Car maintenance is an expense that everyone in the United States who owns a car will come across at some point or another. With recent inflation and supply chain shortages, the price to maintain your car has increased dramatically.
According to CNBC, motor vehicle maintenance has increased in price 4.1% from November 2013 to November 2023. Replacing your tires is one of those expenses that can be much higher than you expect.
Knowing how often you should replace your car tires may be able to save you some money in the future and will help you budget when the time comes.
How Often Should You Replace Your Tires?
Most Tire companies tell you a specific amount of miles their tires last and when to replace them but this isn’t always accurate. Their recommendation doesn’t take into account your driving habits. There are main ways to know when to replace your tires.
Option 1: Measure Your Tire Tread
A better recommendation is to buy a tire gauge which measures the amount of tread that is left on the tire. According to the NHTSA, The smallest amount of tread that’s considered safe (and legal in most states) is 2/32 of an inch.
How to Measure Tire Tread
Buying a Tire Tread Gauge will give you an accurate measurement on how much life you have left on your tires. Find the shallowest grove of your tire and and push the metal pin down until the pin touches the bottom of the groove. Pull the gauge up and take the reading.
Option 2 - Knowing When THe Tires Were Last Replaced
Even if you haven’t put much mileage on your tires, they do wear out after time due to environmental factors and even change in seasons.
It is recommended to not go longer than 6 years on a set of tires regardless of mileage and tread that is left. Over time sunlight, water, road conditions and even change in temperature puts strain on the tires and can cause damage to them.
This damage can cause them to be unsafe to drive with.
Where Should I Go To Replace My Tires?
Shopping Local
I have always recommended a local tire shop because I am a believer of supporting local businesses. A tire shop in your area may be a little more expensive but if there is ever a problem, the customer service is a little more willing to help.
If your tires are an odd size, they may have to order them and it could take a few days to come in.
Buying Tires Online
If there is a specific tire you want, you can talk to your local shop and see if you can buy them online and let them handle the install.
TireRack.com has tons of discount new tires and even partners with local businesses where you can buy install coupons for a fixed price.
Shipping is always fast and you can’t beat tire racks pricing.
Conclusion
Car Maintenance can be a large expense and sometimes even hurt your wallet. To prepare for the expense, your emergency fund will be your best friend. The emergency fund is designed to help with unexpected expenses along with large expenses that you know are going to come but you just do not know when.
Tip: To Budget for New Tires, see the total cost of the tirest and divide that over a time frame you feel you can save that amount of money.
For Example, My tires typically cost me about $1500 to replace and I typically need to replace them every 4 years.
$1,500 / 48 months = About $32 a month.
This is the amount of money i have to put in my emergency fund to be able to pay for tires when they need to be replaced.
