Check it out: Tyres being inspected during MACC’s Ops Grip. — File pic
PETALING JAYA: Many motorists walk into a tyre shop, buy a new set of tyres for their cars and leave.
But a major raid by the authorities on several tyre outlets has led to the discovery of serious offences, including the act of tampering tyre identification markers and manufacturing dates.
Motorists have been advised to check carefully before they buy new tyres for their cars.
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Automotive influencer “Bro Wong” said some so-called “brand new” tyres sold at unscrupulous shops at low prices are not what they seem.
“The tampered manufacturing dates of these tyres are now hot stamped so intricately that even trained eyes struggle to tell the difference,” he said.
He said most buyers would opt for these tyres because they looked brand new and their prices are slightly cheaper.
“Unless they are from the industry, chances are the customer will never know the difference.
“Even some of those who work in the industry may not be able to tell if the markings are forged.
“If the date has been changed neatly in the hands of an expert, it looks perfectly normal,” he added.
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Bro Wong said there are special machines and gadgets in the market that would be used by unscrupulous tyre sellers to hot stamp the tyres with new information or tamper the markings.
He said the main culprits are not confined to small workshops in the rural areas but bigger dealers as well, who stock up tyres by the thousands each time they place an order.
“When the tyres don’t sell, they tamper the markings and change the manufacturing date to make the tyres look newer and easily dispose of them to retailers.
“There are also cases where old stock is bought during clearance promotions and then ‘refreshed’ and pushed back into the market, sometimes to smaller workshops that may not even be aware that the tyres were tampered with.”
Bro Wong is a used vehicle dealer of two decades who has made a name for himself on social media by exposing the shenanigans of the automobile industry.
He also said a “recently dated new” tyre may not always be the best choice as premium brand manufacturers usually “age” their fresh tyres for about six months to stabilise the rubber compounds to ensure they are more durable.
“Certain overseas manufacturers who want to make a fast buck don’t bother with such ‘maturing’ process, but push out their stocks quickly to commence the next production batch.
“As a result, we may end up with a ‘weak’ tyre,” he added.
Content creator and mechanic CK Yusoff said there are several ways to check if a tyre is genuine.
“When you look at the date of manufacture on the tyre wall, check if there are any discrepancies on the date.
“If there are bulges on the tyre or if the surface of the tyre is wavy, it is most likely tampered with,” he said in a social media post, using a tyre to demonstrate.
“The four digits on a tyre tell the week and year it was manufactured.
“For instance, if you see 2324, then it was made on the 23rd week of year 2024,” he added.
When contacted, Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry director-general (enforcement) Datuk Azman Adam gave the assurance that its enforcement officers carry out inspections on the ground to ensure that consumers can safely buy genuine tyres.
The ministry’s officers took part in a multi-agency raid named Ops Grip led by the Malaysian Anti‑Corruption Commission (MACC) where the authorities seized 17,700 tyres stored in warehouses.
Investigations revealed multiple offences including sales made through unauthorised distributors, tyres meant for the European market diverted to Malaysia, falsified manufacturing dates, erased barcodes and tampered labels to hide origins.
Representatives from eight major tyre companies also joined in the raid.
