Non emarked tires in the UK market.

Recently there has been a large amount of discussion on blogs and forums about non European tires being imported into the UK and sold as UK specific tires. With the help of Goodyear Dunlop UK and pistonheads.com we have written the following to try and help steer you in the right direction when buying replacement tires.

Non E Marked tires should never be fitted for road use in the UK market

This is without question the number one factor to consider. If a tire garage fits tires without an "E" mark on the sidewall they can be taken to court. Tires without E marks have not been designed with the demanding European conditions in mind and could fail under standard use.

Some companies are importing "exchange rate friendly" E Marked tires not designed for the western European climate

This is where things get a little more complex. Tire companies, like most major suppliers have factories around the world and are constantly revising their tire models. Goodyear for example make E marked tires for the UK market in factories in numerous factories around the world and officially import them via their own dealer network. Many reputable wholesalers also import and sell these tires that will have been sourced through a manufacturer's European company.

What complexes matters is that most tire manufacturers also make E marked tires for other climates in these factories which they don't choose to import into the UK. Unofficial tire dealers then import these "E marked, but not intended for the UK" as they benefit from a lower buying price due to the strength of the pound.

How do I make sure I get the right tire?

Unfortunately, while there is a polluted supply of various brands to the UK there is no guarantee of getting the right rubber, there are however a number of common sense steps you can take to try and eliminate incorrect tires / dealers.

• Find out if the network / independent dealer is approved by the tire brand
• Ask your tire garage if they sourced the tire from the European dealer of that tire brand (ie Goodyear Dunlop Europe)
• Check the sidewalls yourself and refuse any tire without an E mark. (Sidewall Markings - The letter F shows you a box or a circle and inside this is an E with a number eg E13 or E5. Outside that box or circle should be a further number. The number outside the box or circle is the E mark. If your tire does not have the number after the E13 / E5 then the tire is not E marked)
• Shop with dealers who are registered with the National Tire Distributors Association, who put certain quality and trading standards in place with independent dealers.

This problem is a small but growing issue. All the major tire brands are fighting to eradicate this problem as tires being used outside of their original design specification has serious safety and performance consequences. If you believe you might have non E Marked tires please either contract the brand directly with details of where you purchased them from or let us know and we'll pass the information on to the relevant contact.

Feel free to post any comments detailing your experiences below. Tirereviews would like to extend it's thanks to Goodyear Dunlop for providing us with information.