Tire Safety Awareness Act of 2004
Key claim: Sellers of most replacement light-vehicle tires would have had to give customers a written manufacture date at sale, and the Transportation Department, with the National Academy of Sciences, would have reported to Congress on how aging affects those tires.
Abstract
(S2028 · 108th Congress) Tire Safety Awareness Act of 2004 - Directs the Secretary of Transportation to promulgate tire safety regulations that require written disclosure to consumers of the date on which a tire was manufactured, at the point of sale. Creates an exception to disclosure for tires that are sold with new vehicles, exempt from testing under Federal standards, or sold for use on vehicles with a gross weight of 10,001 pounds or more. Requires the Secretary, in cooperation with the National Academy of Sciences, to prepare a report to Congress on the effects of age on light vehicle tires. Latest action (2004-01-26): Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. (text of measure as introduced: CR S252)
Why this matters
Tire aging is a recognized safety concern — older tires can fail even when tread appears adequate — but U.S. law has never required sellers to disclose manufacture dates to buyers, leaving consumers to decode DOT sidewall codes themselves. This 2004 bill is one of several unsuccessful attempts to close that gap, and its failure helps explain why disclosure remains voluntary and industry-driven.