# Sidewall damage - Safe to drive? **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** toyota\ **Created:** [August 1, 2021, 1:15am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/sidewall-damage-safe-to-drive/178407 "2021-08-01T01:15:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![detrog1980\_176499](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@detrog1980\_176499](https://community.cartalk.com/u/detrog1980_176499)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2021, 1:15am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/sidewall-damage-safe-to-drive/178407/1 "2021-08-01T01:15:49Z")
![IMG_5062](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/4/e/4e00c9c831235516e398bacac7d83a2137bae305.jpeg) Hit a curb and have some sidewall damage. Does this look like something I should worry about? ---
**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2021, 1:18am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/sidewall-damage-safe-to-drive/178407/2 "2021-08-01T01:18:34Z")
How old are the tires? Because it looks like you’ve exposed dry rot. ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/d/2/d2e28b849681a558bbb0ffd1d97c6a36488a7f9d.jpeg) Tester ---
**Author:** ![ok4450](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ok4450](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ok4450)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2021, 1:19am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/sidewall-damage-safe-to-drive/178407/3 "2021-08-01T01:19:52Z")
Yes. Don’t even think about highway speeds on that tire. Very little driving and drive slow until replaced. ---
**Author:** ![VOLVO-V70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8e8cbc/32.png) [@VOLVO-V70](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VOLVO-V70)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2021, 1:20am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/sidewall-damage-safe-to-drive/178407/4 "2021-08-01T01:20:23Z")
If all of your tires are the same age then you need 4 new ones now . ---
**Author:** ![detrog1980\_176499](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@detrog1980\_176499](https://community.cartalk.com/u/detrog1980_176499)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2021, 1:23am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/sidewall-damage-safe-to-drive/178407/5 "2021-08-01T01:23:53Z")
That is what I thought. Tires are all about 4 years old, 38,000 miles on 40,000 mile tires. ---
**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2021, 1:27am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/sidewall-damage-safe-to-drive/178407/6 "2021-08-01T01:27:57Z")
Tires shouldn’t dry rot in 4 years. Drive to a tire shop and ask that they inspect all the tires. Tester ---
**Author:** ![Champ31957](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/87869e/32.png) [@Champ31957](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Champ31957)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2021, 1:30am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/sidewall-damage-safe-to-drive/178407/7 "2021-08-01T01:30:56Z")
I agree. It’s not the curb rash that is that bad but the crack above it indicates dry rot. Four years is premature but we don’t know where the car is located or the conditions that the tires have been exposed to. ---
**Author:** ![Nevada\_545](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/nevada_545/32/41232_2.png) [@Nevada\_545](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Nevada_545)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2021, 1:33am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/sidewall-damage-safe-to-drive/178407/8 "2021-08-01T01:33:29Z")
Looks like a common curb scuff, no big deal. Dry rot looks typical for a 4 year old Bridgestone tire, you should be able to get another year out of them. I see worse every day. Ask a tire store if you need new tires, the answer is always yes. ![20210421_085733](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/d/1/d1eb49c49d0026cd3e1eb1c241eae29ca3dc3566.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2021, 1:36am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/sidewall-damage-safe-to-drive/178407/9 "2021-08-01T01:36:15Z")
Or where the tires were manufactured, or how long the tires sat on the shelf before they were mounted. 😉 Tester ---
**Author:** ![bing](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bing/32/4619_2.png) [@bing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bing)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2021, 2:06am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/sidewall-damage-safe-to-drive/178407/10 "2021-08-01T02:06:43Z")
I’m not one to try and get the last drop out of something, so I’ll just try and calculate the option. Let’s say $800 for a new set of tires. You drive 10K a year and could get maybe another year out of them. So you have used up $640 worth of the tires with $160 worth for another year. So if you replace now, you wasted $160 or .016 per mile. Well you didn’t really waste it, you just spent it a year ahead of time so interest on the lost $160 for a year is around $10 depending on what you are getting on your money. So when I look at it, it’s a $10 or 20 decision, not an $800 decision since I’d have to spend the $800 in a year anyway. If you buy now and die, you win and had the benefit of new tires. If not it cost you less than a tank of gas. Change my mind. The thing is, delaying an expense is not the same as avoiding the expense forever. Just like keeping a car longer-It delays the expense but does not avoid it. You probably know what I would do, but it’s up to you. ---
**Author:** ![VOLVO-V70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8e8cbc/32.png) [@VOLVO-V70](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VOLVO-V70)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2021, 2:32am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/sidewall-damage-safe-to-drive/178407/11 "2021-08-01T02:32:04Z")
40000 mile tire have 38000 on them . Hit curb with one that could have internal damage . Photo seems to show dryrot. Forget trying to get more out of them and get 4 new ones now . Depending on the persons driving they may not need high dollar tires . ---
**Author:** ![detrog1980\_176499](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@detrog1980\_176499](https://community.cartalk.com/u/detrog1980_176499)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2021, 2:38am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/sidewall-damage-safe-to-drive/178407/12 "2021-08-01T02:38:27Z")
I took a picture of a picture of another one of the tires. Is this what you mean by rot? Pardon my ignorance. ![IMG_5066](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/e/4/e4158f5542ab57f499500275ef43ccaf9808dda7.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![weekend-warrior](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/weekend-warrior/32/26122_2.png) [@weekend-warrior](https://community.cartalk.com/u/weekend-warrior)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2021, 2:40am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/sidewall-damage-safe-to-drive/178407/13 "2021-08-01T02:40:42Z")
dry rot is the cracking you see. ---
**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2021, 2:41am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/sidewall-damage-safe-to-drive/178407/14 "2021-08-01T02:41:59Z")
If you were to come into my shop and I saw that? You need new tires. Tester ---
**Author:** ![weekend-warrior](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/weekend-warrior/32/26122_2.png) [@weekend-warrior](https://community.cartalk.com/u/weekend-warrior)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2021, 2:46am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/sidewall-damage-safe-to-drive/178407/15 "2021-08-01T02:46:45Z")
[How to Measure Tire Tread Depth - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkUUE6lZ7J4&t=50s) ---
**Author:** ![It\_s-Me](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/it_s-me/32/12660_2.png) [@It\_s-Me](https://community.cartalk.com/u/It_s-Me)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2021, 6:02am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/sidewall-damage-safe-to-drive/178407/16 "2021-08-01T06:02:24Z")
@weekend-warrior did you not see the dry rot in his second picture, who cares how much tread he has left, those tires are not safe to use. > [@detrog1980\_176499](#): > > ![IMG_5066](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/e/4/e4158f5542ab57f499500275ef43ccaf9808dda7.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![bcohen2010](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@bcohen2010](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bcohen2010)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2021, 9:57am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/sidewall-damage-safe-to-drive/178407/17 "2021-08-01T09:57:14Z")
In the past, when I was really poor, I used to drive on tires until they were completely bald, and/or had cracks galore on the sidewalls. I wouldn’t do that today, and I can’t recommend that anyone else do such a thing, but I never had a tire blow out or come apart. I think most tires come apart due to improper inflation, and that keeping the air pressure within a few PSI of the recommended pressure for your vehicle will go a long way to preventing tire failure. ---
**Author:** ![CapriRacer](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/capriracer/32/22_2.png) [@CapriRacer](https://community.cartalk.com/u/CapriRacer)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2021, 12:07pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/sidewall-damage-safe-to-drive/178407/18 "2021-08-01T12:07:18Z")
The curb rash isn’t good, but it doesn’t warrant immediate replacement. The other photo of the dry rot also isn’t quite there either. And it’s hard to tell how much tread is left. Looks like a bit. So I think the OP should start looking for tires and try to get that done in the next few months. ---
**Author:** ![ok4450](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ok4450](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ok4450)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2021, 2:15pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/sidewall-damage-safe-to-drive/178407/19 "2021-08-01T14:15:08Z")
Something to think about with the cruise control set at 75 while on the freeway… ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2021, 2:58pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/sidewall-damage-safe-to-drive/178407/20 "2021-08-01T14:58:49Z")
If my tires looked like that I’d replace them all in the coming week. What is the tire’s age, based on the date stamp on the sidewall? [Next page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/sidewall-damage-safe-to-drive/178407.md?page=2)