Regular tyre checks help you spot pressure loss, uneven wear and damage before they become bigger problems. Use this guide alongside your vehicle handbook and advice from a qualified tyre professional.
Check cold tyre pressures
Use the pressures specified on your vehicle’s tyre placard or in its handbook for the tyre fitment and load you are carrying. The maximum pressure printed on a tyre sidewall is not your vehicle’s recommended operating pressure.
Check pressures when tyres are cold, before driving has warmed them, using a suitable gauge. Follow the vehicle manufacturer’s checking schedule and check before long journeys or carrying heavier loads. Include the spare if your vehicle has one. Do not release air from a warm tyre simply to match a cold-pressure recommendation.
Do not rely only on a pressure warning light
A tyre-pressure monitoring system can warn you about pressure problems, but it does not replace manual checks or visual inspections. If a warning appears, stop somewhere safe, inspect the tyres and follow your handbook. Repeatedly topping up a tyre without investigating the cause can leave a leak or damage unresolved.
Inspect tread across the whole tyre
Look across the inner shoulder, centre and outer shoulder, and check several positions around the tyre. Use a suitable tread-depth gauge where accessible. A single measurement or a quick look at the outer edge can miss uneven wear. If you cannot safely inspect an area, ask a professional to check it.
What uneven wear can tell you
Wear concentrated on one edge can be associated with alignment or suspension issues. Centre wear, shoulder wear, scalloping or patchy wear can have several causes, including inflation, loading, balance or mechanical condition. Wear patterns are clues, not a diagnosis. Have the cause assessed rather than replacing the tyre alone and leaving the underlying issue unresolved.
Recognise damage and changes in handling
Bulges, exposed reinforcing cords, deep cuts, significant cracking or rapid pressure loss need urgent professional attention. New vibration, pulling or unusual noise also deserves investigation, particularly after a pothole or kerb impact.
If you suspect serious damage or a tyre is rapidly losing pressure, stop safely and arrange assistance rather than continuing to drive on it. Do not remove an embedded object yourself or assume every puncture can be repaired; repair suitability requires inspection.
Understand manufacturing date markings
Many tyres carry a four-digit manufacturing date code, sometimes on only one sidewall. The first two digits identify the production week and the last two identify the year. For example, 2325 indicates week 23 of 2025.
The date code tells you when a tyre was made, not whether it is currently safe. Storage, use, exposure, damage and maintenance also matter. Follow the tyre and vehicle manufacturers’ inspection and replacement guidance; do not judge remaining service life by tread depth or age alone.
Rotation, balancing and alignment
Rotate tyres only in accordance with the vehicle and tyre manufacturers’ guidance. Different front and rear sizes, directional tread and other fitment requirements can restrict the available rotation pattern.
Balancing addresses uneven mass in the wheel-and-tyre assembly. Alignment concerns the angles at which the wheels sit and travel. They solve different problems, and neither repairs a damaged tyre or worn suspension component.
Keep a simple maintenance routine
- Check cold inflation pressures using your vehicle’s specified values.
- Inspect tread and sidewalls regularly and before long trips.
- Investigate repeated pressure loss, vibration or unusual wear.
- Follow the specified rotation, inspection and replacement guidance.
- Have tyres professionally checked after a significant impact or suspected damage.