I just bought a set of tires from Discount Tires. They ordered "from Goodyear" the Goodyear F1 GS D3 Front 255/40-17 ( They do not make them in a 265/40-17... C5 ZO6 size ), The Rear 295/35-18 ( C5 ZO6 size ).
ANYWAY... When I got them my friend noticed the front tires were dated 4105 ( My old "same tires" were dated 1707 ). I then noticed the tread pattern was a little different on the new tires I just ordered. So somewhere between 05 and 07 they did an improvement to the tire. So when I called Discount Tires they were very surprised that Goodyear sent a tire that was already 4 years old. Discount Tires said they do not sell anything older than 2 years old in their store so they were very surprised about the date on the front tires ( rear tires are dated 08 ). When they called Goodyear, Goodyear said they would send a new set but they could not guarantee they would not be dated 05 again. They said they just grab what ever is on the shelf at the time the order is filled. So they would not honor or guarantee a date of 07 or newer. The salesperson explained to the Goodyear rep there was a slight tread change and the customer (me) wanted an 07 or newer set of tires. Goodyear's response was: "there's nothing I can do about that". So, Discount Tires decided to try again to see if by chance we would get a newer set. So now I'll wait seven more days again to get the new front set.

Here are some pictures of the old front tire and of the new front tires ordered. In the pic you will see the difference in the tread.

Here is the NEW 255/40-17 front tire dated 4105.


This is the same tire but dated 1707.


Close up of tread on tire dated 4105


Clse up of tread on tire dated 1707


What do you guys think. Should I reject the tires if they come in dated 05 again? Or, do you guys think it's not really that big of a deal to start off with four year old tires, even if the tread's been updated?
By the way, do 275/40-17 fit on the front of the C5 without rubbing?
My rims are 9.5 in the front.
Also, does anyone has any other suggestions for a good set of tires in the $200-$300 range (per tire) for the C5? I prefer the Z06 stock size non-run flats.
Thanks in advance for your input.

 

I dont think I would want tires that old! I guess when you buy new....you expect new!

 

Screw good(fora)year.

At least Discount tire is helping you out

 

Yes Discount Tire is beeing VERY good about it all. They even said if the new front set come in with 05 date codes, they will just send the set of 4 tires back and we can start all over with a new type or brand of tire. BTW the set that came in are already on my car. I'm trying not to drive it much untill I get this worked out.

 

When I purchase a new set of tires, I expect them to be 'new'! I've been aware of this issue for several years and the thing to do is specify in writing on the purchase order that the tires you purchase are not to be older than the year of purchase. Write it on the invoice before you pay!

 

A 4year old tire, even if it just sat on a rack is not new to me either, you shouldn't accept them.

 

Good idea. I'm about to spring for a new set for the front and I will do this before I start the purchase process.....

 

This is especially ridiculous considering that all the safety "experts" and tire manufacturers say you need to replace any tires older than 6 to 10 years old regardless of visible wear. Under those guidelines, your "new" tires would only be considered "safe" for two more years!

It's crazy that Goodyear would even have tires that old sitting on a shelf in a warehouse. How can any manufacturer survive by making so many units of their products that they can't sell them out in four years? They've got to be losing money if that's how they manage their business.

 

What's really surprising is that just a year ago, there were very few GSD3s available. Goodyear told me that the factory didn't continuously crank out every type of tire and that they would resume production of the D3s in another month or so. That being the case, I would think that all available D3s would be very new.

Now, since they say you should not use tires that are over 6 years old, deciding whether to keep 4 year old tires should depend on how quickly you would use them up. If you are like most C5 owners, it'll take you at least 3-4 year to wear those tires out. If that's the case, then you should reject them. Another option is getting them from the Tirerack and asking them to check the tires before shipping them. If I were you, I'd try hard to keep the fronts and backs as the same brand and type. I've been running the GSD3s now for about 25,000 miles (on my second set of rears) and they are without a doubt the best tires I've ever had.

 

I am on my 3rd set of GSD3s and have never had this happen. I do track my car so I go through the tires fast. We tried to ask them ( Goodyear ) to check the tires before shipping them but, they ( Goodyear ) said they do not and will not do that. They just send the orders to the warehouse and what ever tire the grab ( not taking note of the date codes on the tires ) get sent. They do not do any special orders for date codes.

 

Have you checked with the Tirerack (www.tirerack.com)? Don't give up until you checked with them. If they have them at one of their warehouses, they might be able to verify the dates before shipping them out.

 

That's a great idea ! I like to stay with the GSD3s. I will let you guys know how it went with the new front set they are sending.

 

I went through this in May when I ordered four Goodyear GS-D3"s from discount. I checked the date codes on the tires when they came in and the rears were already two years old.
I asked them to reorder and the replacements were only about 4 months old like the fronts. So yes, you are right. Check the date codes.
By the way, Discount was great though the whole process. Got the tires installed and I absolutely love them. It drives and rides like a totally different car now.

 

In answer to your question about the front tire size, yes the 275's fit and that's what I have on mine.
Another difference is the 255's are made in Germany so that may be the reason for the age and tread difference.
BTW, when I first ordered mine I got the 255's and didn't like the short sidewall so sent them back and got the 275's.

 

Glad to hear that the tire shop is taking care of you, no way would I accept tires that old. When I switched to Michelins last year the redesigned Pilot Sports had just hit the market, mine were only 3 weeks old.

 

You say the tread is different on the two tires but your pictures show that there are wear bars on the outside of one and not the other. The actual tread pattern looks to be the same to me.

You are right to want "new" tires though and I would be taking the same steps that you are in this situation. If the dates on the front and rear tires were both the same and the only difference was the wear bars I would accept that as being fairly minor and not going to affect the performance of the tire.

If you go with tirerack the only issue would be shipping something back if it was wrong. Not saying it can't be done but it certainly isn't the easiest thing to do, lots of hassel. Let us know what happens.

 

Sh****t I'm running 99's on the front and 03's on the back.....gotta burn these up quick!

 

I think what really ages a tire is exsposure to the elements and UV rays.Sitting in a ware house shouldnt hurt them any, but I understand all of your concerns also.

 

Unacceptable......I just bought 4 new Michelin PS AS ZPs......all are dated 09.

But I have heard the "we have thousands of tires and don't know what we will get" several times from tire dealers.
I just say that "I have thousands of tire dealers to select from and I know I won't buy from you"

 

Curious as to how many miles you got out of your old set ?