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Surprisingly, tires do not have a physical date of expiration, but officials say that on average, tires can last from four to five years. It all depends on how intensely you use them. You may have found yourself driving somewhere and when you least expect it, you hear this loud pow. Then you check what it is. Oh! Your tires are shot and you find yourself pacing back and forth, thinking how did that happen?

Lisa Sutinen writes, "I guess with anything that is used extensively, it will wear out with time and must be replaced accordingly."  Lisa is right. Your tires will start to break down depending on how much mileage you drive and the conditions of the road.

Scott Willey, the manager for Willey's Tire Shop, says most signs will show.  "A lot of times the tire can be failing from the inside out and you won't even see it. But there are some signs, like the outside might get cracking or weather checking. Sometimes you get little blisters in the tire--that usually is a sign that the tire is failing," said Willey.

One of the most common mistakes you can make is not checking your tire for damage before heading out. You should make sure you rotate your tires every six to eight thousand miles, check to see if the air pressure is at the right level, look for any uneven wear, or cracking on the tread of the tire. Driving on a damaged tire for too long can create issues with the balance that may cause needed alignment for the car.

Patrick Merrills, a mechanic at Willey's, says other mechanisms can get damaged if you run in a deep pothole or hit a curb and continue to drive the car without checking it. "Usually the shots or the strut will go bad and that can cause the tire to break down--it's called a mechanical failure--and what happens to a radial tire is then you get what's called a diagonal swip. Usually that's created by a bad shock or worn part," said Merrills.

Officials emphasize to get your tires checked regularly. They also suggest if you get a flat, do not drive on the plugged tire for too long because that can ultimately do more damage. Replacing a tire can run you a couple hundred dollars.