Reply With QuoteYes, because the legal limit is 1.6mm and most of the tyre msg be over 3mm.
Your only course of action is to reject the car, unless you’re prepared to buy a new tyre or two.
Hi All,
just looking for a bit of info regarding a recent car purchase and MOT advisory.
I bought a 2020 Audi TT last week and have just checked the MOT to find an advisory for 'Nearside Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))'.
I'd usually have checked the MOT before buying the car but this was its first MOT and was done the day before I bought it so I missed checking it. I've contacted the dealer who keeps repeating the policy 'we would have replaced them if they were under 3mm'. The car was nearly £30k and bought from a main dealer. I'm very disappointed at their stance on this. Am I being unreasonable?
Would this advisory be given to a car that were at 3+mm? A
Yes, because the legal limit is 1.6mm and most of the tyre msg be over 3mm.
Your only course of action is to reject the car, unless you’re prepared to buy a new tyre or two.
Have you taken a look at the tyre yourself?
As far as I can see, it was an 'advisory'. 3mm is not 1.6mm. I can't see how you have grounds for a complaint there. Sorry.
Did you view the car before buying?
I'd always factor the cost of a new set of tyres into any second-hand car. You've no idea what the previous owner has been doing with them and given where you are it could have been my Mrs.
Yes, it looked ok to me. I'm just wondering how close to 1.6 an advisory would be.Originally Posted by gunner
Just from the point of view that spending nearly £30k I'd expect it to be in good condition. I think being close to the legal limit doesn't really fit the bill.
I paid a deposit and had it moved to my dealer. I went around it with the salesman who checked the tyres with a gauge and said the fronts were 4+ and the back were 5+Should have checked myself I know.
I'd always factor the cost of a new set of tyres into any second-hand car. You've no idea what the previous owner has been doing with them and given where you are it could have been my Mrs.
Thanks all :)
Advisory all down to tester opinion, we would change tyres on sales cars at 3mm but replacements would be mid/economy range rather than premium dependent on vehicle so might be better doing it yourself anyway to get a good spec tyre.
Ask if garage will do a goodwill and let pat cost price on a replacement?
Have you checked the actual tread depth so you know exactly what the score is? A tech might advise on a performance car at a different tread than he would on a puddle jumper, I start to look at replacement tyres at 4mm on my Honda but 2mm on the Seat shopping buggy.
One testers near the edge isn't another's. Take it to a tyre place you trust and ask them to check it.
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Personally I’d ask for their PDI (pre-delivery inspection) sheet- I’d be surprised if the Tech hadn't noted the lowish tyre on his report- You mention you bought it from a Main Dealer? If it was sold ‘Audi Approved’ then contact the centres Dealer Principal, if it was non Audi Dealer selling it as a p/x then I don’t think you’ll get anywhere.
Having coughed up 30 large on a motor, I personally, would put fresh skins on it if, like you, I was on the fence about the tyres.
The only point of contact with the road. Just do it and put a flea in the ear of the salesman who can't read a gauge properly.
Buying a pair of tyres will be the path of least resistance here. Often the best path, in my experience.
A bit late now to shut the barn door, as the horse is long gone. You should have done better pre-purchase checks and added new tyres to the deal before completing the purchase. Garage have done nothing wrong if there is 3mm of tread and no reason to reject the car because of it. Buy a pair of new tyres or tyre yourself and enjoy the car.
Last edited by K-Z1R; 6th February 2023 at 20:14.
I bought my son a vw Up used approved from VW and it had an advisory on a tyre at the recent MOT. I wash shocked to see the inner fibres of the tyre showing but was told it had still passed the MOT. Suffice to say I paid £60 to replace it on the spot - an advantage of a cheap car with small wheels I guess!! I was surprised it had only had an advisory, I’d never drive on a tyre like that. We got the car for a good deal and as it had passed the MOT I didn’t mind paying for the tyre tbh
I am an mot tester
A tyre fails if the middle three quarters of the tread is worn below 1.6mm if it has more than the limit it is an advisory but there is no stated measurement where an advisory should be issued .
Also a tyre can only fail on the rest of the tread if there is canvas or a bulge showing. So legally you have no where to go .
They would have just put a budget make on it anyway .
OP should’ve checked how much tread was on the tyres when negotiating the sale, simple as that. I learned that lesson when buying me first car aged 17 in 1975. A tyre tread depth gauge is a useful tool, takes the guesswork out. Also worth monitoring tyre wear to pick up an uneven wear pattern at an early stage.
Also worth checking that economy cheapo tyres haven't been fitted when looking to buy a car. My advice to the OP is to check the tyre depth himself and replace the tyres when necessary, which may be soon, and treat it as a lesson learned. Worn tyres is a good haggling point when buying!
Well im guessing at 3mm you could argue it is in good condition, a second hand condition. As been mentioned previously most dealers will replace at 3mm but thats not set in stone. You also have to take in to account that its likely to be an arse covering exercise for the mot tester.Yes, it looked ok to me. I'm just wondering how close to 1.6 an advisory would be.
Just from the point of view that spending nearly £30k I'd expect it to be in good condition. I think being close to the legal limit doesn't really fit the bill.
I paid a deposit and had it moved to my dealer. I went around it with the salesman who checked the tyres with a gauge and said the fronts were 4+ and the back were 5+
Thanks all :)
What depth are the tyres? If the dealer says they would have changed them if they were under 3mm they must in there eyes be more than that. I would check them first, but wouldn’t be looking just at the tyres if it’s the outside edges I would be looking at the tracking as well.
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Last edited by aa388; 7th February 2023 at 11:28.
If it was an Audi dealership then it should have been subjected to their 145 point checklist so I would push back that they should have picked the tyre wear up, I would also make sure the alignment is now correct so it no longer wears the inside of the tyre.
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Outer edges of tyres always wear more now due to power steering, we can go lock to lock easier at faster speeds increasing wear and many people never check pressures between services so pressure loss can also affect wear patterns.
Always check yourself, never accept someone else’s word, especially if there is money(profit) involved.
OP If the salesman stated that the tyres are in good condition just go back and say he lied, demand a new set, you could argue it was fundamental to the deal
take the car to kwik-fit for a tyre safety check, get them to measure, If it's under 3mm you can make an arguemnt, if not, live with it, either buy a new tyre or drive it for 6 miobths or more until it does need one.
What evidence exactly is there that he lied? Tyres in good condition is a strange way of decribing a consumable or wear item. The tyres can be in good condition, perfectly road legal but on a used car have wear, which they obviously do. If they sold a car in a not road legal condition, that's another matter.
Always check tyres are good and of a decent make when buying second hand. They're not a cheap item any more and dealers WILL avoid replacing them if they can, especially as rarely can you get away with buying a single tyre unless they're relatively new.
By what you've described legally they don't have to replace it, but as it's Audi, I'd submit an official complaint to Audi about the dealership - you might get lucky.
Kwik-fit, the paragon of automotive truth and integrity
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Some tyres only have 8mm brand new.
So +4mm depth in the centre of the tread is about half worn (no more than 4mm used of the 6.4 available).
If the internet does not have the answer, you may need to have a look at the tyres yourself to assess the edge wear, and base your decision on what you see.
I would do this ASAP otherwise the dealer will be able to claim that you have worn the tyres while you have had the car.
PS - a photo on here would be useful
And yet, likely to hold more credibilty with a car dealer than punters off a watch forum!Kwik-fit, the paragon of automotive truth and integrity
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Oh absolutely.
The OP stated that the salesman told him 4and5 mm, main dealers don’t usually go around calling customers liars
I’m guessing the salesman measured the tread depth at it deepest point which is most likely in the centre and the MOT tester could have measured the lowest point on the edges. Definitely worth measuring both areas to to see how accurate these are. Very little recourse from the Dealers point of view but on the other hand most salesman in larger dealerships rely on high scoring feedback from the customer in order to receive their full commission so maybe a little word in his ear mentioning how disappointed you are or preferably a chat with the sales manager who would have ultimately signed off the deal letting them know your satisfaction score plus any trustpilot reviews will be less than favourable !!
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