When to replace your tyres: the honest checklist

Tread depth is the legal line, not the safe line

The legal minimum in Kenya is 1.6mm across the central three-quarters of the tread. But wet braking distance starts degrading badly below 3mm, and aquaplaning resistance falls off a cliff.

Our recommendation for Kenyan conditions is to plan replacement at 3mm and treat 1.6mm as the absolute limit, not the target.

Age matters even if the tread looks fine

Every tyre carries a four-digit DOT date code: 2224 means the 22nd week of 2024. Rubber hardens with age, and in Nairobi's UV and heat that happens faster than in temperate climates.

As a rule, replace at six years regardless of tread, and never fit a tyre that was manufactured more than about two years before purchase. We will show you the date code on any tyre before we fit it.

Wear patterns are a diagnosis

Both edges worn, centre fine: chronic under-inflation. Centre worn, edges fine: over-inflation. One edge only: alignment, usually camber or toe. Patchy cupping: worn shocks or bad balance.

That is why we read all four tyres and tell you what the car is doing wrong, rather than just selling you replacements that will wear the same way.

If any of this raises a question about your own car, bring it in. The tyre safety check is free and takes ten minutes, and we will give you a written summary whether or not you buy anything.