Second-hand tyres: a smart saving or a risk?

On Marktplaats (the Dutch classifieds site), at vehicle dismantlers and at specialist dealers there are plenty of used tyres, sometimes for a fraction of the new price. Yet the tyre experts at the ANWB, the Dutch motoring organisation, advise caution. This article explains what you cannot see on a part worn tyre, what you can check, in which cases a second-hand tyre is defensible and why a new tyre often works out cheaper per kilometre. We do not sell second-hand tyres ourselves, but we do give you our advice.

By the team at Autobedrijf Willemsbrug, RDW-approved APK (MOT) test station since 1979 · Updated 7 November 2026

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The short answer

A second-hand tyre can save money, but you are buying a tyre without knowing how it was used, how old the rubber is or whether it is damaged on the inside. The ANWB writes that hidden defects cannot be ruled out with used tyres and that the price is sometimes close to that of a new set. On a used tyre, check the production date (DOT code), the tread (new is 6.5 to 8.0 mm), cracks, bulges, sidewall damage and saw-tooth wear that you can feel by hand. ANWB experts advise against buying tyres that are already several years old. A new tyre from the budget or mid-range class is often cheaper per kilometre driven, because you get many more kilometres out of it.

Tyre service at Autobedrijf Willemsbrug: new summer, winter and all-season tyres for all makes and sizes, including electric cars, vans and motorhomes up to 3,500 kg. We tell you the price in advance based on your registration number, including fitting, balancing and disposal of the old tyres. Call +31 10 479 00 00 with your registration number and we tell you the price and when we can do it. You bring the car and we call you when it is ready. A loan bike is free while one is available. Saturdays too. Our team speaks English. More about our tyre service

What can you not see on a second-hand tyre?

The biggest risk with a used tyre is what cannot be seen from the outside. The ANWB sums it up in one sentence: you do not know how a tyre has been used. A tyre that has run too soft for a long time can be damaged on the inside without the carcass being visible. A tyre that has hit a kerb can have a broken cord in the sidewall that only shows up weeks later as a bulge. And a tyre that once had a puncture may have been repaired from the outside with a plug instead of properly from the inside.

The ANWB writes that the chance of hidden defects is ruled out with new tyres and not with used ones. A used tyre has also already covered kilometres and the rubber has aged. Rubber hardens over the years, even if the tyre sits in a shed, and a hard tyre brakes less well on a wet road. Finally, the tread can carry a wear pattern from the previous car, for example from wrong alignment, and you take that pattern with you onto your own car.

What do you check if you are still considering a used tyre?

Check the age, tread, damage and origin, and only buy a tyre you have held in your own hands. This is the checklist we use ourselves when a customer shows us a used tyre.

Check What to look at Reject if
Age (DOT code) The last four digits of the DOT code on the sidewall: week and year. 2624 is week 26 of 2024 The tyre is already several years old, according to ANWB experts. Continental advises replacing any tyre older than 10 years
Tread depth Measure in the main grooves, at several points around the tyre. New is 6.5 to 8.0 mm according to the ANWB, the legal minimum is 1.6 mm Less than 4 mm: then more than half of the usable tread is already gone. A difference between the inside and the outside: then it has been driven unevenly
Sidewall Cracks, bulges, lumps, scuff marks, signs of drying out Any bulge or lump (broken carcass) and many fine cracks (ageing)
Tread Run your hand across the tread in both directions Cupping or saw-tooth wear that you can feel: the tyre hums and can vibrate
Repairs Look on the inside for patches and on the outside for plugs A plug from the outside, a repair in the sidewall or the shoulder, or more than one repair
Inside Rubber dust, cracks or a pale ring around the bead Signs of running without pressure: the tyre is damaged on the inside
Set Same size, type and preferably brand and tread pattern as the tyre next to it on the same axle A different size on one axle: that is a fail at the APK

Sources: ANWB, second-hand tyres. Continental, tire age. RDW, APK handbook tyres. Consulted 6 November 2026.

Under the Regeling voertuigen (the Dutch vehicle regulations), the tyres on one axle must have the same size marking. A properly repaired tyre is allowed at the APK (MOT), the compulsory periodic vehicle inspection in the Netherlands, but you cannot see from the outside whether a repair was done properly. A tyre with visible carcass or a bulge fails. What else the inspector requires is explained in our article on tyre tread depth and the APK.

A tyre that looks new can still be old. Continental writes that a properly stored, unused tyre may be sold as new up to 5 years after production. So check the DOT code even on a tyre with full tread, and ask the seller where the tyre comes from. According to the ANWB, a specialist tyre dealer can often tell you more about the condition and the origin than a private seller.

Is a second-hand tyre really cheaper? Work it out per kilometre

A used tyre is cheaper to buy, but not automatically cheaper per kilometre. A tyre with 4 mm of tread has already used up more than half of its usable tread. Of the 6.5 to 8.0 mm on a new tyre, everything below 1.6 mm is legally unusable, and the ANWB advises arranging replacement of summer tyres from 2 mm. So you are paying for the last few millimetres, plus the fitting and balancing that cost the same for every tyre. The ANWB notes that prices of second-hand tyres are sometimes close to those of a new set, and in that case calls new the wiser choice.

How big the difference in life between tyres can be is shown by the ANWB winter tyre test of 22 September 2025: some cheap tyres lasted only 34,000 kilometres, while a more expensive premium tyre lasted up to 75,000 kilometres. The same test measured a wet braking distance of up to 47.1 metres against 31.7 metres for a good tyre. In the all-season test of 22 June 2026 the ANWB concluded that one of the most expensive tyres in the test came out with the lowest cost per kilometre, and that cheap to buy is not automatically cheap to run.

Choice Purchase What you get Risk
Second-hand tyre Lowest Remaining tread of unknown origin, aged rubber Hidden damage, an old tyre, a mismatched set, extra fitting costs if it turns out to be no good after all
New budget tyre Low Full tread, new rubber, known origin According to the ANWB, cheap new tyres more often perform badly on one or more test areas, such as wet braking
New mid-range or premium tyre Higher Full tread, the best test results and, according to the ANWB, often the lowest cost per kilometre A higher outlay in one go

Sources: ANWB, winter tyre test 2025 and all-season tyre test 2026. We do not quote amounts here. We tell you the price based on your registration number.

What the ANWB writes about cheap new tyres is striking: the chance of a disappointment is greater with a new budget tyre than with a used premium tyre, while expensive premium tyres rarely disappoint. A used premium tyre that is young and undamaged is therefore not by definition a bad choice. The problem is that you cannot establish that last part with certainty.

When is a second-hand tyre defensible?

In a few situations a used tyre is a reasonable choice, provided it is young, undamaged and of known origin.

  • One tyre damaged in an otherwise good set: if one of your tyres is damaged beyond repair and the other three still have a lot of tread, a used tyre of the same brand, type and size with similar tread can be a logical solution. That keeps the tread the same per axle.
  • Temporary use: a car that is about to go, or that has to cover a few thousand kilometres until it is sold.
  • A young tyre from a dismantler: a tyre from a young car with body damage, with a recent DOT code and nearly full tread, bought from a dealer who knows where it came from.
  • A four-wheel-drive car: here the opposite applies. On many four-wheel-drive cars the tread on all four tyres has to be nearly equal to avoid damaging the drivetrain. Read your car’s handbook before you replace one tyre.

If you replace two tyres, Michelin advises fitting the new or best tyres on the rear axle. More tread at the rear gives better grip on a wet road and stops the back of the car sliding out. That also applies if you buy two used tyres: the two best go on the rear.

Our advice: new, matched to your registration, with the price in advance

We do not sell second-hand tyres. Not because every used tyre is bad, but because we cannot vouch for a tyre whose history we do not know. When we fit a tyre, we want to be certain that the size, load capacity and speed rating are right and that the tyre is sound on the inside. With a new tyre we know that, and we sort it out if something turns out to be wrong with it after all.

If you want to save money, a new tyre from the budget class or the mid-range class is usually the better route. We work with three price classes per size and tell you which class suits your car and your mileage. For a car that does few kilometres, an affordable new tyre with a good test result can be enough. For a car that covers a lot of kilometres, a premium tyre is often cheaper per kilometre. You call us with your registration number (in Dutch: kenteken) on +31 10 479 00 00 and we tell you one price in advance, including fitting, balancing and disposal of the old tyres. Everything about how we work is on the page tyre replacement in Rotterdam.

Not sure whether your current tyres are still good? Have them checked at our garage. Call us with your registration number and we tell you the price and when we can do it. How to judge tread, age and damage yourself is explained in our article on when to replace your tyres.

Frequently asked questions

Are second-hand tyres safe?

That cannot be said with certainty, and that is the problem. A young, undamaged used tyre of known origin can be fine. But the ANWB writes that hidden defects cannot be ruled out with used tyres and that you do not know how the tyre has been used. In any case, check the DOT code, tread, sidewall and repairs.

How old can a second-hand tyre be?

ANWB experts advise against buying tyres that are already several years old. Continental advises replacing any tyre older than 10 years. Read the age from the last four digits of the DOT code: the week and year of production.

How much tread should a second-hand tyre have as a minimum?

Legally 1.6 mm, but that is a minimum and not buying advice. A new tyre has 6.5 to 8.0 mm according to the ANWB. Below 4 mm more than half of the usable tread is already gone, and you still pay the full fitting cost. Also check that the tread is even across the width.

Can I put a second-hand tyre next to a new tyre on the same axle?

Yes, if the size marking is the same, because that is what the Regeling voertuigen requires. It is only sensible if the type, brand and tread depth are close to each other, otherwise the car brakes and steers unevenly. Put the two best tyres on the rear.

Can I bring my own tyres for you to fit?

We supply the tyres ourselves. That way we are sure the size, load index and speed rating are right, and we sort it out if anything is wrong with the tyre. Do you already have tyres? Call us with your registration number and we tell you what we can do for you.

Is a new budget tyre better than a used premium tyre?

Not necessarily. The ANWB writes that cheap new tyres more often perform badly on one or more test areas, while premium tyres rarely disappoint. A young used premium tyre without damage can be better. The difference is that with a new tyre you know for certain what you are buying.

Can I still sell my old tyres if they have tread left?

Yes, that is allowed. If you leave your old tyres with us when we fit new ones, we dispose of them. If you want to sell them yourself, say so in advance and you take them with you. When selling, state the DOT code and the tread depth, so that the buyer knows what they are buying.

Rather know for certain what you are buying?

Call +31 10 479 00 00 with your registration number. We tell you one price in advance for new tyres in the class that suits you, including fitting, balancing and disposal. Boterdiep 11 in Rotterdam-IJsselmonde.

You will find us at Boterdiep 11 in Rotterdam-IJsselmonde, close to Stadion Feijenoord (De Kuip). We work by appointment. Call us with your registration number and we tell you the price and when we can do it.

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