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Afternoon all,

Got my second service coming up next week for our 2018 Polo, SE 1.0 95.

On our first service last year, the front tyres was marked on the report as 40-50% wear. At that time we had only done around 6/7K miles.
It's not driven aggressive but the roads around Derbyshire are bad, potholes etc.

With the service coming up next week, i'm expecting to see some 80% plus tyre wear but we've only done 12K miles, just seems excessive.

Tyres are 185/65R 15 Seyne.

Welcome everybodys thoughts on this, from a few people i've spoken to (not car people it must be said) they think it doesent seem right.

Many Thanks & Kind Regards

yes I agree, that is excessive. I'm currently on 22000 KM's and have about 50% of tread left.

If the tyre wear is even across the tread, you've either got a very soft compound of tyre or you're driving aggressively.

If the central section of the tyre is low but the outer third on either side isn't then they're over inflated.

Conversely, if the outer third on inside and outside are worn excessively but the central third is ok then they're underinflated.

If you've excess wear on the insides only then you'll need your tracking redoing.

Are you sure they're actually worn as much as the service provider makes out? They do have a vested interest to sell you tyres you might not need. Most tyres start out at 7.5or 8mm tread depth and then depending on country, wear to a minimum (1.6mm) in the UK. However, if your service provider recommend a change at 3mm, their perception of how worn your tyre is might differ from actual legal requirements e.g. your tyres started life at 8mm tread, you now have 5.5mom tread, a garage that recommends binning at 3mm would say that's half worn, but by UK law, it would only be 39% worn.

lewiskr3 wrote: Fri Mar 06, 2020 1:13 pm Afternoon all,

Got my second service coming up next week for our 2018 Polo, SE 1.0 95.

On our first service last year, the front tyres was marked on the report as 40-50% wear. At that time we had only done around 6/7K miles.
It's not driven aggressive but the roads around Derbyshire are bad, potholes etc.

With the service coming up next week, i'm expecting to see some 80% plus tyre wear but we've only done 12K miles, just seems excessive.

Tyres are 185/65R 15 Seyne.

Welcome everybodys thoughts on this, from a few people i've spoken to (not car people it must be said) they think it doesent seem right.

Many Thanks & Kind Regards

May be worth investing in a tyre tread depth gauge. That way, you can check your tyre tread depth as part of your other regular checks (oil, tyre pressures, coolant level) and by measuring the tread depth at various points across the tyre, you’ll be able to spot early if they’re wearing unevenly. Also, you won’t be in danger of getting down to the minimum legal tread depth without knowing / realising it.

If your tyres were 40% / 50% evenly worn at 6,000 / 7,000 miles, that does seem quite heavy wear on a non-performance Polo, although as monkeyhanger has said, if the tyres are under or over inflated, or if your tracking / alignment is out, then they will wear unevenly, so the 40% / 50% wear might be on part of the tread rather than evenly across the entire tyre width.

I've done just over 16k now on mine and the fronts have about 1mm above the tread wear indicator still, nice and even across the tyre too.

The rears still have loads of tread left so I'll swap them to the front and put the new tyres on the rear I expect, I've found on previous cars that the rears tend to go out of shape if they are just left without swapping around.

Also get wheel-alignment, tracking, checked and / or adjusted. Had me a puncture last year, annoying but it happens, had tracking done at same time (no biffs of hit kerbs, alloys in perfect nick) was only very slightly out but when set correctly it made a heck of difference to steering. Total cost was £120ish (I forget exactly) inc wheel balance & Pirelli P7 tyre, well worth getting it done IMO....

Here’s mine after it’s 2nd Service last month at 18k miles (did it early as had to get the HPFP replaced under warranty) - original Continentals still.



Will swap fronts to back in the near future to even out all 4 tyres so I can get them all switched to a different tyre when the time comes.


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