At what age should I have tyres checked?

At every service, and before every MOT, because they wear by mileage rather than age. A quick look is enough to catch most of what the tester would.

Is a worn tyre an MOT failure?

It depends on how worn. "Tyre worn close to the legal limit" and "Tyre damaged or deteriorated" are the defects testers record; each page explains the threshold at which the item fails rather than being advised.

Tyres and wheels

How long do tyres last?

Data updated 3 September 2026

Quick answer

Tyres are replaced on a cycle rather than lasting the life of the car: they fail the MOT at 6.3 per 100 tests on three-to-five-year-old cars and 9.0 at 12 to 14 years, almost the same rate. Mileage since the last set matters, the age of the car barely does. Tread wears with every mile and sidewalls age and take kerb damage; the legal minimum is 1.6 mm across the central three-quarters.

Per 100 MOT tests

Tyres: failures and advisories by car age

FailuresAdvisories

3–5 yrsreg. 2020–2022: 6.3
36.8
6–8 yrsreg. 2017–2019: 6.7
42.3
9–11 yrsreg. 2014–2016: 7.7
43.3
12–14 yrsreg. 2011–2013: 9.0
46.0
15+ yrsreg. 2010 and earlier: 8.6
44.0

Items recorded per 100 class 4 tests at each age, across the whole fleet. Advisories run ahead of failures: the tester saw the part wearing and said so a year or two before it failed. Peak band highlighted.

DVSA recorded wording

What the tester writes

“Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements”peaks at 12–14 yrs · 3.5 per 100 tests
“A tyre seriously damaged”peaks at 3–5 yrs · 2.3 per 100 tests
“A tyre cords visible or damaged”peaks at 12–14 yrs · 2.0 per 100 tests
“A tyre has a lump, bulge or tear caused by separation or partial failure of its structure. This includes any lifting of the tread rubber”peaks at 12–14 yrs · 0.2 per 100 tests
“Tyres on the same axle or on twin wheels are different sizes”peaks at 15+ yrs · 0.2 per 100 tests

When it fails

The defects behind it, explained

Common questions

How long do tyres last?: They do not last the life of the car, and the data shows it: tyres fail the MOT at 6.3 per 100 tests on cars aged three to five and 9.0 at 12 to 14 years — nearly the same. They wear out and are replaced every few years whatever the car's age, so the question is really how many miles since the last set. Tread wears with every mile and sidewalls age and take kerb damage; the legal minimum is 1.6 mm across the central three-quarters.
At what age should I have tyres checked?: At every service, and before every MOT, because they wear by mileage rather than age. A quick look is enough to catch most of what the tester would.
Is a worn tyre an MOT failure?: It depends on how worn. "Tyre worn close to the legal limit" and "Tyre damaged or deteriorated" are the defects testers record; each page explains the threshold at which the item fails rather than being advised.

Analysis built from DVSA data of 3 September 2026