Chunk out of Tyre Sidewall Missing, is it safe?

Dominic-Toretto · 10 Apr 2020 at 16:32

Hey all, hope everyone is well.

Recently bought an approved used car from Mercedes just before all the madness began, I have just noticed some slight damage to one of the tyres. I am assuming this is safe, as Mercedes must have noticed it surely. Any how pic below:

TheVoice · 10 Apr 2020 at 16:36

That would be an MOT fail, so no.

andy_mk3 · 10 Apr 2020 at 16:37

That's part of the rim protector there mostly, there's no cords showing or any signs of a bulge or damage to the structure of the tyre. Perfectly safe.

TheVoice said:
That would be an MOT fail, so no.

Wrong.

brendy · 10 Apr 2020 at 16:51

Drive on, the rim protector has don its job.

stoofa · 10 Apr 2020 at 16:56

It seems to be a little open to interpretation.

A tyre seriously damaged - Major
Cords visible or damaged - Dangerous

Tyres fail if they have serious cuts, bulges or other damage

andy_mk3 · 10 Apr 2020 at 17:05

stoofa said:
It seems to be a little open to interpretation.

A tyre seriously damaged - Major
Cords visible or damaged - Dangerous

Tyres fail if they have serious cuts, bulges or other damage

Let's have some proper information here, from the MOT testing guide.

Nowhere does it say "A tyre seriously damaged".

Nasher · 10 Apr 2020 at 17:11

Just look like a chunk taken out of a "rim protector".

IAmATeaf · 10 Apr 2020 at 18:46

If I just purchased the car from a dealer, regardless of MOT failure or not I personally wouldn’t accept it and would be back to them to query and hopefully replace.

Dominic-Toretto · 10 Apr 2020 at 20:19

Thanks all for input, good to know it is safe. I will how ever reach out to my friendly contact at the dealer to see if anything can be done.

Rroff · 10 Apr 2020 at 20:25

Wouldn't say I'd consider that [completely] safe - that crack at the back could expand under stress potentially leading to a more concerning issue - definitely something to monitor especially if doing longer journeys - unlikely to go suddenly from that to dangerous though especially on shorter journeys.

Tee Hee Johnson · 11 Apr 2020 at 03:04

It may be safe, but not sure I'd be driving on that. My own mind an all that.

andy_mk3 · 11 Apr 2020 at 03:24

Tee Hee Johnson said:
It may be safe, but not sure I'd be driving on that. My own mind an all that.

It's a rim protector, it's done exactly what it's designed to do. Tyres without a rim protector don't have that thickness of rubber there. I'd put my wife and kid in that car and drive without a worry.

Rroff · 11 Apr 2020 at 03:27

You can see the contour of the rim protector about 1/3rd of the way in on the left - I'm not sure towards the middle it hasn't gone far enough stress might eventually start to weaken the more critical part of the tyre - definitely something I'd be monitoring often.

dvinell · 11 Apr 2020 at 03:29

There is no way I would want to drive on that tyre at high speeds.
The problem is that crack near the middle of the "P" ... you have no idea how deep that is, and a sidewall blowout at speed could ruin your day and that of the car next to you,

ezekial · 11 Apr 2020 at 07:40

Personally I think that is fine, looks like rim protector only.

HoneyBadger · 11 Apr 2020 at 07:52

I would replace it for my OCD reasons.

2004typer · 11 Apr 2020 at 10:02

dvinell said:
There is no way I would want to drive on that tyre at high speeds.
The problem is that crack near the middle of the "P" ... you have no idea how deep that is, and a sidewall blowout at speed could ruin your day and that of the car next to you,

My thoughts as well - for the sake of a new tyre not worth the risk in my opinion. It may well be ok and last until the tyre needs replacing, but there is no way to be absolutely sure, and the consequences of a blow out are far worse than the cost of replacement now.

If it was my car, I'd be changing it just for the peace of mind.

jpaul · 11 Apr 2020 at 10:27

surprised you wouldn't have seen it at purchase time - reputable dealer would have mentioned it ... did they have, add, photos.
where have you driven and parked ... could you do that kerbing , or has it got to be high speed

Drollic · 11 Apr 2020 at 10:37

The chunk taken out isn't the issue, it's the slice /cut that is.

Nasher · 11 Apr 2020 at 10:39

Rroff said:
You can see the contour of the rim protector about 1/3rd of the way in on the left - I'm not sure towards the middle it hasn't gone far enough stress might eventually start to weaken the more critical part of the tyre - definitely something I'd be monitoring often.

That isn't a crack, it's just how the rubber has torn.