When to change tyres?

kissenger

kissenger

kissenger

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So at a service about 3 weeks ago one of the few issues Toyota flagged up was that a couple of my tyres were down to 2.0mm tread depth and I was wondering how soon I should get them changed. I've done about 700 miles since then. Am I right in saying they should still be safely above the legal minimum of 1.6mm?

Also, Toyota wants to charge around £140 to fit two new Matador tyres. I'm a new driver. Is that a reasonable price?
 
I've found my tyres are awful anywhere below 2.5mm-3mm in the past so I always try and change them before then.

What size are they? If they're small, I'm sure you could probably find a much better tyre for around that price, if not a little more.
 
1.6mm is the legal minimum but not ideal, especially in the winter months when it rains a lot and you need the tyre tread to displace water to give you grip.
 
At 2mm you should definitely be thinking about changing them, as leaving it until 1.6mm can vastly affect their stopping ability.

Be worth doing some reading in the main tyre thread here -> http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=18488269

and posting the tyre size that you can find on the side of your tyre for some decent suggestions on what to fit and where to get it from - dealers are not normally the most competitive option (although if you have prices e.g. from blackcircles, you can normally negotiate and get them to price match)
 
I check regularly and replace summer tyres around 3mm remaining. For winter tyres I'd probably go for 3-4mm.

1.6mm is the legal limit but by that point wet performance is severaly compromised.
 
What are your tyre sizes and we can find you a better price. Main dealers are very expensive...

It will look something like 185/60/R15 V on the tyres you have now.
 
kissenger said:
So at a service about 3 weeks ago one of the few issues Toyota flagged up was that a couple of my tyres were down to 2.0mm tread depth and I was wondering how soon I should get them changed. I've done about 700 miles since then. Am I right in saying they should still be safely above the legal minimum of 1.6mm?

Also, Toyota wants to charge around £140 to fit two new Matador tyres. I'm a new driver. Is that a reasonable price?
Click to expand...

140 sounds expensive... what size tyres do you have?

On the side of the tyre, it will say a group of numbers... along the lines of:

195 50 R15

or similar...

Tell us those numbers and we'll help you find some good tyres...

2.0mm is quite low, while not illegal - it is still worth getting them changed, especially while it's getting wet.
 
Sounds like I'd better get them done this week then. The documentation they gave me states:

195/55/16 H 87

It's for an '06 Toyota Prius. Any recommendations as to which tyres to buy and how to go about getting them fitted would be appreciated. Toyota quoted me £61.98 per tyre, but it doesn't say anything about labour costs. Oh, and only one of them is that low. One is 4.0mm and two are 5.0mm.
 
Last edited:
kissenger said:
Sounds like I'd better get them done this week then. The documentation they gave me states:

195/55/16 H 87

It's for an '06 Toyota Prius. Any recommendations as to which tyres to buy and how to go about getting them fitted would be appreciated. Toyota quoted me £61.98 per tyre, but it doesn't say anything about labour costs. Oh, and only one of them is that low. One is 4.0mm and two are 5.0mm.
Click to expand...

The 4mm and 5mm should be ok if the tyre is good condition,
The 2 mm will be on the wear bar within the tyres tread so once down to that you deffo want to look at getting changed as you will not know how much of that you have taken off and 1.6 is the legal limit of your tread deoth.
 
Continental PremiumContact 5 is my go-to 'regular' tyre. Event Tyres want £170 to come to you and fit two, or I'd expect you can get somewhere local to supply and fit them for a bit less than that.
 
At around 2mm usually.

What I usually do is buy the tyres online and get them fitted at my local tyre place. Works out cheaper that way.
 
from tyreleader.co.uk...

Toyo Proxes CF2 - 47 quid each
Continental Eco Contact 5 - 50 quid each
Michelin Energy Saver - 54 quid each
Continental Premium Contact 5 - 60 quid each

Just a few from a quick look... all are better than what Toyota are offering and they're cheaper too :)

https://www.tyreleader.co.uk/car-ty...=on&m[2]=on&m[19]=on&m[7]=on&orderby=prix&p=2

They will deliver to a tyre fitter local to you.
 
I was always under the impression that a dealer would fit the same as the car left the factory with or an equivalent quality, not junk.

Clearly I have never taken my car to a dealer :p
 
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