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Will fitting tyres with different speed ratings cause problems?

Recently I ordered four Continental Eco Contact 6 205/55 R17 V 91 tyres as like for like replacements on my Skoda Kamiq SE. On the day of the appointment only three had been delivered and was told enquiries were being made to trace the fourth. Four tyres were eventually fitted a further 3 days later. However I discovered that three of the tyres had V ratings and one, fiited front offside, had a W rating. So far I have not noticed any unusual handling characteristics but I would appreciate your comments on the matter.

Asked on 18 November 2024 by Tony Larvin

Answered by David Ross
It is likely that four examples of the V rated tyre were not available at the time and rather than make you wait until one could be found the tyre fitter decided to provide an otherwise identical tyre but with a higher speed rating. Given that this is the only difference between the tyres it is unlikely to be noticable in terms of handling or ride quality and should cause you no issues. For reference, the V means the tyres are rated to 149mph while the W indicates the odd tyre is rated to 168mph, so you should be safe regardless.
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