Five signs your tyres need to be replaced

Tyres are the only part of your car that actually touches the road, so their condition has a direct impact on grip, handling and safety.

As tyres wear out or age, their performance can deteriorate significantly. Here are five key signs that it may be time to replace them.

Tread depth has reached the wear indicators

Every tyre has built-in tread wear indicators in the grooves, usually set at 1.6mm.

When the tread has worn down to the same level as these raised indicators, the tyre no longer has the tread depth it was designed to have for effective water evacuation and grip.

On wet roads, this can greatly increase the risk of aquaplaning, so the tyre should be replaced immediately.

The tread is wearing unevenly

If only certain parts of the tread are wearing faster than others, it could point to an underlying problem.

Common examples include inner or outer shoulder wear, feathering, scalloping and excessive wear in the centre or on both shoulders. These patterns can be caused by incorrect wheel alignment, worn suspension components or consistently incorrect tyre pressures.

If uneven wear has compromised the tyre's structural integrity, it should be replaced even if there is still plenty of tread remaining. The underlying suspension or alignment problem should also be checked.

You notice bulges, cracks or deformation

A heavy impact, such as hitting a deep pothole at speed or striking a kerb, can damage the tyre's internal cord layers.

If the internal structure is broken, the affected area may no longer be able to contain the tyre's air pressure properly, causing a bulge or bubble to form.

Ageing can also cause small cracks in the rubber. If these cracks extend deeper into the tyre's structure, the risk of a blowout increases significantly.

A tyre with a bulge or deep cracks should be replaced immediately.

The tyre has reached the end of its safe service life

Tyres can age even when a car is driven very little. Over time, the rubber naturally becomes harder and more brittle, so a tyre that still looks good on the outside may not perform like a newer one.

In general, tyres have a safe service life of around five to six years from the date of manufacture. Beyond this point, the rubber's elasticity and tensile strength can deteriorate significantly.

If your tyres have reached this age, have them inspected by a qualified professional or replace them with a new set.

How to check the tyre's manufacturing date?

Look for the DOT code on the tyre's sidewall. It consists of a combination of letters and numbers beginning with "DOT" (like DOT XXXX XXXX 2425), with the manufacturing date normally shown as the final four digits.

The first two digits indicate the week of production, while the last two indicate the year.

For example, "2425" means the tyre was manufactured in the 24th week of 2025, roughly in mid-June.

The tyre shown here was manufactured in the ninth week of 2019.

The tyre keeps losing pressure or has suffered serious puncture damage

If a tyre repeatedly loses pressure during normal use, and issues such as a damaged valve or deformed wheel have been ruled out, there could be hidden damage to the tyre itself.

A large puncture in the tread area, or any significant damage to the shoulder or sidewall, can also make a tyre unsafe to repair.

In these cases, the tyre should be replaced rather than repaired.