What causes tire wear?
There is not a magical number of years or miles that your tire will need replaced. The type of tire, maintenance upkeep, performance, and road conditions all play a part of how long your tires will last. Keeping your tires properly inflated, balanced, rotated and aligned will ultimately keep tires from wearing prematurely. Checking your tires monthly will also protect you from voidable breakdowns and help fuel economy.
Repairing a Tire
It is normal that your tire loose air and adjusting tire pressures monthly is a good way to keep all tires in specs. But, if your tire has a slow leak many times it can be safely repaired. If the leak is due to low tread then it must be replaced. There are strict guidelines as to proper tire repair and all tires are examined very closely to determined if it should be taken out of service.
Here’s some quick tips:
Check air pressure and tread wear on all tires, including the spare. Insert a Lincoln penny into the tread of each tire. If you can see the entire top of his head, your tread is less than one-sixteenth of an inch deep and should be replaced.
Make sure each tire is filled to the suggested pounds per square inch (PSI)
of air, which is listed in your owner’s manual and on a label inside the driver’s door. Check when tires are “cold” – meaning they haven’t been driven on for at least three hours.
Be familiar with your spare. Many passenger cars are not equipped with a spare tire. Some come with a sealant kit and others have run-flat tires. Read your owner’s manual and be familiar with what to do if a road hazard occurs.
Pay attention to the warning lights on your dash. A low tire monitor indicates one or more tires are under inflated by 25% or more. You can read more about TPMS on our Under the Hood blog.
A note about our Roadside Hazard program
Road Hazard programs provide you valuable protection that goes beyond manufactures warranty.
Our plan features:
FREE tire replacement through the first 33% of tread wear, prorated thereafter
FREE flat repair for the life of the plan (coverage is valid for 3 years from date of purchase or until the tread is 2/32nds or less)
FLAT TIRE changing assistance (reimbursed nationwide)
NATIONWIDE coverage
If you would like to contact one of our service consultants via email, simply click here
