How to Know When to Replace Your Tires
Consumer Reports’ experts explain how to tell when you need new tires and how to choose good replacement tires.
What stands between your family and a rain-slicked highway is just a few inches of rubber. Too many drivers ignore their vehicle’s tires until they are forced to swerve or slam on the brakes, often with devastating consequences. On average, nearly 11,000 motor vehicle crashes each year are tire-related, resulting in more than 600 fatalities, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Many of these accidents are preventable with periodic inspections, regular air pressure checks, and timely replacement.
Knowing exactly when to replace your tires is one of the most critical safety decisions a car owner can make. You don’t have to wait for a dangerous skid or a flat tire to evaluate your current set. By understanding how treadwear affects your vehicle’s handling, you can accurately spot the warning signs of degradation before your tires fail on the road. Here is what you need to look for to ensure your vehicle stays safely planted on the pavement.
How to Know When to Replace Your Tires
The most important step is to inspect your tires every month for wear. To gauge tread depth, all you need is a quarter. Put George Washington’s head into one of the big grooves (see the picture above). If the top of his head is flush with the tread, you have about 4/32nds of an inch of tread left, meaning you have some grip remaining for rainy or snowy conditions. That’s the time when you should start shopping for new tires. If you can see space above Washington’s head, you may need to replace your tires immediately.
See the best tire values.
Tire-Buying Basics
Before you start shopping, it’s good to know some tire basics.
Tires carry a speed rating, usually from S (112 mph) to Y (186 mph), with some winter tires having a lower speed rating, such as Q (99 mph) and R (106 mph). The rating indicates the tire’s maximum speed when carrying a load. Tires with higher speed ratings tend to have better grip and handling but wear out sooner, generally making them more expensive.
Tires come in various sizes, so it’s important to get the right ones for your car.
On the side of each tire are numbers like this: 215/60R16. The 215 refers to the cross-section width in millimeters, the widest distance from one sidewall to the other when mounted on the wheel; 60 is the ratio of sidewall height to tire width; and 16 is the size of the wheel in inches. Most cars also list this on the driver’s doorjamb.
Online retailers usually offer some of the lowest prices. But you may have to pay for shipping the tires to you, plus installation and balancing costs.
Local car dealers and tire retailers may match those prices or offer a deal on installation. Look for promotions, too, including manufacturer rebates and sales.
Last, keep in mind that price varies by size as much as they do by brand and model. Expect to pay more for larger tires.
Tire Value: Why Type Matters
• Each tire type has strengths and limitations.
• All-season tires are made to perform well in a wide range of conditions and have a long tread life.
• Performance all-season tires tend to provide better grip and handling, but sometimes that performance comes at the expense of longevity.
• Ultra-high-performance all-season and ultra-high-performance summer tires deliver the ultimate in-road holding, but have an even shorter tread life than performance all-season tires.
The general rule is that higher-performance tires cost more and wear faster, leading to a greater cost per mile.
But it’s usually best to stick with the type of tire that came on your car when you bought it. Downgrading to another tire type to save money could hurt your car’s braking and handling performance.
Need New Tires for Your Car, SUV, or Truck?
Check CR’s tire ratings and buying guide.
The CR Testing Difference
To take the guesswork out of the process, Consumer Reports tests more than 40 tire models every year—for cars, SUVs, and trucks—putting them through a rigorous testing program at our dedicated test track in Connecticut. We measure essential safety performance metrics such as wet and dry braking distances, hydroplaning resistance, and winter traction.
Some of these tests tell us how well tires grip, brake, and handle; how they perform on snowy or wet roads; and how resistant they are to rolling, which affects fuel mileage.
The cheapest tire isn’t always the best value. How long a tire will last before wearing out is a significant factor in estimating its true cost over its lifespan.
Check our tire ratings for the latest test results.
