When you purchase a car, one thing you need to know is when the best time is to replace a tire. Knowing when it’s time to replace them is necessary, and as an owner, you cannot ignore the time when you should change the tires. If you are a new car owner, we’ve made an article to guide you and help you find the right time to change the tires.
Key Takeaways:
- You should change a car’s tire after a maximum of 6 years of usage, no matter the mileage.
- Pay attention to how you drive because it could affect the lifespan of your car’s tires.
- Do a penny test to see if the tire’s thread is deep enough, so you can quickly replace the tires.
How Often Should You Replace the Tire?
Many drivers ask, How often should you replace your tires? The answers vary based on the types of tires, how the car was used, and how well you maintain the vehicle’s tire condition.
Check the Car’s Mileage
Most car tires are designed to be used for only 25.000 to 50.000 miles. Please note that performance tires might wear faster, while other types of tires, like seasonal tires, can last longer.
Tires Age
Even if the vehicle has lower mileage. A tire’s age is crucial, as many car experts recommend changing tires after a maximum of ten years after the manufacturer’s date. An old tire can be crafted and lost easily, and that is dangerous. If the tires have already reached 5 years of usage, you will need to consider a replacement.
Driving Conditions
If your driving conditions are rough, like extreme temperatures, uneven roads, and frequent heavy loads, those can affect your tires’ condition. Protip: inspect your tires regularly, even though you just bought a new tire. This step is crucial to monitor if the tires are damaged.
How to Know When It’s Time to Replace Your Tires?
Did you know that one of the simplest methods you can use is the “penny check”? This test aims to check the tire’s depth level. Aside from that, we’ve compiled a list of the best times to check your tires and replace them on time.
Check Your Tire Tread Depth
Ever notice how uneven roads or terrain shakes your car? That’s a sign of reduced tread depth playing its part. Most new tires start at about $10/32$ or $11/32$ per inch. But that number drops fast, and your safety margin goes with it. If you plan to replace the tire, check the window sticker to examine the tire’s size.
Use the Quarter Test
Place a quarter into the main tread groove with Washington’s head upside down. If the tread touches or covers his hairline, you have at least 4/32 of an inch. This is the point where you should start planning for replacement.
Avoid the Penny Test Alone
In the United States, the legal minimum tire tread depth is 2/32 of an inch. At this point, a tire is considered barely road-legal and provides limited traction, especially in wet conditions. While a tire may still pass a legal check at 2/32, most safety guidelines recommend replacement earlier, typically around 4/32 of an inch, to maintain proper braking and handling.
Find the Wear Bars
Look for small, raised rubber bars built into the main grooves of the tire. If the tread is worn down so that it’s flush with these bars, you’re at the dangerous 2/32 mark. It’s non-negotiable that the tire is done.
Note the Tire’s Age (The DOT Code)
You need to find the DOT code on the sidewall; it’s a string of letters and numbers. The last four digits are the crucial ones; the DOT codes explain the week and year the tire was manufactured. For example, if you see 4221, the tire was built in the 42nd week of 2021.
The Five-Year Mark
Start having your tires inspected annually by a professional once they hit the five-year mark from the manufacturer’s date. The rubber starts to lose its pliability and anti-ageing compounds.
The Six-Year Guideline
Many vehicle manufacturers, including major truck and car makers, recommend replacement after six years, regardless of how much tread is left.
The Ten-Year Hard Stop
No tire should be in service past ten years from its manufacture date. Even if the tread looks fine, the internal integrity and resistance to blowouts are compromised. That’s why the ten-year limit is the hard stop for every kind of tire; it’s just dangerous.
Conduct a Visual Inspection
Low tread depth and an old date code are hard data, but sometimes, the evidence is purely visual and tells an even more urgent story. We advise you to never skip a visual inspection because a structural issue can lead to a sudden failure.
Check for Cracks
Look for small cracks or crazing on the sidewall and between the tread blocks. This is often called dry rot and signals that the rubber is brittle.
Inspect for Bulges or Blisters
A bulge on the sidewall is a sign that the internal structure, the belts or plies, has failed, allowing air pressure to push the outer layer outward.
Look for Uneven Wear
Is one shoulder of the tire significantly more worn than the center? This points to a deeper mechanical problem like poor alignment, worn suspension components, or improper inflation. If you see this, you need a full inspection, not just new tires.
Feel for Damage
Run your hand across the tread surface. Do you feel cupping, feathering, or flat spots? These non-uniform wear patterns can cause vibration and indicate your vehicle needs alignment and balancing.
Read also: How Often Should a Car Be Serviced?
Pay Attention to Your Vehicle's Performance
Worn tires manifest themselves not with a warning light on the dashboard, but with subtle, yet unnerving, changes in driving dynamics. Here are the signs you need to watch on the vehicle.
- Increased Hydroplaning: Notice a lack of control or a momentary float when driving through standing water, even at moderate speeds? The grooves aren’t channelling water away effectively anymore, which is a textbook sign of worn tread.
- Vibration and Noise: A consistent vibration through the steering wheel or seat that can’t be fixed by a simple balance and rotation can signal uneven wear or the internal separation of belts within the tire. That hum of a well-tuned engine is great; that constant whop-whop-whop from the tires is not.
- Longer Stopping Distances: You won’t feel this until you really need it, but worn tires dramatically increase the distance required to stop, especially on wet or slick roads. You’ll be sliding while the car with new tires has already come to a rest.
- Constant Air Loss: While a nail is an obvious puncture, older tires sometimes develop slow leaks around the bead or through the cracked sidewalls, requiring you to top them off frequently.
Read also: 10 Crucial Areas to Check Before Buying a Used RV
Why Replacing Tires on Time is Important
Every system on your car, the ABS, the steering, the traction control, all work through the tires. Replacing the tires on time means that you deeply care about the safety of the car. Examine the safety records by checking the VIN.
- Maintain the braking system: Worn tires significantly increase your braking distance, especially in rain or snow. Losing even a couple of car lengths of stopping room can be the difference between a close call and a serious collision.
- Prevent Hydroplaning Incidents: As tread depth drops below $4/32$ of an inch, the grooves lose their ability to channel water away from the contact patch. This leads to a loss of steering control, that floating sensation that causes accidents.
- Protect Expensive Drivetrain Components: Especially for All-Wheel Drive (AWD) and four-wheel drive vehicles, running tires with significantly different tread depths puts undue stress on the differentials and transfer case. Replacing the whole set on time helps avoid a $2,000+ repair bill down the road.
- Ensure Fuel Efficiency: Under-inflated or badly worn tires increase rolling resistance. While marginal on a single tank, over the life of the tire, that extra drag costs you more at the pump than the cost of a new set.
- Maintain Control in Curves: Older, brittle, or cracked tires lose their ability to flex and grip effectively. You’ll notice reduced handling precision and stability, making highway driving and aggressive manoeuvring riskier than they should be.
What Will Happen When You Don’t Change the Car’s Tires on Time?
Not changing the tires on time is dangerous, and it could lead to poor handling, longer stopping distances, and a higher chance of accidents.
Big Safety Risks
Tires are the biggest safety feature you have, and letting them go bald is just asking for trouble. The car could have slipped when it was driven on a slippery road, which could have caused an accident.
Traction disappears fast
When that tread depth drops below $4/32$ of an inch, your car can’t channel water, which means a high risk of dangerous hydroplaning and drastically longer stopping distances. Don’t rely on the legal minimum; that’s too late.
Age matters, not just mileage
Look for the DOT code on the sidewall. If those tires are over six years old, the rubber compounds are brittle. This deterioration is why blowouts happen: a small crack turns into a sudden, violent failure.
Expensive Maintenance or Repair Costs
Delaying new tires forces the rest of your front end to work overtime. You’ll chew up your suspension components and possibly even your brakes faster than you should. What seems like saving money now just guarantees a much bigger, nastier repair bill down the road.
Non-negotiable Way to Ensure the Car’s Safety
Do yourself a favour: check your treads now, look for sidewall cracks, and verify the age. It’s cheap insurance for your safety and a smart move for your vehicle’s health.
Read also: 10 Car Maintenance Tips That Can Prevent Major Repair Costs
Don’t Wait, Change the Tires on Time!
Treat tire replacement not as an inconvenience, but as the single best investment in preventative safety you can make. Always verify the date code, and always use the quarter test to monitor your tread. That’s a lesson that saves headaches down the road.
Get a vehicle history report before buying a used car to ensure the car is in good condition and has never been in an accident nor was sold at an auction.
Frequently Asked Questions About Changing Tires on a Car
Should I replace all four tires at the same time?
For All-Wheel Drive (AWD) vehicles, this is strongly recommended, as differing tread depths can stress the drivetrain. For most other cars, if one tire is damaged, you should at least replace it and its partner on the same axle to maintain equal traction.
How do I read the tire age code on the sidewall?
Look for the letters “DOT” followed by a series of numbers and letters. The last four digits are the key: the first two are the week of manufacture (01-52), and the last two are the year.
Does tire mileage rating matter for replacement?
It offers a general expectation (e.g., $60,000$ miles), but it is a warranty figure, not a safety guarantee. Always prioritise tread depth, age, and visual condition over the mileage rating alone.
Is it safe to buy used tires?
We advise against it. You have no way of verifying the tire’s history, whether it was driven underinflated, or if it was ever subjected to a severe impact. Buying blind is simply not worth the risk.
