Steering You Right with Sharon Peters: Tire Age
Q: I need to buy tires and in one of your columns a while back you said not to buy tires that were made more than two years ago. You wrote you can find out in the tire store when the tires were made – by locating the four-digit number that would signify the week and the year the tire was manufactured. I do not understand. Was that a misprint? Should that have been month and year? And where is this number located?
A: The number is located on the sidewall of the tire.
You'll see “DOT” and then some numbers, and then a space and finally, at the end of the line, four numbers. Those final four numbers will indicate the week and year the tire was manufactured.
So, for example, say those four numbers are 0216. The 02 would indicate that the tire was made during the second week of a particular year; the 16 would be 2016.
The reason you want to buy the freshest tire you can (and certainly one not more than two years old) is that tires degrade over time, even if they’re just lolling about on the racks waiting to get purchased.
Q: I am a senior and driving a 15-year-old Honda Accord. As both the car and I are getting older – especially me – I’d really like to have a car with rear-view monitor. I have my sights set on a 2017 Honda CR-V but am wary about the vibration problem reported by many people. Has Honda fixed this issue?
A: It appears so. Honda built the 2017 on a different chassis and it has a new engine. And the complaints, which were widespread in 2015 and 2016, seem to have all but dried up.
If you go to the Honda forum, where owners post questions and complaints, and, in a sense, seek support (or at least advice) from one another, most 2017 CR-V owners say there’s no problem any more with vibration. But a couple of owners did report vibration issues.
Readers: if you have experience with this specific vehicle, will you please email me and I’ll pass the information along? Thanks!
What’s your question? Sharon Peters would like to hear about what’s on your mind when it comes to caring for, driving and repairing your vehicle. Email Sharon@ctwfeatures.com.
Copyright © CTW Features