When buying a second-hand car there are many different things that you need to check out, and the tyres are something that can tell you quite a lot about the condition of the car and how well it has been looked after. Always check that the tyres are a matching set, ideally, all four should have the same tread pattern but at the very least the front two and the back two should match. Next check that the wear is even across the left and right side of the car, uneven wear could indicate a problem with the tracking. Lastly check all the tread depths to make sure there are at least 2 millimetres remaining as the legal limit is 1.6 millimetres, if the current tyre tread depth is illegal then this could be an indication that the car maintenance has not been kept up and you may be best off avoiding the car.
As well as tread on a tyre the general condition of the tyre should be looked at including looking at the side walls of the tyres and ensuring there are no cracks or damage to them or signs that the rubber has perished. Often people will blacken their tyres when trying to sell a car so make sure you’re not fooled by first impressions!
