Uneven tyre wear: the cause behind each wear pattern and how to fix it

The wear pattern of a tyre is a good first clue to the cause. Tyre manufacturer Michelin describes the most common patterns and the cause that usually lies behind them. This table brings them together, with what we check first in the workshop.

Source for the wear patterns and causes: Michelin, Tire inspector, consulted 6 November 2026. Checks: working method of Autobedrijf Willemsbrug.

A saw-tooth pattern is easier to feel than to see. Run your hand across the tread, from the inside to the outside and back. If you feel sharp edges in one direction and not in the other, that is a saw-tooth.

The wrong tyre pressure is the most common cause of uneven wear, and the easiest to prevent. Continental explains what happens: at too low a pressure the tyre presses too flat onto the road and the outer shoulders wear out early. At too high a pressure, mainly the middle of the tread carries the load and wears thin while the shoulders still have tread.

The ANWB advises checking the tyre pressure every month, cold, so before you drive or after no more than 5 kilometres. The right value is in the owner’s manual and often on a sticker in the door pillar or behind the fuel flap. For a full load the manufacturer may give a higher value. According to the ANWB, pressure that is too low causes faster or irregular wear, a considerably longer braking distance in an emergency stop and extra fuel costs that can add up to € 100 a year. Continental calculates that 0.3 bar too little already costs about 1.5% more fuel.

Keep in mind the tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS). According to the ANWB, it only warns when a tyre drops more than 20% below the required pressure. A tyre that runs 10% too soft for months gives no warning light but does wear unevenly. Read more in our article on tyre pressure: how many bar and how often to check.

If a tyre wears only on the inside or only on the outside, the wheel is not at the right angle to the road. Michelin calls this pattern an alignment problem. Alignment is about three angles: the toe, spoor or sporing in Dutch (seen from above, are the wheels parallel or do they point slightly inwards or outwards), the camber, wielvlucht in Dutch (does the wheel stand upright or does it lean), and the caster, naloop in Dutch (the angle of the steering axis). More explanation is in toe, camber and caster explained. If the camber is too negative, the inside of the tyre presses harder on the road and that side wears faster. We often see this on the inside of front tyres, a spot you cannot see yourself without turning the wheel or putting the car on the lift.

According to the ANWB, a hard knock against a kerb or a deep pothole can put the alignment out, as can an accident or the replacement of ball joints or control arms. Worn rubber bushes in the suspension can also let a wheel move slowly out of position. That is why, before aligning, we first check for play in the track rod ends, ball joints and control arms. With play, a car cannot be aligned properly, and we tell you that first. Read more about wheel alignment after replacing suspension parts.

We measure all four wheels with our own alignment equipment and adjust what is adjustable, to the manufacturer’s data. What that involves, when it is worthwhile and what the ANWB gives as the market price is on our page about wheel alignment in Rotterdam. We only align when there is a reason for it, such as this wear pattern, and not as standard with every new tyre.

A wavy or scalloped wear pattern with patches around the tyre, called cupping, develops when the wheel does not stay evenly on the road. Michelin gives imbalance or worn shock absorbers as the cause. A worn shock absorber lets the wheel bounce briefly after every bump. In those moments the tyre presses less, or harder, on the road, and so a patch wears away at regular intervals. The result is a tyre that hums and a car that does not hold the road as well.

You also notice worn shock absorbers when the car keeps bouncing after a speed bump, dives deeper under braking or becomes unsettled in bends. We check the shock absorbers for leaks and function and look at whether the springs and the rubber bushes are still good. We replace shock absorbers per axle, left and right together. Read more on our page about shock absorber replacement in Rotterdam.

If the problem is in the balance, you feel it as a vibration at a certain speed. How balancing works is explained in our article on wheel balancing. A worn wheel bearing is something you hear as a droning or humming noise that grows with speed and changes in bends. A bearing with play also makes a tyre wear unevenly.

Then there is usually nothing wrong technically, and driving style, load and the type of car are the explanation. Hard acceleration, late braking and fast cornering cost tread. A heavily loaded car and a car with a lot of power wear tyres faster. Electric cars wear tyres faster because of the higher weight and the instant torque. Read more about that in our article on tyres for an electric car. Tyre life also varies a lot between tyres, and a cheap tyre is not automatically the most economical per kilometre.

On a front-wheel-drive car the front tyres wear faster than the rear tyres. That is normal: the front wheels steer, pull and do most of the braking. Swapping front to rear keeps the wear even. Tesla, for example, advises swapping the tyres from front to rear every 10,000 kilometres, or sooner if the difference in tread depth is 1.5 mm or more. At a service or a tyre change we look at whether swapping front to rear makes sense, and if so we do it straight away. Note: swapping is not allowed with directional tyres if they would end up running the wrong way round, nor with different sizes front and rear.

A tyre has to be replaced as soon as any part of the tread reaches the legal limit of 1.6 mm, even if the rest of the tyre still has tread. The Regeling voertuigen (the Dutch vehicle regulations) requires the main grooves to be at least 1.6 mm deep all the way round, and at the APK (MOT), the compulsory periodic vehicle inspection in the Netherlands, the inspector measures across a wide part of the tread. A tyre whose main grooves on the inside are less than 1.6 mm deep fails the APK, even if it still has 5 mm in the middle. At 1.6 to 2.5 mm the inspector notes an advisory point. We advise not waiting until the legal limit. When it is better to replace a tyre earlier is explained in our article on when to replace your tyres.

The wear itself cannot be reversed. A saw-tooth pattern or cupping keeps humming, even after alignment or new shock absorbers. Sometimes it is sensible to leave the tyre on for a while if there is enough tread, and sometimes replacing it is the only way to get rid of the noise and the unrest. We assess that together with you, based on the tread depth and the pattern.

Want to know whether your tyres are still good? Have them checked at our garage. Call us with your registration number and we tell you the price and when we can do it. We choose and fit new tyres based on your registration number (in Dutch: kenteken) and tell you the price in advance. Read more on our page about tyre replacement in Rotterdam.

Wear on the inside usually comes from the alignment: the camber is too negative or the toe is out. Worn suspension parts, such as wishbone bushes, can also leave a wheel at an angle. Have the alignment measured and the suspension checked, and replace the tyre once any part of it reaches 1.6 mm.

Yes, as soon as the main grooves are less than 1.6 mm deep anywhere on the tread. The inspector measures across a wide part of the tread, so a tyre whose main grooves are below 1.6 mm on the inside only still fails. At 1.6 to 2.5 mm you get an advisory point on the inspection report.

Yes, as long as the tread is above 1.6 mm everywhere and the tyre has no damage. A saw-tooth pattern or cupping is not dangerous in itself, but it hums and can cause a vibration. Do remove the cause first, otherwise the pattern gets worse.

Yes, if the alignment is the cause. Wear on one side and a saw-tooth pattern point to that. Alignment does not repair the tyre, but it stops the pattern getting worse and stops the same thing happening to the new tyres. With wear in the middle or on both edges, tyre pressure is the cause and alignment does not help.

No. You do not have to, but it can be worthwhile, especially with front-wheel drive, because the front tyres wear faster. Tesla, for example, advises every 10,000 kilometres or at a 1.5 mm difference in tread. It is not allowed if the sizes front and rear differ. At a service or a tyre change we look at whether it makes sense and then do it straight away.

Yes. The higher weight of the battery pack and the instant torque of the electric motor wear the tyres faster. That is normal, even wear. If a tyre on an electric car wears unevenly, the same causes apply as on any other car: pressure, alignment, shock absorbers or balance.

We take a quick look at the tyres and the pressure without an appointment. If an alignment measurement or a suspension check is needed, we tell you the cost in advance. According to the ANWB (consulted November 2026), a standard alignment usually costs € 70 to € 120. We tell you your price in advance, based on your registration number. We only carry out repairs after you have agreed.

• Michelin: Tire inspector: wear patterns and causes
• Continental: Tire pressure: effect on wear and fuel consumption
• ANWB: Bandenspanning controleren (in Dutch)
• ANWB: Auto uitlijnen: wanneer, hoe en wat kost het? (in Dutch)
• RDW: APK-handboek personenauto’s: tyres, article 5.2.27 (in Dutch)
• Tesla: Model S owner’s manual: tyre care and maintenance (in Dutch)