...searching
Tyres > Help > Tyres Help > What causes uneven tyre wear?
Uneven tyre wear is when one part of a tyre's tread wears down faster than the rest, rather than the whole tyre wearing evenly. It usually points to an underlying problem with tyre pressure, wheel alignment, or suspension components, rather than being a fault with the tyre itself.
Wear concentrated on just one edge of the tyre, inside or outside, is usually caused by incorrect wheel alignment, most often the camber angle. Read more about inside and outside edge wear.
Wear that runs across the centre of the tread, or across both edges at once, is almost always down to incorrect tyre pressure. Read more about centre and both-edge wear.
Cupping, also called scalloping, is a series of dips or scoops around the tyre's circumference, rather than wear across the width of the tread. It's usually linked to worn suspension parts or an out-of-balance wheel. Read more about tyre cupping.
Uneven wear can bring a tyre below the legal minimum tread depth in one area well before the rest of the tyre needs replacing, which can result in an MOT failure or a fine if it's not spotted. It can also affect grip, braking and handling, since the tyre isn't making even contact with the road. See our guide to the legal minimum tread depth for tyres for more information.
Regularly checking your tyre pressures, having your wheel alignment checked if you notice your car pulling to one side, and rotating your tyres can all help even out wear before it becomes a problem. If you do spot an unusual wear pattern, it's worth getting it looked at sooner rather than later, as the underlying cause is unlikely to fix itself.