Many people miss the days when vehicle owners performed all their own regular maintenance. Now, most people service their vehicle through a vehicle maintenance company, such as a car dealer’s service center or an oil change company. The transaction between the purchaser of the vehicle service and the provider of that service is a contract with certain expectations. When a vehicle maintenance company advises the owner that the vehicle’s tires will be checked, the owner relies on their professionalism to adequately inspect the tires and ensure their continued safe use.
When a tire is rotated and/or balanced, a tire technician will necessarily touch the tire. It is expected in this service that if a bulge or cut exists on the tire, the technician will take action, at least through disclosure to the vehicle owner. Likewise, when air pressure is added to the tire, a tire technician is necessarily touching the tire, afforded a perfect opportunity to inspect the tires’ sidewall, tread, and bead.
Many oil change companies advise their customers that their tires will be checked. Receipts for this service often include a technician’s notes regarding tread wear. Tread depth can be measured with a tread gauge. Tread on passenger new tires typically measure 14/32nds of an inch. Treads, on average, wear at a rate of 1/32nd per 5,500 miles. If a vehicle is driven properly with no alignment problems, the tires, if rotated regularly, should wear evenly across the crown of their treads. If a tire has more tread left on one side, compared with the other, an alignment issue may be the cause. If a tire has worn more on the edges, then maybe underinflation is the cause. But, if a tire tread has an area, or spot, that has worn at a greater rate than the rest of the tire, the tire likely possesses a localized separation under the tread. Of course, that tire should be removed from service.
When a vehicle maintenance facility tells a purchaser that they are checking the tires, upon passage, the company is telling the customer that the tires are safe. But, without training on how to identify problems, this representation can never be honest. A multi-national company with a vehicle maintenance department trains its technicians through computer-based training. Approximately 85% of all training for these technicians is conducted through the computer. To glean any benefit from this training, the trainer must have the ability to read. Perhaps more obviously, the trainer must have the ability to read English, because that is the only language offered. But, when multiple stores of this company’s vehicle maintenance arm are spread throughout the Southwest, the chance that a tire technician may not be able to read English becomes more real. Companies must not ask of their employees something they cannot do. If training is available only in English, Spanish-speaking tire technicians must be trained differently.
Most tire technicians are trained to take tread-depth measurements with a tread depth gauge. Pushing down on the gauge’s plunger through one of the tread grooves reveals the tread depth. But, a tire could have different tread depths given different problems like underinflation, improper alignment, or internal separation. Tire treads should be measured with three measurements across the face of the tread. Then, random measurements should be taken throughout the circumference of the tire to identify any spot wear situation.
No company should tell a vehicle owner that the tires are safe, unless it actually knows they’re safe. Some companies simply have not ensured the type of training and operation necessary to adequately inspect tires. This negligence can be dangerous.
Written by:
Guy L. Watts, II
Watts Guerra LLP
4 Dominion Drive, Bldg 3, Suite 100
San Antonio, Texas 78257
Phone (210) 447-0500
© Watts Guerra LLP 2015
