DIRECT ANSWER
Make the decision from one identified vehicle.
Inspect all four corners as one system. Record each tyre’s size, load and speed rating, date code, brand, pattern, tread and repair history; then connect abnormal wear to wheel, alignment, suspension or prior-impact evidence. Confirm the exact version’s approved fitment instead of assuming that a visually similar Sealion or Song wheel is interchangeable.
Translate the advertisement into a controlled vehicle description before comparing it. The badge is only a starting point; year, power system, factory configuration and importing country determine which specifications matter. Separate documents and measurements from sales language so no brochure feature is credited twice.
CONNECTED DECISIONS
Use the evidence in its wider route
- Record the four-corner findings inside the used-vehicle inspection checklist so they remain attached to the VIN and broader condition evidence.
- Passenger and luggage load from the family and practicality assessment should inform pressure, load-rating and route decisions.
- Carry required replacement, alignment and wheel repair into the delivered-cost calculation before comparing candidates.
EVIDENCE FILE
Records that change the answer
Start with four-corner sidewall and tread photographs and link it to the VIN before accepting translated trim names or catalogue photographs. Add tread-depth and wear-pattern worksheet so condition or equipment claims can be checked against the actual car. The remaining records establish how the vehicle operates, how it has been treated and whether the proposed route is credible.
- four-corner sidewall and tread photographs
- tread-depth and wear-pattern worksheet
- wheel, fastener, brake, hub and suspension images
- alignment report, TPMS scan and road-test notes
- destination tyre availability and replacement budget
A record remains useful only for the vehicle and moment it describes. Preserve original files, note who supplied them and request a new inspection after a material repair or long custody gap. When another car is offered, discard conclusions that cannot be traced to its VIN.
DECISION TEST
Test the route, not the brochure
A candidate wears the correct nominal size but mixes patterns and production dates. The visible outer shoulders look serviceable, while the inner edges show wear that is easy to miss with the vehicle on the ground. Lift the car safely, measure each zone and inspect the related alignment and suspension points. Decide whether the issue is routine replacement, incorrect pressure, alignment drift, wheel damage or evidence of an impact before pricing the vehicle.
Choose the candidate that survives the route test with the fewest unsupported assumptions. Where proof is incomplete, show the buyer the open question and the realistic downside rather than promoting a convenient best case.
Inspection scope should follow the decision. For this route, check record complete sidewall identity and date code at every corner, then measure tread across inner, centre and outer zones and map repairs. Continue with inspect wheel runout, rim damage, alignment and related suspension points and record test TPMS operation and confirm suitable replacements at the destination. Measurements, photographs, diagnostics and test conditions are more transferable than labels such as “excellent,” “full option” or “export ready.”
Risk boundary
One clean tyre or a glossy sidewall treatment cannot represent the set. Uneven wear may affect braking, noise, range and stability, and it can be a symptom rather than the root fault. A replacement tyre installed without correcting alignment or suspension damage does not close the risk.
Disclosure makes a limitation discussable; vagueness makes it risky. Define how the issue affects safety, use, compliance, service or resale and who will resolve it. A deposit should not remove the buyer's ability to verify a decisive claim.
DESTINATION CONTROL
Carry the same facts through export
Decide before collection whether tyres or wheels will be replaced in China or after arrival. Confirm fitment, load rating, local availability, customs treatment and carrier condition requirements. Record pressures, tread, wheel condition and loose accessories at handover so later damage can be separated.
Rehearse the export file while the seller still controls the car. Contract, invoice, inspection, customs description and shipping booking should name the same VIN and propulsion. Ask the destination adviser separately about registration and any technical changes required after arrival.
Use a dated worksheet and a single delivery boundary for comparisons. Keep quoted, estimated and conditional lines distinct. Recalculate when currency, vehicle, route, sailing or customs treatment changes rather than carrying an old total into a new transaction.
BUYER QUESTIONS
Questions to settle before payment
Must every tyre be photographed and measured?
Yes. Mixed age, repairs and inner-edge wear can be missed when only one corner is recorded.
Does uneven wear always mean alignment is wrong?
No. Pressure, wheel damage, suspension wear, loading and prior impact also require investigation.
Should tyres be replaced before export?
Compare safety, verified fitment, destination availability, storage time and total cost; replacement location is a case-specific decision.
PRIMARY REFERENCES
Verify the current market version
BYD lists the current China-market vehicle through separate official Sealion 06 EV and Sealion 06 DM-i pages. Official pages describe the model family; the candidate still needs VIN-linked verification, and destination rules require separate confirmation.