How Long Do Tires Last in Canada? Signs It’s Time to Replace Them

The Short Answer

A set of tires lasts until either the tread wears down or the rubber gets too old, whichever comes first. How many kilometres you get depends on the tire, your vehicle and how you drive, and the tire's treadwear warranty (listed in kilometres by the manufacturer) is a good guide to what to expect. On age, Ontario's official driver's handbook says tires should not be older than 10 years, even if they still have tread. In practice, most drivers replace tires because of tread wear long before that.

What Affects How Long Your Tires Last

• Tire type. Softer winter compounds wear faster than all-season tires, especially if they're left on in warm weather. Performance tires trade tread life for grip.
• How much and how you drive. Hard braking, fast cornering and quick starts all wear tread faster.
• Tire pressure. Underinflated tires wear on the outer edges and run hotter; overinflated tires wear in the centre.
• Rotation and balance. Rotating tires on schedule and keeping wheels balanced helps them wear evenly.
• Alignment and suspension. A misaligned vehicle or worn parts can wear one edge of a tire out years early.
• Ontario roads. Potholes, curbs and winter conditions all take a toll.

Rotation is one of the simplest ways to get more kilometres from a set: see How Often Should You Rotate Your Tires?.

Signs Your Tires Need Replacing

• Low tread. Ontario's driver's handbook says to replace tires when the tread is less than 1.5 mm deep or when the tread-wear indicators touch the road. For winter driving, many drivers replace well before that, because grip on snow and slush drops off as tread gets shallow.
• Bulges, knots, exposed cords or deep cuts. The handbook says tires with any of these should be replaced.
• Uneven wear, where one edge is much more worn than the other.
• A new vibration or thumping noise that wasn't there before.
• Age. Check the four-digit date code at the end of the DOT number on the sidewall: 3520 means the 35th week of 2020.

How to measure tread without a gauge is covered in How to Check Tire Tread Depth.

Can You Drive With Cracks in the Sidewall?

It depends on how deep they are. Fine, shallow surface cracks — sometimes called weather checking — are common on older tires that spend time in sun and cold, and they're a sign the rubber is ageing. Watch them, and have the tire looked at if they're spreading. Deep cracks, any crack that shows the cords or fabric underneath, or a bulge next to a crack mean the tire should be replaced right away. A failing sidewall can't be repaired.

Getting the Most From Your Next Set

• Check pressure monthly, and more often when temperatures swing in spring and fall.
• Rotate on schedule and have wheels balanced whenever tires are mounted.
• Swap winter tires off once daytime temperatures stay above 7°C.
• Store your off-season set somewhere cool, dry and out of direct sunlight.

When it's time for a new set, we carry value and premium brands in all sizes — shop tires or contact us for a quote. If you're torn between replacing two tires or four, read Should You Replace Two Tires or All Four?.

Sources

• Government of Ontario, Official MTO Driver's Handbook, "Maintaining your vehicle" (ontario.ca/document/official-mto-drivers-handbook/maintaining-your-vehicle). Checked October 26, 2026.