There are various factors to consider when answering the question of how often to change car tires. Tires should be changed between 40,000 and 70,000 miles on average. Safety is a priority here, so the $750 cost is worth it. Don’t skip on tire replacement.
Today’s car owners don’t know as much about car maintenance as they did in the past. Our grandparents, for example, took classes at school about car repair. Many did basic work themselves. Nowadays, many of us don’t even know how often we should change our tires.
This blog answers the question as well as takes on a few points about tire conditions and the costs of repair and replacement.
Changing the tires on a car (at roughly 45,000 miles) is an important part of any vehicle maintenance plan. The easiest way to know when to change the tires is to wait for your mechanic to tell you when you get the oil changed and the car inspected.
However, waiting for the mechanic to inform you could put you in a dangerous spot. It’s better if you know how to do a quick check yourself.
Here are the questions you may find yourself asking:
There are two factors that come into play when having this conversation: tire wear and tire age.
The wear of a tire occurs as the heavy vehicle navigates roadways for miles and miles. Along the way, friction and literal bumps in the road take their toll on the tire. If the tread is uneven, there’s a tire problem to be addressed. If the tire tread is low, call your mechanic.
Tire age is also a concern. Tires are not designed to last forever. In fact, many of us don’t even think about tires until ours is flat, punctured, or not providing enough traction to get us from point A to point B in a safe manner.
Tires have a date of production listed on the wall. This can help identify if tires are expiring. Normally, tires should be replaced between six and ten years of use if no other problems exist.
The experts know best. If you have a gut feeling that your tires are fading, and fast, call up a mechanic and schedule a quick inspection. You’ll thank yourself for it later.
The penny test clues drivers in as to how well their tires are holding up. This can be a useful hack if you’re interested in knowing if it’s time to change your tires.
Find a penny and stick it in the tread. The penny goes in head first.
If you can see Honest Abe’s head, the tire tread is too low, and tire replacement is required.
Beyond this visual test, some drivers can tell the tires are going bad based on the vehicle’s performance. If the car seems to be floating on the road, drifting, or spinning out in wet conditions, the tires are not gripping the road correctly. Replace them.
If you’re wondering why you should replace your tires, you need to be cognizant that if you have an accident because your tires are bad, that’s 100% your fault. The insurance company and the law will deem you liable for driving a dangerous car.
In other words, you should not drive a car on bad tires. Instead, you should take the bus until you can figure out a way to get the car to the shop for tire replacement. The average cost for four new tires is about $750, but can be more for big trucks, SUVS, and foreign makes.
If you don’t replace your tires in a timely fashion, there are consequences:
Statistic: Every year, over 11,000 wrecks occur due to bad tires.
Ruined tires don’t usually happen out of nowhere. Instead, the process comes over time. The cause of a bad tire is to be considered in answering the question, “How long do tires last?”
First of all, tires are designed to make it anywhere from 40,000 miles to 70,000 miles. If you’re thinking of owning a car for 200,000 miles, that’s 3-5 tire changes until the vehicle is off to the junkyard.
Factors that lead to tire replacement:
These factors don’t operate independently of one another. If you speed every day, slam on the brake’s like nobody’s business, and live in a city like Chicago with hot summers and freezing winters, don’t be surprised if you’re finding yourself at the tire shop more often than most.
The first step to changing your car tires is recognizing that the time has come for tire replacement.
Here are some tips to help you know it is time to make the call.
Knowing what to look for is only half the battle.
Buying new tires for your vehicle, once you’ve identified that there is a need, can pose another challenge. It’s hard to know which tires are right for your ride.
Take stock of your unique situation to begin. How do you drive? Aggressively or cautiously? What’s the weather like where you live? Do you do more highway driving or more city driving? All of these questions can help you find the right tires for the job.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the decision, just talk to the tire shop professionals. Just be careful they don’t pressure you into something more than you need (nobody needs snow tires in Miami).
Here, we present a brief cheat sheet on tire types:
People who really care about their rides often keep two sets of tires. For example, if they live in Miami, but drive to Colorado every winter, they may have all-season tires for home and snow tires for Denver.
The ultimate authority on tire ratings is the NHTSA.
Treadwear grades are based on a scale where 100 means the normal life, and 3000 means three times it.
Traction is also rated. AA is the top score. A, B, and C are the next levels.
Date of Tire Codes reveal how old the tire is. Ask your mechanic for further advice.
Temperature is also graded with A, B, and C. A is the best score.
What about used tires? Some people love to buy used products, but used tires aren’t highly recommended in most cases. It’s a huge risk. You could save a little money upfront, but you’ll be replacing those tires sooner than you would new ones.
There’s also repair costs to consider. A used tire is more likely to blow out while you’re on the expressway. That means a dangerous situation that could result in a wreck. At best, you’ll be calling for roadside assistance. The few pennies saved aren’t usually worth it in the end.
Here are the questions commonly asked when discussing tire replacement.
Tires should be changed more often than most people think. The average car owner puts 15,000 miles on a car in a year. If you’re going at this rate, you can expect to replace your tires every three years or so. If you’re putting more miles on the car, try to change the tires at 45,000.
This figure isn’t specific to any type of car, so you should rely on a professional for advice. When you get your oil changed, request a tire inspection. The mechanic will give you a report on the condition of the tires.
Usually, this report comes in traffic signals. If you’re on red or yellow, replace the tires.
When talking about tire care, it’s an important point that we shouldn’t forget about the spare tire in the trunk or on the back of the vehicle.
Remember that these old tires do expire. Also keep in mind that most modern cars come with donut tires as spares. Some car experts recommend tossing the donut and replacing it with a full size tire if possible. A donut can only be driven fifty miles at 55 MPH or less.
Mechanics love to debate which tires wear out faster on vehicles. Some say that it depends on if there is front-wheel drive or rear-wheel drive. The truth is that most cars require front wheel replacement sooner.
This is because the front of the vehicle is heavier thanks to the engine components.
If you have an all-wheel drive car, you should have all four tires replaced at the same time. In other vehicles, you may be able to get away with replacing just two wheels.
One tip that helps is staying up to date on your tire rotations semiannually (or 6,000 to 8,000 miles).
The truth is the wheels on the car require your constant attention. Check them before every ride. You never know when you could have a flat, puncture, or bad tread.
If you have an old car, though, these wheel replacement cars might be the final straw. Instead of investing in new wheels, just send the car to the junkyard and start over.
