What is life like with your car? Let us know and win £500 in John Lewis vouchers | No thanks

Do tyres have to match?

My front driver's side tyre on my Toyota RAV4 has a slow puncture and I'm wondering how important is it to brand match, tread match etc. tyres when you replace a tyre? Should I move the two rear original tyres to the front and the odd pair to the back? I’m doing approx 15,000 miles.

Asked on 4 January 2023 by Jerry Pollentine

Answered by Lawrence Allan
Our stock advice with new tyres is to always match up the tyres across the axle. Unless it is an emergency you don't want to just replace one tyre at the front or rear - both tyres across that axle should be replaced. Otherwise you end up with mismatched grip levels and tread depths, which could potentially be dangerous in bad weather conditions.
Similar questions
When should I change tyres on my car? Is there a maximum age they can be?
We had the front tyres only replaced by a local tyre company on our Kia Sportage. Kia says the difference in tread between front and back has broken the four-wheel drive system and will cost £2k to repair....
What is the best budget camping tyre for a 5.9 metre long, Fiat Ducato based motorhome, with a 16'' wheel diameter, please ?
Related models
Hybrid fuel economy. Comfortable interior. Good build quality.
 

Value my car

Save £75 on Warranty using code HJ75

with MotorEasy

Get a warranty quote

Save 12% on GAP Insurance

Use HJ21 to save on an ALA policy

See offer