Mazda 3 - Indent going ALL THE WAY ROUND sidewall of tyre

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Thu 11 Jun 2020 18:06
Mazda 3 - Indent going ALL THE WAY ROUND sidewall of tyre - Khairul

Hi all,

So I bought a second-hand tyre yesterday but only now discovered the issue mentioned in the title. I've read that a small indent going radially in one part of the tyre is okay, but the intent in my tyre is a circle that goes round the whole sidewall.

Is this something I should be able to demand a free replacement for at the garage? Or can it be dismissed as a minor issue?

As I'm new to the forum I'm not sure if I can post links but here's a video I made that shows it better: photos.app.goo.gl/JuT5XvgKkYmngBET7

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Thu 11 Jun 2020 18:54
Mazda 3 - Indent going ALL THE WAY ROUND sidewall of tyre - elekie&a/c doctor
It’s a second hand tyre , you can’t expect it to be perfect . However, this line around the perimeter is an indication that the tyre has been driven deflated . Why don’t you buy new , tyres are not that expensive these days .
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Thu 11 Jun 2020 19:12
Mazda 3 - Indent going ALL THE WAY ROUND sidewall of tyre - bathtub tom

There's something going on there. The raised lettering seems to have been partly rubbed away. My FIL used to 'find' the kerb by rubbing his tyre along it. His F/N/S tyre had no visible lettering on it.

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Thu 11 Jun 2020 23:14
Mazda 3 - Indent going ALL THE WAY ROUND sidewall of tyre - Avant

That's fine to post thst sprt of link, Khairul.

But I think that tyre was a false economy. Your tyres are your only contact with the road and safety is too important to risk If you need to buy a used tyre you need to look very carefully for any signs that it's been badly used.

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Fri 12 Jun 2020 09:27
Mazda 3 - Indent going ALL THE WAY ROUND sidewall of tyre - thunderbird

If you bought them form a trade seller and they do not meet any of the following regs report the seller to Trading Standards.

Under The Motor Vehicle Tyres (Safety) Regulations 1994 (reg.7.) part of the Consumer Protection Act, it is an offence for anyone to sell part worn tyres that do not meet the following principal requirements:

The structural integrity must not be compromised. It should be free of large cuts, any bulges or lumps both internally and externally. No plies or cords should be exposed.

Tyres must have passed an inflation test prior to sale.

The original grooves must still be clearly visible in their entirety and must be to a depth of at least 2mm across the full breadth of the tread, around its entire circumference.

Part worn tyres which have not been retreaded must clearly show the relevant 'E' mark alongside which 'PART-WORN' must be permanently and legibly applied in letters at least 4mm high. These words cannot be hot branded or cut into the tyre.

Part-worn tyres that have been retreaded must have one of the following:

BS AU 144b, 144c, 144d, or 144e markings on the side wall (if first supplied as a retread on or before 31 December 2003 an ECE approval mark (if first supplied as a retread on or after 1 January 2004)

A permanent mark to identify the original model and manufacturer, the word 'RETREAD' moulded onto or into its sidewall (in upper case letters at least 4mm high) and further markings in accordance with ECE rules. You may need to seek further advice as to which rules apply

The indication 'PART WORN' must also appear next to the BS or ECE approval mark, or next to the word 'RETREAD'

For tyres marked BS AU 144e, a speed category symbol and load capacity marking should be present.

A tyre has to comply with all these requirements whether or not it is fitted to a rim.

This is an interesting read.

www.tyresafe.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/bad_ni...f

Edited by thunderbird on 12/06/2020 at 09:30

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Sat 13 Jun 2020 01:30
Mazda 3 - Indent going ALL THE WAY ROUND sidewall of tyre - edlithgow

Most of the comments you are getting are knee-jerk "Used tyres baaaad" jive.

Attempting to address your actual question, it doesnt look to me as if that mark would significantly compromise the strength of the tyre, though its difficult to tell exactly how deep it is from the video. If its less than a mm, excluding the lettering, which doesn't matter, and the rest of it checks out ok, I wouldn't worry about it. To me it looks like kerb contact wear, not damage from running flat, which would be cause for concern.

I'd ask myself. "If I did that to a tyre while parking, would I change it?" then I'd answer myself "Of course I bloodty wouldn't! Are you nuts?"

I might not have bought it like that, though, IF I'd noticed it, assuming you get a chance to look them over before ifitting.

IF it still really bothers you, though, take it back. From a bit of online research I did when I was shopping for used tyres here in Taiwan, the tyres cost them very little so they might be quite willing to keep you happy.

I would avoid getting confrontational and waving those (surely unrealistic in the "relevant 'E' mark alongside which 'PART-WORN' must be permanently and legibly applied in letters at least 4mm high"detail? Does anybody do that? How? ) regulations about, unless possibly as a very last resort.The seller will probably be aware of thier vulnerability to them,

Edited by edlithgow on 13/06/2020 at 02:02

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Mon 29 Jun 2020 13:49
Mazda 3 - Indent going ALL THE WAY ROUND sidewall of tyre - edlithgow

Done deal by now I would think, but it just occurred to me, so I'll just add, that if that mark was run-flat wear I would expect there to be a roughly corresponding mark on the inside tyre wall.

IF this is true, and assuming there isn't such a mark (I'd think the OP would have mentioned it) that seems to support curb-wear causation.

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Sun 5 Jul 2020 10:19
Mazda 3 - Indent going ALL THE WAY ROUND sidewall of tyre - Simon

A bit late to the party on this one but I'd go with that mark being caused by a broken coil spring rubbing against the (inner) sidewall on whatever it was fitted to before.

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