Your tires are “blooming” when the tire’s rubber turns a blotchy brown color instead of black.

Just like tire cracking and dry rot in tires, tire-blooming is common on vehicles that don’t get driven much.

That’s usually because the tire manufacturer used an additive, antiozonant, in the tire’s rubber  — Antiozonant protects the tire against dry rot, ozone, and weather-cracking, but on tires that don’t get driven the antiozonant turns a brown color, staining the tire’s rubber permanently.

Most drivers wear out the tire before tire blooming becomes an issue. 

But if you have a vintage or garaged car with older tires that rarely hit the highway, like the Corvette tire in this picture, they may be looking a little brown.

Steps you can take to protect your tires.

You cant reverse tire blooming, but there are products you can use to delay the onset and enhance the appearance of your tires. 

At Kenwood Tire, we use a few products to clean and protect our customers’ tires and wheels – Right now we’re trying out the Chemical Brothers Diablo Gel tire and wheel cleaner with great results on all wheel types.

See how it works on the brake dust of this Mercedes GLK350 —

When it comes to tire dressings I’m not a big fan, but it’s ok to use a tire protectant like sunscreen. My longtime favorite is Wizard”s Tire Dressing and Protectant because it’s water-based, and doesn’t leave a residue and sling product all over your car!

If you’re a fan of shiny tires, use a water-based dressing like Wizards Tire & Vinyl Shine to finish the job because it won’t harm the tire and contains UV protection — Stay away from solvent-based dressings because they will accelerate tire cracking.

My advice about tire blooming and tire cracking is the same — Just drive! — Even if you have nowhere to go, getting your tires through a driving cycle will make them last longer.

Tire blooming is not usually covered by a manufacturer’s defect warranty because it’s considered a cosmetic condition that doesn’t affect the performance or safety of the tire.

Although blooming tires are not a safety concern, it could be a sign that your tires are old and should be replaced — But if your tires are less than 5 years old, I recommend filing a customer satisfaction warranty claim with the tire manufacturer directly.

Thanks for visiting, Spencer.

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