indoor garage most of the time. should I be concerned that the tires are 5 yrs. old?

 

[4RunnerFan]

There are probably a couple of tire experts on the forum who know more about this than me, but sure sounds like dry rot to me. Yes, tires go bad with age.

 

[Gatafly]

I take it the cracks are in the sidewall? If so I would start looking into tires. Honestly this should not happen this soon. I could see it in 10 years, but not this soon. My tires are original and six years old and look perfect except mileage wear.

 

[bokmeipai]

I take it the cracks are in the sidewall? If so I would start looking into tires. Honestly this should not happen this soon. I could see it in 10 years, but not this soon. My tires are original and six years old and look perfect except mileage wear.

no the cracks are on the outer thread blocks. No cracks visible on sidewall

 

[JB.]

The previous driver rarely drove vehicle , it was parked in an indoor garage most of the time. should I be concerned that the tires are 5 yrs. old?

Not overly concerned, but an uncertain history always makes the determination harder. In some ways, tires that get very little use can age faster, though it helps that they were out of the sun. If you live where it gets hot, that accelerates aging, too, and you might want to consider new tires in the next year or two. Not a bad idea to get them looked at but if you happen to get told they need immediate replacement, get at least one more opinion. You could also check the date code, on the outside chance they're not the original tires. Look for DOT followed by 10-12 letters/numbers. Note the last 4 numbers, particularly the last two which indicate the year. If you don't find it, check the other side of the tire.

 

[bokmeipai]

Not overly concerned, but an uncertain history always makes the determination harder. In some ways, tires that get very little use can age faster, though it helps that they were out of the sun. If you live where it gets hot, that accelerates aging, too, and you might want to consider new tires in the next year or two. Not a bad idea to get them looked at but if you happen to get told they need immediate replacement, get at least one more opinion. You could also check the date code, on the outside chance they're not the original tires. Look for DOT followed by 10-12 letters/numbers. Note the last 4 numbers, particularly the last two which indicate the year. If you don't find it, check the other side of the tire.

should I also change out the spare tire ?

 

[JB.]

should I also change out the spare tire ?

If you're inclined to spend the money, that's the best route, but if you won't be including the new spare in the rotation (including makes it harder) you could leave the old one as long as you're willing to take it easy if you put it into use and remember that it's just there to get you to a repair shop.

 

[rockwall]

It does sound like dry rot. When I bought my 2003 with 32,000 miles, I had this. Take your truck to a good tire shop and get their opinion. When you do get new rubber you will notice an immediate improvement in handling.