If you’ve spotted a chunk missing from your tyre, don’t ignore it. Even small bits of missing rubber can signal hidden structural damage that weakens your tyre and increases the risk of a blowout. This guide explains what causes this kind of tyre damage, how to assess the risk, and when to repair or replace your tyre to stay safe on the road.
The tyres are the only part of your vehicle that makes contact with the road. Because of this, they are one of the most crucial components of your vehicle in terms of proper care and maintenance – requiring regular checks to ensure that the rubber surface has enough tread depth, is structurally sound, and remains free from cracks and bulges.
So, what do you do when you notice damage to your tyre?
The challenge with any kind of tyre damage, no matter its location or size, is that you have no idea if any internal damage has been caused as a result of the knock. Noticing a chunk missing from your rubber tyre can hint at an underlying level of damage far beyond what you see on the surface.
Keep reading for our advice on what to do if you notice a chunk missing from your car tyre.
What Causes Tyre Damage?
Tyre damage varies and can range from excessive wear across the tread of the tyre, through to a full blown puncture or noticing pieces of tyre missing.
Such damage can be caused by anything from a bump on the kerb to potholes and debris on the road, or misaligned wheels, which impair the structural stability of the tyre and leave it worn and visibly damaged.
Damage to the tyres, particularly in the form of uneven or excessive wear, can also be caused by driving behaviour such as driving too fast or hitting obstacles. But what does such damage mean for driver safety?
What Happens if There’s a Chunk of Tyre Missing?
The issue with noticing that a chunk of your tyre is missing, is that you don’t know how bad the damage is to the structure of the tyre.
While tyre tread is relatively easy to check and monitor, having a piece of rubber missing from the sidewall of your tyre often indicates an underlying sensitivity and level of damage that leaves the tyre highly susceptible to blowout.
For the most part, it is safe to drive back home with a very small piece of tyre missing – however, this damage should not be ignored. Rather, as soon as you are in a position to repair or replace the tyre, you should do. If the damage caused while out and about is extensive, you will need to switch to a spare tyre or call for roadside assistance.
This is because even shallow and surface-level damage to the sidewall of the tyre can have a detrimental impact on the stability and safety of the tyre.
