Unfortunately if you find a set of cheap tyres chances are they are some imported brand and not worth the price. Tyres are something that you get what you pay for. If you want quality, you need to be willing to buy brand new and buy a quality known brand. If you do not you are taking the chances of the tyre failing by blowing out or wearing out way before they should. A blow out is scary because it can cause an accident. It is not worth it to play with your life and the lives of your passengers to skimp on quality when it comes to tyre purchases.
There are no restrictions on the quality of imported tyres in Australia as long as the proper duty is paid and the presentation of a “fumigation certificate.” This is bad news for buyers because many of these tyres are inferior quality. Tyres from Japan come off scrapped used cars many are partly used. Distributors selling these tyres target people who are looking for a bargain, selling them for $55 to $75, claiming they are fine. They may appear okay, but who is to say the actual conditions the tyres were in previously before being imported.
Roughly around one third of the imported used tires are not worthy for driving. These tyres show sustained damage from a nail in the tread to sidewall damage to bad repairs to exposed belt wires. Can you imagine putting that on your vehicle, then driving your family at top speeds on the open roads? The potential for a serious accident are great, and so not worth the risk to save a few bucks. You are better off to save for a bit then purchase new tyres from a reputable dealer. Some of the imported used tyres were actually over a decade old too, very unsafe tyres indeed.
Why take the risk of saving a few dollars to purchase a set of imported used tyres when the chances are extremely high that at least one out of the four will be so damaged you will be taking a huge risk driving with them. The sad thing is the tyre may look okay on the surface. Some of the damage may only show from the inside. Some damage may not show until you are driving down the road and have a catastrophic blow out. It is not worth the risk. Buy new, buy a reputable name, keep the quality and reassurance that all four of your tyres are safe, and will last.
