Shopping for tires can seem overwhelming, thanks to the broad choice of manufacturers and models available. First, you need to narrow down what type of tire you need for your car. But after that, you may find yourself mystified by tire manufacturers and retailers’ seemingly myriad warranty options.
Mileage-based treadwear warranties, limited road-hazard, discount tire, quality and defect, and uniformity warranties may cover a different scenario.
Our guide will help you decide how much tire warranty you need, what each type covers, and if they’re worth it, to determine what works best for you.
- How Do Tire Warranties Work?
- Tire Warranty Eligibility
- What Does The Warranty Cover?
- Prorated Credit vs. Free Replacement
- Are Tire Warranties Worth It?
How Do Tire Warranties Work?
Tire manufacturers offer warranties that typically begin at the date of purchase, albeit with some caveats. The tire’s original quality warranties provide recourse against defective rubber and tread that wears down too fast.
Treadwear warranties: Treadwear warranties protect the expected wear of the tire over time. The manufacturer may offer a prorated discount toward new tires if the tire has worn through its tread too quickly.
Defect and uniformity warranties: These warranties will cover just that: when a manufacturing flaw leads to tire failure or an inability to be balanced correctly on a wheel.
Limited road-hazard warranties: Additionally, tire manufacturers, resellers, and installers also offer limited road-hazard warranties. These warranties help defray the cost of replacing a single tire after irreparable damage incurred by road debris or potholes rather than workmanship defects.
Tire Warranty Eligibility
Tire warranties protect your tires if they suffer from a manufacturing defect that causes premature wear or a problem such as tread separation.
What manufacturer-backed warranties do not cover are damages from routine use, such as nail punctures or cuts from hitting a curb or rock.
One caveat: tire warranties do not necessarily apply to those installed by the automaker at the factory. In some cases, automakers will use specific tread designs or rubber compounds not available directly from the tire manufacturer, and these warranties may differ.
What Does the Warranty Cover?
Let’s take an in-depth look at the various types of warranties: mileage, road hazard, workmanship, and uniformity.
Manufacturer websites have detailed information specifying which warranties cover tires. Spelled out in those warranties will be an expectation for regular, consistent care, such as tire rotations and wheel alignments. The manufacturer can deny a claim without a record of tire rotations or with obvious evidence of a vehicle’s suspension out of alignment.
Mileage Warranty
Also known as a “treadwear warranty,” this coverage depends on how long the tire manufacturer expects its product to last.
The amount of manufacturer-provided treadwear coverage depends on the exact tire. For instance, Michelin warranties range between 20,000 miles for select high-performance models to 80,000 for hard-wearing comfort-oriented tires. Coverage on certain Pirelli tires guarantees up to 90,000 miles.
Time Caps on Tire Warranties
These warranties also have a time cap, which means the guarantee may only be three to six years from the original date of purchase. Beyond that point, the manufacturer no longer provides coverage — even if you’ve barely driven the car. After all, light or heat exposure can degrade the tire’s rubber after a few years.
An authorized shop will measure the amount of remaining tread. If that measures below 2/32s of an inch, the tires show even wear. The owner can then record consistent tire rotations. If the vehicle has far fewer miles than the cap, the owner may be eligible for redemption toward a prorated credit toward new tires.
Measuring Tire Life
Tire mileage warranties can also help compare tires since they give a rough expectation for usable life. If “wears like iron” treadwear is critical to you, look for an extended warranty.
Not all tires will include a mileage-based warranty. High-performance and off-road-oriented tires and those sold by discount brands may not have a mileage stipulation.
Limited Road-Hazard Warranty
Tire retailers and installers will often offer a limited road-hazard warranty. This coverage entitles drivers to a prorated credit toward a replacement for tires damaged beyond repair.
These warranties have plenty of fine print, though they can be a good value, especially if you live where roads are in poor repair.
Often, these road-hazard warranties are only good for a year after the original purchase. Again, the installer will measure the tread depth and discount new tires accordingly. The more tread you’ve used up, the lower the prorated credit.
Sometimes these warranties are bundled with maintenance packages. They usually include free tire rotations at set intervals and free repair of minor punctures from nails.
Workmanship and Materials Warranty
As with any mass-produced product, defects are rare for tires. Still, assembly flaws happen, and tire manufacturers almost always bundle in as much as six years of coverage.
To be eligible for coverage, the person who purchased the tire must demonstrate how the tire was damaged. The damage cannot be from a condition caused by either road hazards or the owner’s poor maintenance. The most common quality and materials warranty claims center around tread separation.
Uniformity Warranty
Much like workmanship and materials coverage, uniformity ensures that all four tires are manufactured and consistently assembled.
These warranty claims are infrequent, and they’re usually taken care of before the tires are purchased and installed on the vehicle. When the installer balances the wheel and tire, they’ll notice something amiss that would cause immediate vibration at speed. Occasionally, faulty tires may make their way onto the vehicle, but a vibration should be easy to notice even then.
Prorated Credit vs. Free Replacement
Tire manufacturers will replace a tire at zero cost to vehicle owners only if they are defective. The free replacement may not cover installation, running as much as $30 per tire. Otherwise, warranties mean a prorated discount toward a new tire based on the expected remaining life of the tire.
Imagine if, for instance, tires with an 80,000-mile warranty wear down to just 2/32nds of an inch of tread after 50,000 miles. The tire manufacturer will likely determine that they wore out 30,000 miles too early. The tire manufacturer will discount a new set of tires accordingly. The discount varies by tire manufacturer and typically won’t include mounting and balancing on the vehicle’s wheels.
Additionally, a tire manufacturer typically won’t approve any replacement or prorated credit without evidence. The evidence might include service receipts from regular tire rotations. So, if the tires show uneven wear caused by a misaligned suspension, the manufacturer is not likely to offer coverage.
Are Tire Warranties Worth It?
Manufacturers typically bake the cost of treadwear and defect warranties into the price of name-brand tires on mainstream vehicles.
It’s still worth shopping around to compare tire warranties, though. If one tire offers a 40,000-mile warranty and a similar type of tire at a similar cost includes double that coverage. Because of that, it may be the more intelligent buy.
When it comes to road-hazard warranties offered by tire installers, you’ll want to consider where you can redeem coverage. If the shop only has a couple of locations, it may not be worth it for you.
Either way, no basic tire coverage includes roadside emergency services. Occasionally, you may see roadside assistance with a road-hazard warranty. As a result, you’ll want to confirm that such services apply to areas you drive.
