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Check your tire and wheel after hitting a curb

Look for sidewall damage and a pressure loss after a curb, and know when a tire professional should see the tire.

Here's what you need

  • A tire pressure gauge
  • The Tire and Loading Information label on the driver's door, or the owner's manual

Check the tire

  1. Look the tires over for cuts, cracks, or bulges after you drive over an obstacle. Continental says to make that check. NHTSA says to stop using a tire that shows those signs of physical damage.
  2. Look for a pronounced bulge on the sidewall. Continental says that bulge means cords inside the carcass are destroyed. It usually follows a curb or a speed bump taken too fast, or at the wrong angle.
  3. Check the pressure with a gauge. NHTSA says a tire can lose pressure suddenly if you bump a curb while parking. Use the pressure on the door label or in the owner's manual, not the maximum printed on the tire. For an accurate reading, NHTSA says the tire should be cold, meaning the car has not been driven for at least three hours.
  4. If you see a cut, a crack, or a bulge, if the tire will not hold pressure, or if you notice noise or vibration, stop using that tire and see a tire service professional. Continental says to have a cut checked by a tire expert right away. NHTSA says to consult a tire service professional when a tire will not hold pressure, or when you notice noise or vibration.

Things you should know

  • A dimple in the sidewall is not the same as a bulge. Continental says those indentations are harmless, and to have a tire specialist check if you are not sure which one you are seeing.
  • A tire-pressure warning light means a tire is already significantly underinflated. NHTSA says that light is not a substitute for regular tire maintenance.
  • Continental says one-sided tread wear often comes from axle geometry that has drifted, and that aggressively mounting a curb is one way that drift starts. A qualified specialist can realign the wheels.
  • The same door label shows the tire size. Find your wheel size walks through that number.
  • This page does not say a rim protector stopped the impact, and it does not say the tire or the wheel is safe to drive.

Sources