Liability....WHAT liability?

   / Liability....WHAT liability? #1  
JDgreen227

JDgreen227

Super Member
Joined
Nov 2, 2003
Messages
8,275
Location
Central Michigan
Tractor
4210 MFWD Ehydro--'89 JD 318
Buddy of mine with a Duramax GM truck asked to borrow the spare rim and tire from my Y2K GMC XL2500 yesterday...it still had the OEM full size spare on a steel rim and it had never been used. I told him I would take it to a local tire store to have them replace the valve stem while I was there to get a flat tire for my car fixed. Guess what...the tire store refused to replace the valve stem for "liability" reasons...WHAT LIABILITY would they possible have? If the valve stem failed, maybe...but who has ever had a valve stem fail?

I replaced the valve stem myself...just cannot understand why they wanted to be such morons about it.
 
   / Liability....WHAT liability? #2  
That's the first time that I have heard that. A good tire shop will always replace valve stems when replacing tires.
 
   / Liability....WHAT liability?
  • Thread Starter
#3  
Bob77064 said:
That's the first time that I have heard that. A good tire shop will always replace valve stems when replacing tires.
Click to expand...

Perhaps I didn't make myself clear...they didn't want to replace the 14-year old valve stem on an unused tire...they said they would replace the valve stem IF I wanted to purchase a new tire ($150) for a spare.
 
   / Liability....WHAT liability? #4  
Maybe it was more about the age of the tire?
 
   / Liability....WHAT liability?
  • Thread Starter
#5  
dave1949 said:
Maybe it was more about the age of the tire?
Click to expand...

Well, they didn't manufacture or mount the tire or install the rim on a hub so where is the liability????
 
   / Liability....WHAT liability? #6  
JDgreen227 said:
Well, they didn't manufacture or mount the tire or install the rim on a hub so where is the liability????
Click to expand...

I have heard of this. If they know that the tire is out of age specs, they don't want to touch it for fear that a blowout could come back on them since they were the last to break it down..Just like the 300 warning stickers on your tractor, it happened somewhere and someone got sued that's why they act this way.
 
   / Liability....WHAT liability? #7  
I took a very slightly used tire to a nationally known tire shop and they refused to mount it. They said they cannot mount used tires. This tire was basically new - it still had the yellow chalk marks on it when I bought it. I found another shop.
 
   / Liability....WHAT liability? #8  
timswi said:
I have heard of this. If they know that the tire is out of age specs, they don't want to touch it for fear that a blowout could come back on them since they were the last to break it down..Just like the 300 warning stickers on your tractor, it happened somewhere and someone got sued that's why they act this way.
Click to expand...

Sadly your spot on. Some ambulance chasing lawyer probably sued a tire shop for not replacing a tire that the customer did NOT want replaced and the vehicle owner had to blame someone other than their self for their wreck due to an old tire blowing out. If you can be awarded a million dollars for spilling coffee on yourself at a drive thru in a U.S. court case ..... Well, y'all get the point.
 
   / Liability....WHAT liability? #9  
JDgreen227 said:
Well, they didn't manufacture or mount the tire or install the rim on a hub so where is the liability????
Click to expand...

timswi said:
I have heard of this. If they know that the tire is out of age specs, they don't want to touch it for fear that a blowout could come back on them since they were the last to break it down..Just like the 300 warning stickers on your tractor, it happened somewhere and someone got sued that's why they act this way.
Click to expand...

Yep, I think that is the legal version of the "hot potato" game. :laughing:

The liability isn't just what you think of it as once things get legal.

Let's say you or your tire user have an accident. A lawyer goes sniffing around and he finds a shredded tire that shouldn't be. He looks at the age, he looks at how it came to be on the vehicle, etc. Based on what is found, someone might decide to lay some fault and liability on your tire--and anyone who may have contributed to the failure of the tire. The claim could be made that a "reasonable" tire shop should suspect a 14-15 year old tire may fail.

You don't really get a choice in it once the insurer's lawyers are involved, that's my understanding. I hope to never find out first-hand.
 
   / Liability....WHAT liability? #10  
JDgreen227 said:
Buddy of mine with a Duramax GM truck asked to borrow the spare rim and tire from my Y2K GMC XL2500 yesterday...it still had the OEM full size spare on a steel rim and it had never been used. I told him I would take it to a local tire store to have them replace the valve stem while I was there to get a flat tire for my car fixed. Guess what...the tire store refused to replace the valve stem for "liability" reasons...WHAT LIABILITY would they possible have? If the valve stem failed, maybe...but who has ever had a valve stem fail?

I replaced the valve stem myself...just cannot understand why they wanted to be such morons about it.
Click to expand...

Around here tire stores will not even touch a tire more than 6 years old. They are a ticking time bomb after that and that's where the Liability comes in.

I deal with over 200 tires on the equipment I maintain. I agree with the tire experts. I would not touch it either.

Chris
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
 

Footer Links 1

Top