I have a 2019 Gol and the original tires are still running fine, but I'm not sure if I should've already changed them. I drive a lot in the city and about 200 km per month on the highway. What's the average time a tire lasts before it becomes dangerous?
Most tires last between 3 to 5 years, regardless of mileage - and that's the most important part: after 3 years, even if the tire looks good, the rubber ages and becomes more brittle. In your case with a 2019 Gol, if the originals are still on there, that's about 5, 6 years now, and honestly it's time to think about replacing them, especially if you're going to be driving on the highway frequently. Visual wear is deceiving - go into any shop and ask the mechanic to check the tread depth; when it reaches 1.6 mm it's mandatory to replace them, but I don't recommend letting it get there, it's too dangerous.
The lifespan of a tire is something that depends on two factors that are always at odds with each other: mileage and age. The people above might be right that rubber deteriorates over time, but in practice what usually happens first is physical wear. In your case, with 200 km a month on the highway and the rest in the city, you're doing maybe 4000-5000 km monthly? That means your 2019 tire is already 6-7 years old, and depending on tread depth, it might actually be approaching the safe limit.
The truth is it's not always easy to tell just by looking. A trick that works well is to take a coin (works with a Euro) and stick the head side into the tire's groove. If you can see the coin clearly, the depth is too shallow. The legal minimum is 1.6 millimeters, but most mechanics say that at 3 millimeters you should already be thinking about replacing them, especially if you drive in the rain. Your Gol should still have quite a bit of tread, but at 5-6 years old the rubber does get actually harder and less grippy, regardless of how it looks. If they're still rolling fine, check how much wear they have and compare it to new ones - if the difference is small, maybe it's worth letting them go a bit longer. Now, if they're over 5-7 years old, I'd suggest you plan for a replacement soon.
Don't go by the tire's appearance, which is the most common mistake. A tire that looks intact and has tread can already be quite degraded internally, and that's when real problems start - unexpected blowouts, hydroplaning in rain, loss of grip. Your 2019 Gol with the original tires still in use... probably already has about 5-6 years on it, and that's concerning regardless of how much mileage you've put on it.
What the guys above said about age and mileage is correct, but here's the thing: between the two, age usually wins out once you pass 5-6 years. The rubber really does age and becomes more fragile, especially if you leave the car sitting in the sun during the day. With 200 km a month on the highway, you're not even wearing down the tread quickly, which means the limiting factor is really just time.
If you're in doubt, there's a pretty simple way to check. Take a photo of the DOT code on the back of the tire (those numbers and letters on the sidewall) - the last four digits tell you the week and year it was made. If it's before 2020-2021, I wouldn't wait any longer. Some tires can last up to 7 years, but it depends on where you keep the car and how much sun it gets. When in doubt, it's a safety issue.
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