How Quickly Do Tires Wear Out?
How fast your tires lose their tread is dependent on a few factors. The most obvious of which is how many miles they’ve been driven. Tire tread length generally wears down to replacement depth in between 36,000 to 45,000 miles driven. For the average driver this will take between 3 and 4 years. Other tire materials and components will wear out regardless of tread depth with age. Tires should be swapped out if they have reached 6 years from the manufacturing date even if they still have a usable tread length.
Tread Guidelines
At 2/32” tires have worn the dread down to the point of being unsafe to drive on. They can no longer be reliable in wet or snowy conditions and are more likely to sustain heat damage. At this tread length they also become more susceptible to flats, punctures, and worst of all total failure. For those in the Pacific Northwest, who frequently drive in rain or snow, you should consider shopping for new tires when the tread depth is closer to 4/32".
Measuring Your Tire Tread
Place a penny with Lincoln’s head upside down and facing you into the shallowest groove on the tire. If all of Lincoln's head is visible above the tread, you have only 2/32" or less tread depth left and your tire has reached the end of its useful lifeFor those who drive in the rain or want an earlier warning that replacement time is coming, use a quarter. Place the quarter with Washington’s head upside down and facing you into the shallowest groove. If all of Washington's head is visible above the tread, you have 4/32" or less tread depth remaining.
