Don’t crack up. Tyres don’t age as well as you do!

Just because your car has a valid MOT doesn’t mean your tyres are at the top of their game, according to Envoy ambassador Paul Cowland.

It’s 2026. Another new year, which means that you’re another year older, your car is another year older, and your tyres have taken another trip around the sun. As far as you’re concerned, this is all good news. I’m quite sure that you’re ageing like a fine wine, and any lines or wrinkles that you may have added since 2025 merely add character and intrigue, from my perspective. As for your car, well, that is just edging ever-nearer to ‘classic’ status, isn’t it? And that’s all very much my cup of tea. 

But, your tyres? Another year means they’re getting older, tougher, harder and less grippy. Because unlike you, tyres age a lot more like milk.

It’s very much a known phenomenon, of course. Tyres are perhaps the hardest working component on your car, having to cope with acceleration, braking and steering forces, plus all manner of cleaning and road chemicals, allied to the kind of temperature differences and UV damage that would make a polar explorer weep. When new, they have to be soft, grippy and tenacious, but balanced with being as hardwearing and as quiet as possible. Kind of a tough gig, really. 

Because of this, tyres have a very finite life. If you’re looking to keep things really safe, and let’s face it, which of us parents aren’t? Then, the smart money is on treating yourself to a new set every 5 years or so. Think of it as the cheapest life insurance you’ll ever buy, and then it doesn’t sound all that bad now, does it? 

Key tyre maintenance

As well as keeping the freshest rubber you can on your ride, it’s also worth checking to see if your tyres have developed any hairline cracks or splits around their edges or across the tread. Generally speaking, these will appear when the tyre enters its twilight years, or if it’s been partying too hard on a track or fast road session. That’s another one, you see. Extensive heat cycling from ‘spirited’ driving, as we’ll politely call it, can also foreshorten the life of your tyres and cause minor cracks or damage.

Older, tired tyres, like older, tired people should be allowed to rest. And the same goes for the ones that have been out partying and living it up, too. These cracks definitely mean that the party is over, so head over to your local Envoy dealer and have a chat about refreshing things and starting again.

What is considered a ‘safe’ tyre under MOT regulations?

Believe it or not, under current UK MOT regulations, even the meanest and grumpiest tester cannot fail your car for having small, hairline cracks on its tyres. They’re not allowed to fail it if the tyres are older than recommended, either. Currently there’s nothing within the test that can ascertain how grippy – or not – your tyre may be, so as long as your car passes its brake tests, has the legal minimum of 1.6mm of tread across most of its width, and assuming that all else is well, then you’re going home with a ticket. 

Should the cracks in your tyre be a little larger or more defined, you may very well get an advisory telling you so, but put simply, unless you’ve got the rubber equivalent of the Grand Canyon on show, even a 15 year old, rock hard tyre will get the thumbs up. Worrying…

Many motorists understandably look to the hallowed MOT certificate as a government-backed reassurance that the car they own, are selling or are perhaps thinking of buying, is as safe as it can be. And who can blame them? If a man from The Ministry has looked it over and said that it’s as safe as houses, then let’s fill up the tank and drive on, right? Well, technically, yes. But as we’ve already discussed, there is a much better way. The entire Envoy range was created for this exact purpose.

An effective, affordable tyre option

The average age of motor cars in the UK is eternally getting older, and this year, for the first time, it’s tipped over 10 years old. Add in the fact that life, in all its elements, is getting ever more expensive and you can totally understand why people want to eke out their tyres for just another year… especially if that nice man from the test centre says it’s alright…

The Envoy range gives you ‘A’ labelled performance, like the BIG brand tyres offer, but at a price point that makes it much more sensible to swap more often. So you can keep upgrading them regularly, enjoying better wet weather performance, better grip, and often, better MPG too. The more confident your car makes you feel when you drive it, the more fun you’ll have behind the wheel.

Checking the age of your tyres

If you’re not sure when your tyres were made, have a look at the DOT (Department of Transportation) code on your sidewall. It’ll be a 4 figure number like ‘3724’. The first two numbers are the week it was made, so in this case, the 37th week of the year. The last two are the year itself, so 2024 in our imagined example. If you’re within the magic 5 year window then check your pressures and tread, and keep on motoring. If they’re a little older, a little balder or don’t hold their pressure, then it’s definitely time to upgrade. 

The MOT is a wonderful, and helpful test, but think of it as a starting point, rather than a gold standard… particularly when it comes to tyres. You can – and should – continue to grow old gracefully, but perhaps it’s time to give your old tyres a facelift for 2026. That’s the one place you don’t want any wrinkles.