How Long Do Tires Last?

Both summer and winter tires only have a certain lifespan. But how long is this? We'll answer the question of how long tires will last and give you a few tips that can help you extend the life of your tires.

These factors affect the lifespan of your tires

On average, tires last around 40,000 kilometers. Whether you will reach this limit - and perhaps even exceed it - depends on a few factors that you can influence:

Tire pressure

For optimal durability, make sure you have the correct tire pressure on the front and rear wheels. You can often find information on this in the fuel filler cap or in the front doors, and in the operating instructions for your vehicle. You should check the pressure regularly, especially before long trips. The specified tire pressures apply to cold tires.

If the tire pressure is too low, it increases rolling resistance and fuel consumption, while at the same time the braking distance is longer. If the tire pressure is 0.5 bar lower than recommended, wear increases by up to 30 percent. Driving with very low tire pressure will damage the structure. As a result, the tire can burst while driving. If the tire pressure is too high, the sipes lose grip on the edges and the braking distance is longer.

Driving style

A sporty driving style puts a lot of stress on tires: fast starting, hard braking, and rally-like cornering make tires age faster than a prudent driving style. Driving in high speeds also have a detrimental effect on the durability of tires.

Terrain

A bad road, such as a mud road, naturally clogs tires more than a freshly poured road surface. But the city is not ideal terrain either, because traffic lights and traffic jams cause frequent acceleration and braking.

Adjustment of the car

It is important to set the toe and camber correctly, otherwise, the tires will wear unevenly. If your car pulls to the left or right with the steering wheel in a straight position or if you see signs of worn tires at an angle, wheel alignment and wheel alignment can help.

Storage

Incorrect storage can on the one hand make tires brittle and on the other hand deform them. Tires should be stored in a dry room out of direct sunlight, the temperature of which is relatively constant. The extreme heat of over 35°C should be avoided. Ideally, the room should be colder than 25°C.

Even extremely high freezing temperatures are bad for the rubber. To avoid deformation, you should lay the individual tires neatly on top of each other or use a rim tree.

How old is my tire?

A four-digit number, the so-called “DOT number”, is vulcanized onto each tire. It bears its name because the US Department of Transportation has required it since 1980. Today it is a global standard.

The first two digits of this DOT number indicate the calendar week in which the tire was produced, the last two digits the year. That means, if the number 0119 is on your tire, it was manufactured in the first week of 2019. In front of the number, there is information about the factory and the tire size.

Is there a maximum tire age?

Manufacturers are only allowed to sell unused tires as new for a certain period of time, because tires lose grip at some point, regardless of abrasion, as the rubber ages. If a tire was manufactured more than five years ago, it is officially no longer “new”.

How long a tire can be used if its profile is still in order is not regulated by law. Experts recommend eight years as an upper limit, which is also true for mobile homes and classic cars that are not moved most of the time.