Who Buys Used Tires? – Sell Your Tires Locally

Your tires have run their course, and it’s time to buy new ones. It’s easy to find places to buy new tires, but what do you do with the old ones? Because of harmful environmental implications, it’s no longer legal in most countries for waste haulers to take used tires. Don’t panic – there are plenty of places willing to buy used tires in any condition. Below I will share where to sell them, the pros and cons or each buyer or platform, where to get the most money, and my experience with the place who buys used tires near me.

Who Buys Used Tires Near Me – Find a Buyer Below

If you are trying to find someone “who buys used tires near me” or looking for “where to sell my used tires”, the map below shows where you can do this locally.

 

If you don’t have many used tire buyers in you area you should expand the zoom on the map. Alternatively you could run a classified ad in a newspaper. Also try selling them on eBay, Craigslist, or other online classified sites.

Who Buys Used Tires Near Me – Where to Sell Locally

Who Buys Used Tires Near MeThere are so many places willing to take used tires, both locally and online.  You can sell car, truck, motorcycle, ATV, or even tractor tires. There is always someone looking to replace their worn tires. Here are some of the best places where you can sell your tires.

 

Your local tire shop, local used tire dealer, or a tire salvage yard are often the best choices. Unless the tread is bald (less then 2/16 of an inch) , most tires can be resold. Of these, the best folks who buy used tires near me are the used tire shops. Used tire shops do a safety inspection, but make better offers often cause they take in resellable tires. Tire salvos on the other hand, they really once over the tire, don’t ask many questions, and make you a standard offer. They are much more liberal and a good option if you have less tread depth.

 

For your nearby tire shop or discount wholesale tire store , its a good bargain for them to pay you for the tire. This is instead of having you dispose or recycle it. Plus, If you’re buying new tires and getting them installed, you can sometimes negotiate a discount on the installation by exchanging your used rubbers. You may not get cash, but it’s better than paying in full for the installation and then a disposal fee. Sometimes when they buy your tires, they will send them to a local retreading shop, where they get retreaded and sold.

Who Buys Used Tires Online

Selling online is technically easier then selling in person. There is no one who will inspect your tire and likely your consumer doesn’t know much about used tire basics. You may get asked a lot of questions before the sale. People aren’t dropping a few hundred dollars without asking questions. They want to establish that they are getting safe used tires and they can trust you.

 

A rapidly growing marketplace for used tires is Craigslist. People are willing to buy old tires in a variety of conditions for a number of different reasons. No matter how old or worn your tires are, there is someone on Craigslist willing to buy them for the right price. The average selling price on Craigslist for used tires is $75 a tire.  If it’s a name brand like you have used Continental’s or used Luxury Vogues, you can fetch higher prices. It’s not a bad deal, especially if you can no longer drive on them. I would urge you to be mindful that you shouldn’t sell anyone bald tires because of how dangerous they are.

 

Another online option for selling used tires are tires classified sites like Sell My Tires. You’d be surprised at the number of uses used tires you may find and how many buyers are near you. On these websites, you simply post an ad for your tires, detailing how worn they are and how much you think they are worth. People in need of used tires or people willing to restore tires can find options by filtering the results. If they are local you can arrange a nearby pickup location. If not you can ship them and defer the shipping costs to the buyer.

How Much Money Can I Get for My Used Tires?

The amount of cash you get will depend on where you sell them and what condition they’re in. If you are selling your tires online, you can reasonably expect to make between $25-$75 per tire. It’s common to price a complete set of four used tires between $100-$300, again, depending on how worn they are and whether all four tires are worn evenly. You will be expected to provide photographs and measurements. If you have a name brand name used tire, you can often get fetch a higher rate. To get the most for your tire online, you should also list how much the tires cost new.

 

Selling tires to a tire shop can be a little trickier. Different shops will often give you very different quotes for the same tires. The place who buys used tires near me usually offers about $85 each, but I have brought in high quality used Michelin’s with plenty of life left. If you want to sell your tires in-person, it’s definitely worth asking around to get a few different quotes. However, in general, the less wear-and-tear on your tires, the more money you will make from them. These folks will inspect your tires and won’t take anything they don’t think they can sell or are deemed to dangerous.  Even so, there is little government regulation in the used tire resale industry and some places don’t care.

 

The size of your tires can also affect the pricing, both on and offline. Bigger tires are rarer (and more expensive to buy new), so you will make a lot more money for big truck tires than you will for the smaller tires that you just had taken off your passenger car. Everything depends on condition and size, but used motorcycle tires, ATV, and tractor tires are able to be sold locally and online. The place who buys used tires near me only deal in car and truck, but there are other places who specialize in other vehicle types.

Can I Sell a Used Tire if it has a Patch or a Plug?

Tire PatchIn theory, the answer is yes. In some US states it is illegal to sell retreaded tires, but that’s the only legal restriction when it comes to the sale of used tires.

 

The online marketplace can really be a free-for-all. However, it’s very important to be upfront about any repair work that have been done to your tire. Patches or plugs can make used tires unsafe to drive on, especially if the damage is on the sidewall.

 

An ethical tire repair shop will inspect any tires you bring in to sell to them. They won’t take tires that they can’t repair and re-sell. In general, any repairs that have been done to the tire’s tread shoulder, sidewall, bead area, or belt edge make the tire unsafe to drive on. These should not be resold for that purpose.

 

Patches and plugs don’t necessarily make your tire unsafe to drive on, but patches should always be made on the inside of the tire with a cured rubber stem. Plugs should always extend through the tire to the outside surface. Patches or plugs that have not been made to these specifications will make the tire unsafe to drive on and therefore unsafe to resell for that purpose.

Are There Legal Regulations for Selling Used Tires?

Legal regulations as far as selling used tires are both strict and maddeningly vague. If you live in the United States, these regulations will typically vary from state to state. The law does state that you are responsible for ensuring that your tires are in safe condition at the time of sale. You are also responsible to be fully honest about any and all damage or repairs that have been done to the tire.

 

With that stated though, there are no legal guidelines as to what “safe condition” actually means.

 

If you sell to your local used tire shop, however, that responsibility is transferred from you to the shop. So any defects or damage that is discovered after the tire has been sold are now the responsibility of the business reselling them. It’s because of this legal liability that tire shops are more thorough when they inspect used tires. This is why they can be very selective about which tires they choose to take.

 

Another thing to check before you decide to sell your tires is whether or not your tires are under recall. You can look up your tire using the DOT number on the US Tire Manufacturers Association website under Tire Recall Lookup. It is illegal (in every US state) to sell tires that are under recall. If you find that your tires have been recalled, the website details next steps to legally dispose of your tires.

Do I Have Any Liability After the Sale?

Yes, if you are selling the tires directly to a buyer. No, if you are selling the tires to a business.

 

This is something to be aware of if you are selling tires online. If you sell tires to someone online and you are not completely forthright about the condition, you are liable for any accidents or damage that the driver may incur while driving on them. You are also legally responsible if you sell tires that are under recall, which is illegal in every US state. This can come with a pretty hefty fine if you get caught.

 

Unfortunately, while you are legally responsible for making sure that your tires are in “safe condition” when you sell them to others, there are no legal guidelines as to what “safe condition” actually means. If you’re not sure, some big things to look for are bead damage and discoloration. Both of these things almost universally indicate that the tire is no longer safe to drive on. Additionally you shouldn’t sell a tire that is more then six years old. After six years the rubber degrades and becomes unsafe to drive on.

 

When in doubt, the best thing to do is to be completely honest about the condition of the tires. Disclose any repairs, damage, or wear that you know of. In the case of a lawsuit, if you can prove that the customer made a purchase in full knowledge of the tire’s condition, you may not be held responsible.

 

If you sell your tires to a business, you are legally responsible to make sure that the tires are in safe condition at the time of sale. The business, however is also legally responsible to ensure that they are purchasing a quality product. Once the business has purchased your tires, any legal responsibility of the resale  is transferred to the business.

Why Can’t I Just Throw My Old Tires Away?

As it turns out, tires are incredibly bad for the environment. The materials and chemicals that make them so durable include heavy metals and toxins that can cause cancer and even genetic mutations. Your exposure to these materials is almost non-existent when the tires are attached to your car.

 

However, when tires are left in landfills, these harmful materials slowly begin to leach into the environment, poisoning the soil and contaminating the groundwater. Over time, this kind of damage can be caused by just one set of tires from one car. So imagine the kind of damage that is done when the used tires from every vehicle in every nation are piled up and left to disseminate their toxic materials.

 

It’s for this reason that it’s no longer legal in many nations to put tires in landfills. Many US states require you to have a special license to haul large numbers of tires. This is to ensure people are not illegally disposing of used tires. Recycling your tires is easier than you think. Many garages, for a small fee, will dispose of your used tires for you after they’ve installed new ones. You can also look for a tire recycling locally which may pay you a standard flat rate for your rubbers. Honestly, there is no need to pay for someone else to take your used tires when there is a market for them both on and offline.

Who Buys Used Tires Near Me – Conclusion

Recycling your tires is easy. Almost any garage or tire shop, for a small fee, will dispose of used tires for your, especially if you purchase, install and mount new tires with them. However, the market for used tires is growing, and so there is no need to pay for your tires to be disposed of. Why not make a little extra money disposing of them on your own.

 

If your tires are worn but still driveable or can be made driveable again with  repairs, you can sell them locally or online. Local tire shops can also turn a profit by fixing up and selling used tires. Many of these places will buy your used rims as well. Some are willing to pay quite a bit, especially for bigger or rarer tires. However, remember you are legally responsible to ensure your tires are in safe condition at the time of sale. You can be held liable if someone gets into an accident because of damage done to the tires you sold them.

 

If your tires are no longer driveable, you can still sell take them to a recycling facility. Some facilities may pay you to take them off your hands and dispose of them in an eco-friendly way.