Used Tires on Kijiji & Facebook Marketplace: Read This First
Every fall, Kijiji and Facebook Marketplace fill up with tire listings. "Like new winters, 90% tread, $400 for all four!" And every fall, somebody buys them, calls me to mount them, and finds out the hard way why they were $400.
I'm not here to lecture you. I'm here to save you money, because the used-tire game on these marketplaces is where tire clusterfucks are born. Let me show you what's actually waiting in those listings — and then I'll show you the smarter way to get quality tires at genuinely discounted prices.
The Clusterfucks Hiding in Marketplace Listings
I've mounted a lot of marketplace tires over the years. Here's what keeps showing up:
Dry-rotted tires sold as "like new." Rubber degrades with age whether it's driven on or not. A tire can have deep tread and still be dangerous if the sidewalls are cracking. Sellers either don't know or don't mention that the tires sat in a backyard shed for six years.
Hidden repairs. Plugs, patches, and sidewall damage that doesn't show in photos. A tire that was run flat for a week has internal damage you'll never see until it fails at highway speed. The seller "forgot" to mention that part.
Mismatched sets. Four tires, three different brands, two different tread patterns, all vaguely the same size. Your AWD system hates this. Your handling hates this. The seller calls it a "full set."
Wrong size or wrong load rating. The listing says they "came off a Honda CR-V" so they'll fit your CR-V. Except they're the wrong load rating for your trim, or they're actually from a different generation. Close doesn't count with tires.
"90% tread" that isn't. Tread depth is measurable, and sellers measure with optimism. What they call 90% is often 50%, and at 50% a winter tire has already lost a huge chunk of its snow and ice grip.
Bent or cracked rims thrown in as a bonus. That "tire and rim package" for $500 includes steelies that wobble and an alloy with a hairline crack. You find out on the balancer — after you've paid.
Aged-out tires with old DOT codes. Every tire has a date of manufacture stamped on the sidewall. Plenty of marketplace tires are 8, 10, 12 years old. They look fine. They are not fine.
None of this shows up in a Marketplace photo taken in a dim garage.
Why Marketplace Tires Are a Gamble You Can't Win
Here's the structural problem: you have zero recourse. Buy a bad set from a stranger on the internet, and there's no store to go back to, no warranty to claim, no receipt worth the pixels it's printed on. The seller ghosts you. The listing disappears. You're holding four expensive rubber donuts.
You also can't verify history. Was the car in an accident? Were the tires run underinflated for two years? Were they stored stacked in the sun? You'll never know. You're buying blind and hoping.
And here's the math that kills the "deal": when you bring me a set of used tires you bought yourself, mobile installation runs $160 (regular $220). If those tires turn out to be junk on my balancer — mismatched, damaged, or unsafe to mount — you just paid $160 to find out you wasted $400. That's $560 gone with nothing on your car.
When Used Tires Actually Make Sense
I'm not saying never. There are narrow cases where used makes sense:
You need a full-size spare and don't want to pay full price for a tire that'll sit in your trunk. Fair.
You're selling the car in three months and just need it to pass a safety. Pragmatic.
You found a genuinely good set from someone you actually know and trust — a friend, a family member — where you know the car's history. That's not a marketplace gamble, that's a handoff.
Outside of those cases? The savings are an illusion. By the time you've paid for the tires, paid to mount and balance them, and factored in that they have half the life of a new set, you've spent new-tire money on used-tire risk.
The Smarter Play: Quality Tires at Real Discounts
Here's what most people don't realize: you don't need to gamble on used tires to save money. Discounted new tires — with full manufacturer warranties, correct fitment, and zero mystery history — are sitting right here.
Check our tire promos page before you buy anything. We run real discounts on quality brands all season long. Then stack manufacturer rebates on top — the rebates page tracks every current offer, and they change through the season. Between promos and rebates, the gap between "used from a stranger" and "brand new with a warranty" shrinks to almost nothing.
And when you buy a tire and wheel package from us, mobile installation is free for the first fall-winter season. We come to your driveway anywhere in the GTA and Durham. Compare that to paying $160 to mount somebody's mystery tires and hoping for the best.
New tires. Known history (it's new — there is no history). Full warranty. Correct size, correct load rating, mounted and balanced by a pro, in your driveway. That's what your $400 should have bought in the first place.
Stop Gambling. Get Real Tires at Real Discounts.
Here's my honest pitch: before you message that stranger about their "like new" winters, check what quality new tires actually cost right now.
Shop tires online from Sparky X, check current deals on our tire promos page at, and stack every available rebate. Or just call (647) 819-0490 and tell me your budget — I'll find you the best quality rubber for it, no gamble required.
We come to your driveway anywhere in the GTA and Durham. New tires, real warranty, pro installation. That's the deal Marketplace can't touch.
QUICK FAQ
Q: Are used tires on Kijiji and Facebook Marketplace ever safe?
A: Sometimes, but you're gambling. Without knowing the tire's age, history, and hidden damage, you're buying blind — and there's no warranty or return policy when it goes wrong.
Q: How do I check a used tire's age?
A: Look for the DOT code on the sidewall. The last four digits are the week and year of manufacture — "3521" means the 35th week of 2021. Anything over 6 years old deserves serious skepticism, no matter how the tread looks.
Q: What does it cost to mount tires I bought myself?
A: Mobile installation for tires or wheels bought separately runs $160 (regular $220). If the used set turns out to be damaged or unsafe on the balancer, that money doesn't come back — which is why the "cheap" used set often ends up being the expensive option.
Q: Do new discounted tires come with a warranty?
A: Yes. New tires carry the manufacturer's warranty against defects — something no Kijiji or Marketplace seller can offer. That warranty alone is worth more than the small savings on a used set.
