MOT fail for tyres? Inner tyres worn.

[Grahamr123]

Have the MOT for my focus coming up soon. On the last trip to a garage (cambelt change) they put down an advisory for the front to tyres, saying it needs a wheel alignment because of uneven wear on the inner part of the tyres as well as replacement tyres. Is this an MOT fail?

http://i.imgur.com/Q6CGF.jpg

[northandy]

The law states "Cars, light vans and light trailers MUST have a tread depth of at least 1.6 mm across the central three-quarters of the breadth of the tread and around the entire circumference"

Its borderline i would say.

[PumpkinSteve]

Did you not get the wheels alignment done when they advised it last time?

[Grahamr123]

No, haven't had an alignment done yet. Couldn't afford it at the time, that was a month or so ago.

Edited by Grahamr123 on Sunday 1st April 20:38

[mmm-five]

The look over-inflated to me - but I agree that you need your alignment checking.

The central portion looks legal as it's all above the minimum wear bars.

[paolow]

I would say not. However I am not your MOT tester.
The shoulder is certainly worn more on the one edge (when juxtaposed against the other) but as per the above the central majority of the tread is indeed over 1.6mm as evidenced by your wear indicators.

You could take it one of two ways.

A) your car's tyres are knackered and splitting hairs won't change that. Your tester has a point.

or

B) your tester is clearly a little over zealous - find another one next time.

Personally I would acknowledge A but do both A and B.

[rossco247]

If I was testing that I would pass and advise as the centre is legal and the outside isn't that bad. Saying that that's aslong as the very outside isn't any worse

[Welshbeef]

You need to get the tracking checked - it's £25 cost.

This will extend the life in those boots and also key for new tyres. Next tine don't drive into kerns or big potholes or drive over sleeping policemen as fast.

[northandy]

My understanding has always been that doing alignment when tyres are already showing uneven wear wont make them last any longer as the wear pattern has already started.

If it was my car i'd be getting them swapped before the mot.

[Deva Link]

The front's on my Merc were way worse than that (but worn on the outside edges). It passed at an MB dealer with an advisory and the next year (I don't use the car much) it passed and they didn't even mention it.

I changed them after that but only because as they were bald on the outside edge they looked bad to the casual observer.

[HustleRussell]

Definite pass from what I can see, and this wear pattern can occur even on cars with the geometry set correctly. However a front axle check/adjust is never a bad idea. In this case it may well be worth hunting out offers like 'national autocentre's "free geometry check/adjust with a pair of tyres", which was available last time I looked. Ask them to produce a print-out to prove the work afterwards.

[Welshbeef]

What is fhe tread depth like overall?
I ask as if your at 3mm then your at the point when you should be changing them as stopping distance dramatically increases under that depth. I change mine when they get to that level and the vast majority of comp cars have a Health and safety policy for their staff and believe rightly ditching at 3mm could reduce car accidents

[Andyjc86]

If you go by the letter if the law then it's a fail, however I doubt any tester would fail it though. It's a bit like having a sticker in the swept area of the windscreen.

That said you need a new set of boots, and a tracking check (which is usually FOC)

[Deva Link]

Welshbeef said:

....and the vast majority of comp cars have a Health and safety policy for their staff and believe rightly ditching at 3mm could reduce car accidents

Never heard of such a policy in my life. Lease companies (where most companies get their company cars from) will have tyre fitters turn you away unless the tyres are 2mm.

[Welshbeef]

Deva Link said:

Never heard of such a policy in my life. Lease companies (where most companies get their company cars from) will have tyre fitters turn you away unless the tyres are 2mm.

Companies which I know do have this policy
Johnson and Johnson
Baxter
General Mills
Reckott Benkissr
Honda - though as you change the car 6-26 weeks im not sure YO could wear the tyres out as it's milage when they change the car. But 3mm is the rule.

And from memory Abbott medical

[jimmy156]

Welshbeef said:

You need to get the tracking checked - it's £25 cost.

This will extend the life in those boots and also key for new tyres. Next tine don't drive into kerns or big potholes or drive over sleeping policemen as fast.

A proper alignment will be around 3x that. Still worth doing though, but i would do it at the same time as replacing your tyres

[arfur daley]

jimmy156 said:

A proper alignment will be around 3x that. Still worth doing though, but i would do it at the same time as replacing your tyres

I've never driven into a kern.

[Deva Link]

Welshbeef said:

Companies which I know do have this policy
....

Yes but if they lease thier cars on full maintenance (pretty universal) does the lease company have the same policy?

It's one of the reasons I opted out, and there are many many stories of battles with leasing companies. Their argument is that if tyres needed to be 3mm then the law would say 3mm.

What do these companies H&S policies that you seem familiar with say about winter tyres?

Edited by Deva Link on Monday 2nd April 00:37

[sebhaque]

The front tyres on my M3 are very worn on the outside edges, there's plenty of meat left on the centre and inside edges, though. I've been queried about it a couple of times, once by Plod, but at a subsequent MOT it was just an advisory - "both front tyres worn on outside edges".

It's a little late now but I'd be happy to take a picture of my front tyres for you tomorrow if it'd help.

[Ray Luxury-Yacht]

All good comments so far.

But there's another question shirley?

It's tyres, innit! Which rank alongside - it's brakes / suspension / any components to do with safety innit!

Ok, we can spend time arguing MOT rules until the cows come home!

But for me and my cars, if there's abnormal wear on my tyres, which represent the four credit-card sized patches of contact between my control inputs and the road surface, especially in biblical rain on a greasy motorway at night...then I don't argue, I just 'do'.

My advice - sort the tracking, get new rubber. End of.