We all depend on our tires to get us where we need to go, but even the best tire will eventually wear out or become damaged. Worn or damaged tires reduce your control over your Kia, making accidents more likely. As your Kia dealer, we’d like to tell you a few signs you need to visit us for new tires.
Worn Tread Centers
Tread wears down naturally due to friction with the surface, but excessive wear in the center of the tire tread is a sign your tires are overinflated. Your tires perform best and wear out slower if they’re maintained at the correct tire pressure. The right pressure for your Kia’s tires is listed in your car manual. Overinflated tires not only suffer more damage, but they’re also dangerous to drive on.
The air inside a tire heats up when driving due to friction. As the air gets hotter, the tire’s internal pressure increases. An overinflated tire already has higher than normal pressure, which also stretches the tire’s surface thinner. An overinflated tire is more likely to blow out, and this can cause a serious accident. We can correct the tire pressure and check your tires are still safe.
Scalloped Tire Edges
Scalloping or cupping is an odd wear pattern on the outer edges of the tread. It looks as if parts of the tread have been scooped out with an ice cream scoop at regular intervals. This type of damage is caused by a suspension problem or damaged shocks. The shocks are designed to absorb vibrations caused by driving over a surface and prevent your car from bouncing as you’re driving.
Damaged shocks don’t absorb and dissipate these vibrations, and this causes sections of your tires to hit the surface harder than they should as the tires move more erratically. Worn shocks can also cause damage to many other components due to the increased vibrations that spread through your car. We’ll replace damaged shocks to give you a smoother ride and protect your tires.
Bald Tires
A bald tire is so severely worn down that its tread has almost completely disappeared. The surface of this type of tire looks smooth, and it’s very dangerous to drive on. The lack of tread means the tire can’t grip the surface, and this can cause it to skid if you drive through water or mud, as your car could hydroplane.
Bald tires are more likely to suffer leaks as the rubber has worn thin. They are also illegal, and you could get a citation. We’ll check your tire to confirm the diagnosis and can quickly replace it with a new one.
Don’t risk an accident. Visit our service center today at Bergstrom Kia of Oshkosh in Oshkosh, WI.
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Warranties include 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain and 5-year/60,000-mile basic. All warranties and roadside assistance are limited. See retailer for warranty details.