Why Do New Car Tires Wear Out So Fast [5 Reasons Explained]

It always feels good when you have new tires on the car, and it now handles and rides better than before. After all, it is safe to drive with tires in great condition too.

However, after a month, you may notice that your new tires are already worn out. It could also be just one or two worn tires.

In case of such a scenario, you might wonder what could be the problem leading to premature wear of the tires.

We shall go through some of the reasons your new tires are wearing out so fast to help prevent it from happening again.

1. Using the wrong tires

Each type of vehicle will have specific types of tires it can use. The choice of tires is also affected by the driving applications, terrain, and climate.

You can imagine using your winter tires for the summer period. As you can see, it might not work as well as you had hoped. The same applies to vice versa.

This is why you may come across other types of tires, including all-season tires, performance tires, temporary tires, all-terrain tires, mud terrain tires, and more.

All these tire types will be designed to work in specific conditions. That is why you always have to consider that when buying them.

You will likely wear them out faster when using the wrong tire types since they are not meant for such an application.

Here is a video guide on choosing the right tires

2. Low-quality tires

Whenever you are looking to buy car tires, the chances are you will come across many tires priced differently. It can get confusing at times, but the build quality can help you choose the right type of tire.

So, not all affordable tires are the best. You should look at the performance versus the price before buying. Sometimes people buy low-quality tires at low prices, thinking they can save some money, only to regret it later.

As much as you might be on a budget, focus more on buying from known brands. At least you would have a reference on how the tires will perform, and the durability is guaranteed too.

3. Improper wheel alignment

An improper wheel alignment will be one of the reasons why you may have the tires wearing so fast.

When you have improper alignment, it should not take too long to notice the damage done to the tires. Mostly, a week is enough to notice there is a problem.

The solution is to have the car properly aligned to have proper contact between the tire and the road. Once the unevenness is removed, your tires can last longer easily.

The good thing is that wheel alignment is mostly affordable, so it should not take long before you have it done and save your tires from premature wear.

4. Using an incorrect tire pressure

You might be surprised by how drivers often neglect to check their tire pressure. It is advisable to check once a month and have it adjusted correctly.

Each vehicle has a specific tire pressure recommendation from the manufacturer. This information can be found in the car’s manual and sometimes on the stickers found on the doors.

Use the right tire pressure each time, and you should not have uneven tire wear.

Whenever the tires are under-inflated, it means there is a section of the side wall that touches the road, which should not happen, and the middle does not touch the road. As such, the sides of the tires are worn faster.

As for the over-inflated tires, it means only the smaller middle section touches the road. So, you end up with a worn middle section of the tire.

5. Worn or faulty suspension

The work of the suspension is to absorb the impacts due to bumps or sometimes the potholes on the road. That is how you would be able to maintain control of the car while driving.

The suspension can also be worn out with time. This means that the tires might wear out sooner than expected.

Also, the worn-out suspension parts such as springs, struts, and bushings might lead to misalignment of the wheels. As such, you can expect the tires to wear out faster if you are not careful.

Here is a video on the signs of worn or faulty suspension

FAQs

Can heavy loads lead to premature wearing of tires?

Yes. The heavy loads lead to more stress on the tires than necessary. The increase in stress and pressure on the side walls of the tires means more wear. Also, each time you accelerate, more strain is on the tires. Braking while under a heavy load can lead to wearing the tires faster.

How do driving habits lead to fast wear of the tires?

Sometimes how you drive the car affects the longevity of the tires. A good example is hard launching the car from a stop sign every time. This may mean that you are always spinning the tires and have them trying to catch traction. The same applies to hard braking, which leads to fast wear of the tires.

How long are tires supposed to last?

A study by consumer reports found that tires on family cars are supposed to last for around 70,000 miles. Expect the higher performance tires to have a shorter lifespan.