Outer tread wear question

This isn't about my cx-5 but I know this forum is full of smart people so I'll ask about my sister's Honda Fit. I noticed her outer part of tires are worn down. I'm assuming she hasn't been on top of adding in air over the years. The car has 35k miles but the outer part of the tire looks bald while center has the ridges. I put a penny in it and the outer groove is definitely showing the full head. I've started to top off her tires each month. is it safe to drive around like this since she does short drives 1-5 mile trips of should the tires get replaced. I'm assuming that if the middle of the tire thread tis still good and if tires are getting filled, its ok to drive like this.
 
It's most likely that her alignment is way off. Too little air would normally cause wear to BOTH the inside and outside areas of the tread.

If the tire is really bald on the outside, yes she should replace the tires AND get a 4-wheel alignment done.
 
Is it just outer rim, or both inner and outer?

35k miles is pretty good for a set of OEM tires. Tires of that size are pretty cheap.

They aren't going to be as good as new tires but the question involves road conditions and speeds, etc.
 
Is it just outer rim, or both inner and outer?

35k miles is pretty good for a set of OEM tires. Tires of that size are pretty cheap.

They aren't going to be as good as new tires but the question involves road conditions and speeds, etc.
I haven't taken the wheel off to check both sides. her driving is mostly 30-40 mph short trips. 35k is good? my CX5 has 50k on original tires and im still pushing it. they reached the flat marker on tire but I stilll can't see all of Lincoln's hair so im going to keep them going until 2021
 
im not being cheap. I saw a documentary how the rubber for tires is made and dont want to be wasteful.
What kind of OE tires on her Honda Fit? Is tire size 185/55R16 or 185/60R15? Can you still see UTQG rating on the sidewall of the tires?

You should be able to see the inner side of tread just by looking from front end and rear end of the car. Or just feel it with your fingers.

In theory you need a new set of tires when the tread evenly worn down to 2/32” and the wear bar on the tread surface has shown. But the performance of the tire would degrading especially on wet and wintery road conditions when the tread depth is below 5/32”. That’s why people are considering tire replacement once the tread has been down to less than 5/32” mainly for safety reason.

I can see your point on environmental concerns on tire manufacturing and recycling. I myself prefer changing tires as soon as my Discount Tire is willing to give me the pro-rated credit for new tires. Thus I can enjoy the performance and safety from a new set of tires.
 
What kind of OE tires on her Honda Fit? Is tire size 185/55R16 or 185/60R15? Can you still see UTQG rating on the sidewall of the tires?

You should be able to see the inner side of tread just by looking from front end and rear end of the car. Or just feel it with your fingers.

In theory you need a new set of tires when the tread evenly worn down to 2/32” and the wear bar on the tread surface has shown. But the performance of the tire would degrading especially on wet and wintery road conditions when the tread depth is below 5/32”. That’s why people are considering tire replacement once the tread has been down to less than 5/32” mainly for safety reason.

I can see your point on environmental concerns on tire manufacturing and recycling. I myself prefer changing tires as soon as my Discount Tire is willing to give me the pro-rated credit for new tires. Thus I can enjoy the performance and safety from a new set of tires.
I live in Los angels so there are no weather conditions.
 
I've heard Honda Fit with the steel rims is notorius for under inflated tires.
measure the worn side(s) if they are above 2-3/32 and given the driving conditions you mention shoud be ok to drive some more.
but at some point in time new tires is best.

if only one side is worn, could be allignment.
 
Without seeing pictures, to me it sounds like her car needs an alignment. She can have the shop that does the alignment rotate her tiers, and ask them how long she can go on them. Most likely the wear is excessive and she will need a new set. If she takes short trips she can probably milk it out for a little bit and save up for the work.
 
Without seeing pictures, to me it sounds like her car needs an alignment. She can have the shop that does the alignment rotate her tiers, and ask them how long she can go on them. Most likely the wear is excessive and she will need a new set. If she takes short trips she can probably milk it out for a little bit and save up for the work.
sorry for the late reply. il have to inspect and make photos. She doesnt need to save up. She makes over 100k. women have no clue about their own cars and im very frugal and non wasteful. I told her she may need new tires. She said, "whatever, ill probably catch a nail in one as usual." My other sis drove to work and noticed the car is dragging and making noise. She called me and I told her to pull over and look around the car. She did and told me the tire is flat. I told her I can come with a jack to fix it but she decided to just keep driving on the flat. When I got there to swap the tires, the tire had a side tear and a nail in it and had to be replaced. Barely used tires. what can I do? the women in my family keep messing up tires.

I'm still driving on my original Mazda CX5 tires. im at 49,700 miles and 2 tires still have a tiny bump on the tire replace marker so ill keep them going until I can see Lincolns head.
 
then if money is not a problem,
check alignment and get new tires.
on the Honda fit they should be dirt cheap.
 
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