Tire Sidewall Cracking - cause for concern?

[The Critic]

These are Continental PureContact LS tires on our 2007 Honda Accord.

The tires were manufactured in mid 2019 and have been in-service since Dec 2019. Current mileage is 32K. Up until 6 months ago, this car lived inside of a garage.

There is no cracking on the tread blocks or anywhere near the tread itself. However, these cracks have just shown up on 2 of the tires.

Do these tires warrant immediate replacement or can they remain in service?

 

[Rand]

IMO that is not great but still cosmetic at this point.
but maybe @CapriRacer could lend us his opinion.

 

[dishdude]

I'd be keeping an eye out for the next Discount Tire sale. Not terrible, but clearly time to start shopping for new rubber.

 

[slacktide_bitog]

It might be, in hot and dry California

 

[CapriRacer]

These are Continental PureContact LS tires on our 2007 Honda Accord.

The tires were manufactured in mid 2019 and have been in-service since Dec 2019. Current mileage is 32K. Up until 6 months ago, this car lived inside of a garage.

There is no cracking on the tread blocks or anywhere near the tread itself. However, these cracks have just shown up on 2 of the tires.

View attachment 317525
View attachment 317526

Do these tires warrant immediate replacement or can they remain in service?

Notice that all the cracks are kind of a curvy diagonal - nothing radial, nothing circumferential. I think that means these are fatigue cracks.

But since the sidewall rubber isn't structural and its only job is to protect the fabric underneath, I don't think this is a problem. However, they should be monitored - about once a week or once a month. If any bulges form, get rid of them. But I don't think that is going to happen.

 

[supton]

If it was me, I'd be done with these. If nothing else, getting old and I could "justify" age & now this as reasons to move on.

 

[SugarMouth]

I would replace. I've experienced two blowouts in one day from dry rotted tires in the past.

 

[Speedbird001]

That stinks. +1 for replace in the very near future (High speed or emergency maneuver blow-out risk)

@The Critic Curious:
- What has been your tire care routine? Car wash or dish detergent? Do you use tire-foam or equivient? (Me, I use that Maguires heavy gel stuff, It's messy, but lasts a long time and I think keeps tire rubber "Moist")

 

[ka9mnx]

Dry rot. Just keep an eye on them.

 

[t1snwrbrdr12]

Continental’s email customer service has been very helpful for me in the past, although with a problem like this they will likely just tell you to go to an authorized Continental shop and get their opinion in person.

 

[The Critic]

@The Critic Curious:
- What has been your tire care routine? Car wash or dish detergent? Do you use tire-foam or equivient? (Me, I use that Maguires heavy gel stuff, It's messy, but lasts a long time and I think keeps tire rubber "Moist")

I rarely clean the tires, but when I do, I use Brown Royal.

 

[Panda87]

I rarely clean the tires, but when I do, I use Brown Royal.

Believe it or not, road grit can get into the rubber, along with brake dust, and abrade the rubber in the sidewall area. It’s a good idea to clean your tires semi regularly. I wouldn’t go overboard with it, but once a quarter would suffice. If you live in an area they use salt or de-icing agents, that can have an effect as well. Your tires “look” like they may have been run at low pressure and fatigued the sidewall. Not saying you have, but that sort of wear happens in that condition too.

 

[The Critic]

Believe it or not, road grit can get into the rubber, along with brake dust, and abrade the rubber in the sidewall area. It’s a good idea to clean your tires semi regularly. I wouldn’t go overboard with it, but once a quarter would suffice. If you live in an area they use salt or de-icing agents, that can have an effect as well. Your tires “look” like they may have been run at low pressure and fatigued the sidewall. Not saying you have, but that sort of wear happens in that condition too.

I keep them at 3 psi over Honda’s spec.

 

[Panda87]

I keep them at 3 psi over Honda’s spec.

Could just be the rubber mix then. I had some Michelins on my Ram back in 2014 that did the same thing, though it came out in little flecks/spots, rather than show as cracks.

 

[iCurious]

The Michelin Primacy cracks are much worse than this and they are still fine. One of the flaws when you don't drive much.

 

[Donald]

So figure you have gotten 3/4 of the life from these tires. And for easy math a new set of tires is $800. So the current value of all your old tires is $200.

So getting new tires will be throwing away $200 worth of tires that are starting to crack.

It would be worth it in my book. Blowouts are never fun.

 

[meep]

6 years is a good run.

Rule of thumb when I lived in a climate with both hot summers and cold winters was to replace at 5 years regardless of mileage. Anything over that was blowout territory. I learned this after moving there and a few years later having a blowout with a 7 YO tire. I’m good for replacing tires at 5.

 

[PandaBear]

I had that kind of cracks on my Dunlop SP A2 back in my days working near Livermore. I think the bright sun in the summer cracked them all (all 4) of them early and they had like 3 out of 4 tires blew out on the highway without hitting a nail. I think you should start looking for replacement soon, just IMO only but I hope I am wrong.

I am not sure whether it is some formulation is more prone to UV or cracking but better the environment didn't help.

 

[z71bill]

https://www.amazon.com/Dressing-Protectant-Attracting-Conditioner-Automotive/dp/B01M0OAHAH/ref=sr_1_3?crid=3RROS1XKHS41X&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.sLcM2Jv4gcY47zk3dcWdSzq6wHfrOX8seV2Q3HmfsCsyo3QoAiO1GEKWRK0ae3JqKy_ECNSYVt6iC4KVuP-l-sHXi3dTAC8G-n4qSTihSppolnSmXcay17GLvlRXkdg9zgSn70tXe8qa1lpqV9a8cd1aBeTuTCg-QdjgVc1wpQ-Yq1UnqwDA9RvzjSP0M5oRC5hDUHm7KYLMPSvsxblQ57RbmNWPhjJC4_0ozPltOOgDtaqQ7RHxLKOpGQrVJXCPWvAuQEBG7WWlr606nAnTImDS_A9GZYy-17jtZ6GICTo.2RW3E-GMZiqN0i7I-l5hFkfftXgZvXI40mtnbE-6mqU&dib_tag=se&keywords=aero+tires&qid=1768248480&sprefix=aero+tire,aps,161&sr=8-3&th=1

This stuff works to prevent cracking - a gallon lasts me a couple years and that covers 3 vehicles.

Not exactly cheap, but neither are new tires and mine always age out VS wear out. Plus it makes them look clean but not shinny.