Tyres are designed and manufactured to withstand the rigours of normal use when correctly fitted and inflated. However, they are not indestructible.
The great majority of tyre complaints result from:
• vehicle defects (eg incorrect wheel alignment),
• road hazards (eg potholes or sharp objects), or
• driver-related abuse (eg kerb impact damage or running severely under-inflated).
Each of these circumstances leaves a characteristic signature in the tyre which allows the cause to be clearly and unequivocally identified.
Although it may be tempting to think that the fault is due to a manufacturing defect, BTMA members have very high standards of manufacturing quality control and tyre manufacturing defects are extremely rare.
If you have a complaint about a tyre, you should return it to the retailer from whom you bought it. The dealer has a legal responsibility to handle any complaint you may have regarding the purchase.
The retailer should first thoroughly examine the tyre inside and out. Consideration should then be given to the most common causes listed above before contemplating less likely explanations. If the cause of a fault or deficiency still remains unclear, the retailer may advise that the tyre should be returned to the manufacturer (or sole agent) for expert examination.
The industry has an agreed process for managing consumer complaints and a Code of Practice. See below.