Part Worn vs New Tyres

Part Worn vs New Tyres

Sometimes buying part worn tyres seems like a cheap alternative, however they're actually more like an accident waiting to happen.

Your tyres are essential for keeping both you and fellow motorists safe and they are the only part of your car in contact with the road, so their condition is extremely important.

The Truth About Part Worn Tyres

Part worn tyre sales are legal in the UK, however there has been legislation put in place to ensure they meet several criteria. Nevertheless, there is still a large number of part worn tyres sold illegally causing risks to the safety of motorists.

To give you a bit more insight into trading standards expectations of part warn tyres, they must:

1. Be clearly marked 'PART WORN' in upper case and at the letters must be 4mm high
2. They must not have a cut over 25mm
3. Not have any lumps, bulges or tears either internally or externally
4. Have an EC approval mark and a speed & load capacity index
5. There must not be any ply or cord exposed
6. There should not be any unrepaired penetration damage
7. The original tread pattern of the tyre must be at least 2mm deep

As well as that, here's some more facts about part worn tyres

Did you know?

1. In the event of an accident, your insurance company may not cover you if it is fitted with part worn tyres?
2. Tyres often wear out their tread more quickly once they are half worn
3. Many part worn tyres are sold illegally as they do not conform to the relevant testing, inspection and marking laws
4. The UK limit for tyre treads in 1.6mm and part worn tyres often have 4mm or less, meaning they have essentially utilised 62% of their legal tyre life

Why We Don't Sell Part Worn Tyres

The reality that a tyre which has been damaged and repaired can then be sold on should cause concern. The tests carried out to check if they these tyres meet the above regulations can not take into consideration any unseen damage which may have happened. 

It is hard to know the entire history of a part worn tyre as it's difficult to tell how many times it's hit a kerb or run with the wrong tyre pressure.

Any used product in reality will cost less than the same product brand new but does that mean that the product is good value for money?

In our opinion no, certainly not for part worn tyres. Instead of thinking about the cost of the purchase consider the cost per mm when purchasing a tyre. Part worn tyres usually sell with around 4mm of tread depth or less compared to the average of 8mm tread depth on a new tyre.

With tyre prices as low as £19.99 at Charles Hurst Fast Fit and a price promise on all our tyres, why would you consider purchasing part worn?