How often should tyres be changed?

Have you ever wondered how often you should change the tyres on your car? Don’t worry, because today we’re going to answer all your questions. As you probably know, tyres are the only point of contact between the road and the vehicle, so keeping them in perfect condition is essential for our safety. Take note and change your tyres periodically.

Remember that worn tyres can also make your car consume more fuel, so it’s important to change them as soon as you need to. To decide when to change your tyres, you need to pay attention to a number of factors, although it’s true that everything depends on the car you drive, the kilometres you cover and, above all, the type of driving you do.

Changing tyres: how often should it be done?

With some exceptions, the usual rule is to change tyres every 40,000 kilometres, but it’s very important to know how old your tyres are, regardless of whether you have not covered the 40,000 kilometres mentioned above. You should know that tyres should be changed before they reach eight years of age. You can always check the date of manufacture in the markings on the sidewall of the tyre.

Another aspect you should keep in mind is the depth of the tread. It must never be less than 1.6 mm; if you want to pass the MOT (ITV), you won’t pass with less than this. You can follow the one-euro coin tip: if you insert the coin into the grooves and you see the golden part, you should change your tyres.

As we’ve mentioned, if the tyres are more than eight years old, you should change them, even if you haven’t used the car during that time. Why? The rubber compound of the tyre may have deteriorated or even become misshapen after being left stationary for so long.

You should also consider how you have used those tyres, that is, whether you have driven hard over speed bumps, kerbs and even potholes. If the answer is yes, the structure of the tyre may be damaged. Tyres can also be damaged by being used in unsuitable conditions, for example, if you use summer tyres in winter, and so on.

If you have any doubts, we recommend consulting a professional, taking your vehicle to a tyre centre and changing the tyres if necessary.