My mechanic mentioned tire rotation at every oil change and I always waved it off as an upsell. Then I slid through a stop sign one December on uneven tires and changed my mind in a hurry. Rotating your tires is not a scam, and doing it before winter matters more than most people realize.

Why Tires Wear Unevenly

Your front tires carry the engine, steer, and do most of the braking, so they wear faster than the rears. Rotating moves each tire to a different position so all four wear down together. Uneven wear means less grip, and less grip in snow and ice is exactly when you need it most.

When to Do It

• Every 5,000 to 8,000 miles, or with every other oil change.
• Before winter so the tread is even when the roads get slick.
• Any time you notice one tire looking more worn than the others.

What I Learned

Rotation is cheap, often free with an oil change, and it extends the life of the whole set. That last part is what sold me. Buying four tires is a painful bill, and rotating them means I buy them less often. The pattern matters too, and it differs for front wheel, rear wheel, and all wheel drive cars, so I let a shop do it.

Check your owner’s manual for the interval. Some shops say every six months, and if you drive a lot of snowy miles, that is not bad advice.