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Uneven Tyre Wear

Tyres worn on the inner or outer edge, in the centre or in patches point to wrong pressures, wheel alignment or worn suspension parts.

Normal risk

Check the tyres now. Worn edges can reach the legal limit before the rest of the tread.

Short answer · What does uneven tyre wear mean?

Wear on both edges suggests under-inflation; wear in the centre over-inflation. Wear on one edge usually means alignment (toe or camber) is out. Patchy or cupped wear points to worn shock absorbers or balance problems. Fixing the cause matters, or new tyres will wear the same way.

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Safe checks you can do

  1. Look across the treadCompare inner edge, centre and outer edge.
  2. Check pressures coldUse the figures from the door pillar or fuel flap.
  3. Run a hand over the treadA saw-tooth feel suggests alignment or suspension issues.Watch out for sharp objects or exposed wires in the tyre.

Questions that narrow it down

  1. Both edges worn?Low pressure.
  2. Only the inner edge?Alignment or worn bushes.
  3. Cupped patches?Shock absorbers or balance.

Possible causes

Listed without ranking. Use the questions above to see which ones fit your car.

  1. Wrong tyre pressureEdges or centre.
  2. Wheel alignmentOne edge.
  3. Worn suspension partsChanges alignment.
  4. Worn shock absorbersCupping.
  5. Unbalanced wheelsPatchy wear.

Questions about Uneven Tyre Wear

What is the legal tread depth?

It depends on the country; in the EU the minimum is usually 1.6 mm.

Should tyres be rotated?

Where the manufacturer allows it, rotating tyres evens out wear.