Buying new tires for your vehicle always feels like an indignation-provoking, unexpected expense. Somehow, we all always have other (more fun) plans for the new tire funds. Yes, of course, there are top-tier tire connoisseurs out there, but we’re not talking to those guys. This is commiseration for the folks who try to take responsible care of their vehicles, but sometimes walk away feeling scammed. Or, at least that’s how former “Love Island Australia” contestant Jessica Losurdo (@jessicalosurdo) felt after a recent interaction. Mechanic ‘Tried To Rip Me Off ‘Cause He Saw That I Was A Girl’ Losurdo took her car in for a “pink slip renewal” (registration renewal), and, suddenly, in addition to the paperwork, she was looking at a bill of over $1,000. “The [expletive] over there just tried to rip me off ‘cause he saw that I was a girl,” she alleges. She says the mechanic inspected her car and came back saying that all four of her tires need changing. He told her the tires are “balding.” The thing that raised her alarm? She replaced all of her tires last year. Consumer Reports says that decent, meaning middle-of-the-road (forgive the pun) tires should last about 70,000 miles. It’s probably a safe bet that Losurdo didn’t drive the equivalent of almost three times around the circumference of the Earth from 2025 to 2026, especially considering the average driver logs between 12,000 and 15,000 miles per annum. She says she took her vehicle to another expert. His verdict: nothing is wrong with her tires. Commenters Weigh In: Did Losurdo Actually Need To Change Her Tires? In her video, which has garnered over 55,000 views, she cuts to a clip of one of her car tires. At a glance, the treads look decent. However, the tire is shot at an angle, and the video doesn’t follow the entire tire around. She questioned whether the tread on her tires looked OK. Because she asked a legit question, Losurdo mostly got legit answers. However, no consensus on the state of her tires emerged. Ghostgirl (@yoursghostgirl) advises, “Unfortunately tires need to be changed based on wear and not time. The cheaper the tire the quicker it will wear, most tires last 50k-70k but that is with normal maintenance. When is the last time you got a tire rotation? When is the last time you got an alignment? You could have brand new tires but if your alignment is off and you have a chamber your tires will wear unevenly [...] Get a tire [tread] reader and determine for yourself, they are pretty cheap.” She’s immediately “actually’d” by Moefuca (@moefuca): “Dude that’s a 200 dollar potenza adrenalin re003 high performance summer tire [sobbing emoji] look at the depth at the edges she has plenty of tread the tires are supposed to look like that.” Another user, Alexis (itsalexisiselberg), says, “I’m a mechanic and they are def going to need to be changed soon. Tire wear based on how much you drive it has nothing to do with time.” The comments go back and forth like this—some saying the tires are fine because they’re a specific summer tire, others saying it’s time to consider new ones. How Are Summer Tires Different? The summer tire comment points to an important variable: the kind of tires a vehicle is equipped with. Most folks go with a tire that lets them think about it the least. That’s generally an all-season tire that “perform[s] well enough in most situations,” notes the site Cars.com. However, if Moefuca is correct, and Losurdo does have summer or performance tires on her car, they could be wearing faster than a typical all-season set. That same article notes that summer tires “tend to wear faster because their tenacious grip leaves more rubber on the road.” Combine that with less-than-perfect alignment, and it is possible that sooner rather than later, Losurdo will need to replace her tires. In the meantime, what should she do? How To Decide When It’s Time to Think About New Tires In a subsequent video, Losurdo says that all the conflicting (even if well-meaning) advice is “wiggin’ her out.” So, she tries a “coin test.” In Australia, a 20-cent coin is suggested to ascertain the legally required tire depth of 1.6 millimeters. Take the coin, as Losurdo does, and insert it into the central tread of the tire. If the tread does not reach the bill of the platypus, you likely need a new tire. Careful scrutiny of Losurdo’s video suggests that her tires are just fine. In the U.S., you can use a penny to determine whether your tires need to be replaced. As Bridgestone notes, “The U.S. Department of Transportation recommends replacing tires when they reach 2/32”, and many states legally require tires to be replaced at this depth.” To determine if your tire has enough tread using a penny, place a penny in the tread of your tire so Lincoln’s head is facing down. See if his head disappears between the tread of your tires. “If it does, your tread is still above 2/32” , If you can see his entire head, it may be time to replace the tire because it has reached the end of its useful life,” Bridgestone says. In Losurdo’s case, it seems like (for once), the internet delivered some much-appreciated common sense, and the tire budget can get spent on something fun. Motor1 reached out to Jessica Losurdo via TikTok direct message and commented on the video. We’ll update this if she gets back to us with her ultimate tire decision. We want your opinion! What would you like to see on Motor1.com? Take our 3 minute survey. - The Motor1.com Team
Liked by Oliver Rogers, Morgan Young
Liked by Oliver Rogers, Morgan Young
Liked by Oliver Rogers, Morgan Young
