Hello all, any advice/thoughts on this? How worried would you be about a cut like this in the sidewall? Replace tyre pronto or just keep an eye on it?

Currently running Goodyear Wrangler HPs on 17" rims. Not that impressed with them, rubber seems v soft, and thinking of switching when the time comes for new boots - debating whether to buy another set of wheels and run dedicated summer/winter sets or just go for a new set of all-seasons. Most of my driving is on road, lots of long motorway runs, off road stuff mostly limited to campsite fields and farm tracks ATM. Although we're planning a move up to Cumbria in the next 12 months which might mean more serious use for the Freely...

Thanks in advance for any advice.

I’m no tyre expert but I wouldn’t be happy driving around on that.

I’m an mot tester and that’s not a fail as it’s not down to the cords and in any case, I wouldn’t even class it as a cut. Wouldn’t bother me using it. If the tyre is a symmetric one, you could have it spun round on the rim if the sight of it bothers you though. Past: FL2 TD4 HSE Auto
Evoque SD4 Dynamic Lux Auto
Present: Audi A3 S Line.

If the tyre wall structure is not visible then it’s ok, just keep an eye on it. MY15
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agree, it would not bother me either, looks like someone has tried to make a smiley face on your tyre, the 2 'O' s in Goodyear then a smiley mouth . .  2017 SEAT Ateca 4drive 2.0 xcellence (May 2022 -
2007 HSE with HST bodykit in Zermatt Silver 169,700 miles (dec 2016 - May 2022 )
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Mattmjones wrote:

Hello all, any advice/thoughts on this? How worried would you be about a cut like this in the sidewall? Replace tyre pronto or just keep an eye on it?

Most of my driving is on road, lots of long motorway runs, off road stuff mostly limited to campsite fields and farm tracks ATM. Although we're planning a move up to Cumbria in the next 12 months which might mean more serious use for the Freely...

..and while you’re at it, change all your brakes - fluids, pads, discs, callipers, cables, master cylinder, steering joints, wheel bearings, ball joints, springs, shock absorbers and every other item you pay a professional to check against set national standards once a year at an official test centre. You never know - they may fail and your life may depend on those items.

On the other hand, take the advice of someone you don’t know on an Internet forum....  Past: FL2 TD4 HSE Auto
Evoque SD4 Dynamic Lux Auto
Present: Audi A3 S Line.

Bit harsh Steve Personal choice really as Ian says OP must be concerned to post in first place and if it was me, I'd change it .




 If it wasn't so bad it'd be funny.

🐑
Freelander 2 HSE auto 2014 ( Florrie ) ..... Try again.
Freelander 2 GS 2012...... Gone.

No offence intended. I was just referring to Internet forums in general - it just came across wrong! I am guilty myself of taking advice on one trade from others in a totally different trade. Of course, it’s a totally personal choice but being in the motor trade myself as well as being an mot tester, I’m not as fazed by things that may look out of sorts to the average punter. I once 'tweaked' the water pressure safety valve on my pressurised hot water system on the advice of an unknown person on a plumbing forum only to be contacted by quite a few others telling me how dangerous that advice was. I put it back to how it was before my storage tank went boom!  Past: FL2 TD4 HSE Auto
Evoque SD4 Dynamic Lux Auto
Present: Audi A3 S Line.

I was speaking from the experience of a 65mph sudden tyre deflation of a front tyre on the motorway, when the radial tyre steel tread belt failed.

The vehicle was a motorcaravan, and I believe that although the tyre showed no external damage, it had been stood in one position all winter, distorting the tyre.
I did experience some slight vibration, a bit like imbalance, then after the tyres got warm it, the steel belt gave way ( the noise was like that I imagine running over a supermarket trolley would make).

The steering pulled heavily to one side, but I managed to steer towards the hard shoulder by gentle use of the brakes.

After this fright I have been ultra careful about the age and condition of my tyres. It's a personal thing.

PS I have a wheel and tyre in my garage now from my FL2, it has a flap cut into the sidewall I think caused by catching a pothole wrong. I have other spare wheels but will have it changed when I replace my next set.
I have found that the lower profile tyres are easily squashed and damaged by our appalling roads. I can't imagine my 19 inch wheel/tyres surviving very long on a rocky surface. FL2 XS SD4 Auto 2010 2012-2017 (21k - 91k miles) (MY2011)
FL2 Metropolis SD4 Auto 2014 2017- (16k - 79k+ miles) (MY2015)
Metro in its 11th Year of (Extended) LR Warranty / Full LR Service History
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Last edited by IanMetro on 19th Aug 2019 10:11 pm. Edited 1 time in total

Ian, Just out of interest after you had the incident with your motorhome did you replace all 4 tyres?

Yes I did replace all the tyres. It was some time ago and I was picking up my son from college at the end of term, and had my 3 children on board.

I am/was quite an experienced driver, but it made me realise how quick we really travel in cars, and how little things going wrong can cause enormous problems,

Going back to the original post

Kwik Fit say this
Cuts and bulges in the tyre sidewalls
Essentially, sidewalls are the part of the tyre that withstands pressure and keeps your car stable. If you notice a tear, nick, bubble or bulge in the sidewall, it’s normally a sign of serious damage to the tyre’s structure. It means you and those around you are at higher risk of a high speed blowout, or serious accident. It’s vital that you get the damage checked by a tyre expert straight away. If an MOT inspector sees this kind of damage, it’ll result in an immediate fail – without exception.


If you look at the illustration in the link, it looks quite minor.
https://www.kwik-fit.com/blog/what-fails-a...worn-tyres FL2 XS SD4 Auto 2010 2012-2017 (21k - 91k miles) (MY2011)
FL2 Metropolis SD4 Auto 2014 2017- (16k - 79k+ miles) (MY2015)
Metro in its 11th Year of (Extended) LR Warranty / Full LR Service History
(Expensive, but Trouble/Worry free - hopefully?)

There is a strong possibility that the tyre was underinflated which in turn makes the tyre overheat and eventually fail. Caravan and motor home tyres quite often fail due to either underinflation or being old and perished although they still have loads of tread and look almost new which is a different issue to the one raised here. The term blow out is a bit dramatic and there is nearly always some warning that something is not right before the tyre lets go. I also have had tyres deflate suddenly and yes it can be a bit scary!
Kwik Fit have a vested interest in having people buy new tyres so that is why there is the "fear " element in their report. The sidewall cut shown has the inner cord exposed and is much deeper than the one in the original post. The cut is more like a scratch than a cut and I would happily run a tyre like that and as Steve says would not be an MOT fail and I would even doubt that it would be an advisory either. As you quite rightly say not everyone would and we all have different levels of "risk" and what we are comfortable with so this topic could run and run.!!

The integrity of the tyre is damaged, and with no offence intended you would be an idiot not to replace it.

The debate on whether it's legal or not is superfluous.

Iain