Helmar

My front passenger side tire got damaged and I had to replace it with the spare tire. The spare had never been used.

The person at the tire store suggested I contact Lexus because on AWD cars different tread depths on the tires can cause damage to the car.

My dealer confirmed the possibility, but said that a) The front tires are less of a problem and that b) the difference in tread depth wasn't enough to be concerned (10/30 on the new spare, 6/30 on the 3 existing tires).

I'd never heard of this issue and thought it might be of general interest.

HBH

rominl

iTrader: (4)

i think it's true in general when differentials are concerned, coz' with different tread wear / diameter, etc... it will create different traction so the system will work harder than needed and sometimes might put too much heat on the system

think of it this way, when you put on a new tire, it has different tread wear than the other wheel too

altersail

It's always a bad idea to have a new/old tire on the same axle. Will create problems with handling/braking etc. It is more acceptable to have different wear on front compared to rear axles. The problem is not just AWD issue. Of course, if the "old" tire is barely worn, then it is less of an issue. I would never mix a 10,000 mile tire with a new one on the same axle. It stinks when the bad tire is replaced under warrantee because they will only replace one and you have to pay for the other one on the same axle.