There are simply too many unknown factors about the specific tires in question at the moment to start getting TOO worried or getting totally gun-shy about Continental tires just yet.

I'd say the first step would be to see what the DOT code of the tire(s) tells us. Maybe they were just some NOS (new old stock) tires that should have never been sold in the first place (like evillecutter was referring to)?

Then again, maybe I'm just saying that to try to make MYSELF feel better since I'm currently running a set of Conti-Extreme Contact All-Seasons which have already been on my car for a few years now and have been the best riding, most even wearing, high-peformance, low-profile tires I've had on my car yet.