I took my car in to have one of its tires (left rear) serviced because it had begun to lose air pressure. A screw was visible in the tire. While in for repair the mechanic discovered severe dry rot on the inside of the driver side tires. The openings were 2-4 inches long with exposure through to the liner. The service mechanic stated that the dry rot was "not unheard of but was unusual" and that the two tires were faulty and unsafe and would need to be replaced. Because my car is an all-wheel drive model all four tires would need to be replaced to avoid any possible damage to the all-wheel drive/quattro system. The service mechanic also stated that the tread wear was in great shape. Three of the four tires including the two faulty were bought in January of 2003 and had 41K miles on them. The fourth tire was newer, bought in July of 2004 and had 17K miles on it.

- Cincinnati, OH, USA