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Your tires are the only part of your car that touches the road, and each one meets it through a contact patch about the size of your hand. Everything your car does, from braking to steering in the rain, depends on those four small patches. The good news is that tire maintenance is simple and cheap. This guide gives you a practical routine: what to check every month, what to do every few thousand miles, and the warning signs that mean a tire needs attention now.
Key takeaways
- Monthly: check pressure and look over the tread and sidewalls.
- Every 5,000–7,500 miles (or as your owner’s manual says): rotate the tires.
- Replace tires when tread reaches 2/32 inch, and consider replacing at 4/32 inch if you drive in rain or snow.
- Age matters too. Check the DOT date code and follow your vehicle and tire maker’s advice on replacing older tires.
Your tire maintenance schedule
The U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association sums up the basics as P.A.R.T.: pressure, alignment, rotation and tread. Its tire care and safety guide covers each one, and the schedule below turns them into a routine.
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| Every month and before long trips | Check pressure (cold) against the door-jamb placard; look for nails, cuts, bulges and uneven wear; check the spare |
| Every 5,000–7,500 miles | Rotate tires; have balance checked if you feel vibration |
| Every year, and with new tires | Alignment check, or sooner after a pothole or curb impact |
| Twice a year (if you use winter tires) | Seasonal swap; store off-season tires cool, dry and out of sunlight |
| When tread or age limits are reached | Replace tires, ideally in sets of four or at least in pairs on the same axle |
1. Keep tires at the right pressure
Pressure is the single most important tire check, and NHTSA’s tire safety page puts it at the top of its list too. Underinflation causes heat build-up, poor handling and faster wear, while overinflation reduces grip. Use the pressure on the placard inside the driver’s door jamb, not the maximum printed on the sidewall, and check when the tires are cold. Our full guide to tire PSI walks you through it.
2. Check tread depth
Tread grooves channel water away so the tire can grip the road. As tread wears, wet braking gets worse and the risk of hydroplaning rises.
- Tread wear bars: small raised bars molded into the grooves. When the tread is level with them, the tire is at 2/32 inch and needs replacing.
- Penny test: put a US penny head-first into a groove. If you can see all of Lincoln’s head, the tread is at or below 2/32 inch.
- Quarter test: using a quarter the same way, if you can see all of Washington’s head, the tread is below about 4/32 inch, a sensible point to start shopping if you drive in rain or snow.
- Tread depth gauge: the most accurate option and very inexpensive.
Measure across the inner, center and outer grooves. Different readings tell you something is wrong (see the wear chart below).
3. Rotate your tires
Front and rear tires wear differently, especially on front-wheel-drive cars where the front tires steer, brake and drive. Rotating them moves each tire to a different position so they wear evenly and last longer. Follow the interval and pattern in your owner’s manual. A common interval is every 5,000–7,500 miles, which many people line up with an oil change. Directional tires and staggered setups (different sizes front and rear) have restricted rotation patterns.
4. Keep wheels balanced and aligned
Vibration at highway speeds usually means a wheel is out of balance. Pulling to one side or an off-center steering wheel usually means the alignment is off. Both shorten tire life. Read tire balancing vs. wheel alignment to tell them apart.
5. Read your tire wear patterns
| Wear pattern | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Both outer edges worn | Underinflation | Inflate to placard pressure and check monthly |
| Center worn | Overinflation | Reduce to placard pressure |
| One edge worn (see front tires wearing on the inside) | Camber out of alignment | Alignment |
| Feathered (sharp edges across the tread) | Toe out of alignment | Alignment |
| Cupped or scalloped patches | Worn shocks or struts, or wheel imbalance | Inspect suspension; balance wheels |
| Flat spot | Hard braking with locked wheels, or long-term parking | Inspect; replace if vibration remains |
6. Inspect for damage
Once a month, walk around the car and look closely at each tire. Replace or have a professional inspect any tire with:
- A bulge or bubble in the sidewall, a sign of internal damage that can lead to a blowout.
- Deep cuts, cracks or exposed cords.
- A nail or screw. Leave it in and get to a shop. See when a tire with a nail can be repaired.
- A tire that keeps losing air, which may point to a slow puncture, leaking valve or damaged rim.
7. Watch your tires’ age
Rubber ages even when tread looks fine, especially in hot climates and on spares or trailers that sit for long periods. Find the DOT code on the sidewall: the last four digits show the week and year of manufacture (for example, 2324 means the 23rd week of 2024). Many vehicle and tire makers recommend having tires inspected regularly once they reach about five years old and replacing them at an age limit (often around six to ten years), regardless of tread. Check your owner’s manual and tire maker’s guidance.
8. Do not overload your vehicle
Every tire has a load index that sets how much weight it can carry at the correct pressure. Overloading, especially when towing or carrying a full load of passengers and luggage, builds heat and can cause tire failure. Your door-jamb placard lists the maximum combined weight of people and cargo.
9. Drive in a tire-friendly way
- Avoid hard acceleration, heavy braking and fast cornering, which all scrub tread off.
- Slow down for potholes and avoid hitting curbs.
- Steer around debris and construction zones where possible.
10. Do not rely on the TPMS alone
Every car sold in the US since the 2008 model year has a tire pressure monitoring system, but it is a warning light, not a maintenance tool. Under the federal TPMS rule, the light only has to come on once a tire is 25% or more below the recommended pressure. On a tire that should be at 35 PSI, that is about 26 PSI, low enough to hurt handling, braking and tread life long before the light appears.
So keep checking with a gauge every month. A few other TPMS points worth knowing:
- A light that comes on during a cold snap and goes off after driving usually means the tires were already slightly low. Our guide to why the tire pressure light comes on when it is cold explains the fix.
- A light that flashes for about a minute and then stays on usually signals a system fault, such as a sensor with a dead battery, rather than low pressure.
- Most systems do not monitor the spare, so check it by hand. A flat spare is no help when you need it, and you will want it if you ever have to change a tire at the roadside.
Frequently asked questions
How often should tires be rotated?
Follow your owner’s manual. Every 5,000–7,500 miles is a common interval.
When should I replace my tires?
At 2/32 inch tread depth at the latest, earlier (around 4/32 inch) if you often drive in rain or snow, or sooner if you see sidewall damage, bulges or signs of age.
Should I replace all four tires at once?
Ideally yes, for balanced handling. If you replace two, put the new tires on the rear axle (here is why new tires go on the back), which helps keep the car stable in wet conditions. All-wheel-drive vehicles may require all four to match closely in tread depth.
How long do tires last?
It depends on the tire, your driving and maintenance. Many all-season tires carry treadwear warranties of tens of thousands of miles, but age limits still apply even if the tread lasts.
Browse all our Tire Care & Maintenance guides for more.