The penny test: when it's time for new tires

A penny, two minutes and a quick look at your tread. Here's how to tell when your tires are worn out.

Tread is what grips the road, especially when it's wet or icy. NHTSA says tires are not safe and should be replaced when the tread is worn down to 2/32 of an inch. You can check that yourself.

How to do the penny test

Take a penny and turn Lincoln's head upside down, facing you.
Put it into a groove in the tread.
If you can see the top of Lincoln's head, it's time to replace your tires.

Check a few spots on each tire, including the inner and outer edges.

Look for the wear bars

Most tires have small raised bars running across the bottom of the grooves. When the tread wears down level with those bars, the tire is done.

Uneven wear tells a story

If one edge is worn more than the other, or the tread looks choppy, it can point to alignment, tire pressure, or worn suspension parts. Replacing the tire without fixing the cause means the new one wears the same way.

Not sure what you're looking at? Stop by and we'll take a look with you.