How to Tell When Your Tires Need Replacing

Tires are the only part of your car that touches the road, and they fail slowly enough that most drivers never notice until a wet-weather scare. Three quick checks tell you where yours stand.

The quarter test beats the penny test

Insert a quarter into the tread groove, head down. If the tread doesn’t reach the top of the head, you’re near 4/32” — the point where wet braking distances start growing fast. Waiting for the legal minimum of 2/32” means giving up serious stopping power in the rain.

Age and wear patterns matter too

Rubber hardens with age; most manufacturers recommend replacement at six years regardless of tread. And uneven wear — one shoulder bald, center worn, cupped patches — is your tire telling you about an alignment, inflation, or suspension problem. Fix the cause before the new set repeats it.