Place a penny upside down in between the tire tread as shown. If you can see the top of Lincoln's head, the treads are worn and tire replacement is needed. A quick and easy way to check your tire wear is with a tread depth gauge. It measures tire tread depth from 0 to 19/32 inch.
As a general rule, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recommends that drivers change the tires on their vehicles every six years. However, there are several factors that can place additional wear and tear on tires that force drivers to change them more frequently.
Worn or old tires can lead to a variety of problems, including: Compromised road grip due to a worn-down tread. Blowouts that leave you stranded or even cause you to crash. Difficulty stopping and braking effectively.
On average, people drive between 12,000 to 15,000 miles a year, which means the average good quality all-season tire will last somewhere between three and five years, depending on maintenance, driving style and conditions, etc.
As a general rule, the original tires on a new vehicle or quality replacement tires should last up to 50,000 miles. However, many factors will have a significant impact on any tire's life and may substantially shorten its life expectancy.
It's always best to replace all 4 tires at the same time. This is because all 4 tires spin independently of one another, and different tread depths and/or styles can cause them to spin at different speeds. That could potentially damage the drive train, and possibly affect an indirect TPMS system if the vehicle has one.
The general pricing for inexpensive tires will be $50 to $150 each, $100 to $300 each for moderately priced tires, and $300 to $1000 each for high-end. Based on the median price of tires in the United States, you can expect to spend a little over $600 for a set of 4 new tires, not including the price of installation.
Tire tread is composed of several ribs. Turn the penny so that Lincoln's head points down into the tread. See if the top of his head disappears between the ribs. If it does, your tread is still above 2/32” , If you can see his entire head, it may be time to replace the tire because your tread is no longer deep enough.
Tire Noise That Sounds Like Trouble
Alignment problems, suspension issues, or improper tire inflation can all cause strange or unusual tire noise that sounds a bit like thumping or bumping. Misaligned or underinflated tires might sound like squealing or screeching.
Tyres will generally last an average of 40,000km, although this can vary widely depending on quality of road surfaces and your driving style. They should be checked annually once they reach the 5-year mark, and should be replaced every 10 years at the very least.
Replacing four tires costs twice as much as replacing just two, and your rear pair could still have thousands of miles of life left. If you do buy two tires instead of four, it's always better to put the new tires on the back, rotating the older ones to the front position.
Buying four tires will also open the door to cost savings per tire. Tires are periodically less expensive per tire when purchased in a set of four. Tire manufacturers often have special discounts that are only eligible for full sets of tires.
A front-end alignment (or two wheel alignment), which involves only the front two wheels, typically costs anywhere from $50 to $75. While a four wheel alignment costs more, usually $100 to $168. You may find that the answer to “how much is a wheel alignment” is higher for luxury cars.
If two of your tires wear out faster, it may only be necessary to replace those two instead of replacing all four. If you do, it's important to have the two new tires installed on the back and the partially worn tires moved to the front – even on front-wheel-drive vehicles.
We recommend an alignment after the installation of new tires. This helps you get the most life from your new tires. Wheel alignment checks are always advised after a significant impact or uneven tire wear is detected.
Under normal driving circumstances with a front-wheel drive vehicle (passenger cars, minivans, etc.), the front tires will wear at a slightly higher rate than the rear tires.
Different types of tires will wear out at different rates. For example, all-season tires can last as long as 100,000km with proper care and maintenance. However, don't expect other types to see that much longevity.
Check the tread indicators
Small bars of rubber running across the grooves in between the tread – called tread wear indicators – tell you when the tyre is worn out. If the tread is worn down to these bars on any part of the tyre, it's worn out, unroadworthy, and needs to be replaced.
Two common causes of early tire wear out and irregular tire wear are improper inflation pressure and out-of-spec alignment conditions.