TIRE SAFETY

Follow your vehicle owner’s manual for correct tire sizes

Unless otherwise stated in your vehicle’s owner’s manual, having different sized tires on your car, truck or SUV is a bad idea. There’s no other way to put it. When you need to get new tires or replace a single tire, it is strongly recommended that all four tires be the same size, load index, speed rating and construction. However, in some cases, a vehicle manufacturer may require different sized tires for either the front or rear axles.

Important considerations when changing tires

Speed Rated Tires If your vehicle tire placard and/or owner’s manual specifies speed rated tires, your replacement tires must have the same or higher speed rating to maintain your vehicle’s speed capability. For more info on where to find your speed rating, check out our Tire Sidewall Numbers page.

Four-Wheel Drive (4WD) and All-Wheel Drive (AWD) Vehicles Unless otherwise specified in your owner’s manual, follow these guidelines:

  • Don’t mix tire sizes. All four tires must be marked with the same tire size unless otherwise specified by the vehicle manufacturer. This also applies to winter/snow tires.
  • Don’t mix radial and non-radial tires. All four tires must be either radial or non-radial.
  • Don’t mix tread pattern types, such as all-terrain and all-season.