A man is going viral on TikTok after recounting an unusual question he says he overheard a woman ask an AutoZone employee over the phone. In the clip, user @shittytire says he was inside an AutoZone when a worker picked up a call from someone looking for help with her tires. According to him, the woman started the conversation with a question that caught everyone off guard. “The girl said, ‘Hey, I know my tire size, but how do I know if it’ll hold my car up?’” the TikToker recalls. He says the employee paused, clearly confused, and asked the caller to explain what she meant. The woman repeated that she wasn’t sure whether the tires would actually support the weight of her vehicle. “He looked at me, and I just started laughing,” the TikToker says. The TikToker adds that the woman kept pressing the question while the employee tried to figure out what she was asking. Eventually, he says, the worker suggested she contact a tire shop instead, since AutoZone sells parts but doesn’t specialize in tire sales or installation. In the comments section, some viewers said the question might not have been as strange as it sounded. A few pointed out that tires come with a rating known as a load rating, which indicates how much weight a tire can safely support. Others said they would have been just as baffled by the call. As of this writing, the video has surpassed 104,900 views. Tires: What’s A Load Rating? According to Discount Tire, a tire’s load rating tells you how much weight that tire can safely support when it’s properly inflated. You’ll usually find it printed on the tire’s sidewall as part of a number that corresponds to a specific weight capacity. The number itself is called the load index. Each number matches a set weight limit on a standard chart used across the tire industry. The higher the number, the more weight the tire is designed to carry. For example, a passenger tire with a load index of 91 can support about 1,356 pounds. Tires with higher numbers are built to carry more weight and are often used on larger vehicles such as trucks or SUVs. Vehicle manufacturers recommend a minimum load rating for every car. Drivers can usually find that information on a label inside the driver’s side door jamb or in the owner’s manual. Mechanics generally say it’s fine to use a tire with a higher rating, but going lower than the recommended number can cause problems. If a tire isn’t rated to carry enough weight, it can run hotter and wear out faster. In more serious cases, it can increase the risk of a blowout. Load ratings matter even more when a vehicle is carrying extra weight—whether that’s passengers, luggage, or a trailer. If the tires aren’t rated to handle that load, they can wear out faster or overheat. Making sure the tires can support the weight helps keep the car stable. Viewers Defend AutoZone Customer’s Tire Question Commenters who watched the video came to the woman’s defense, suggesting she may have had a valid point but simply didn’t know how to phrase the question correctly. “That really wasn’t a dumb question, tires have load ratings for a reason,” one viewer wrote. “People have never seen people try to get cheap tires for a heavy duty truck,” another said. “That’s actually a smart question. She could have found the size online but the website didn’t recommend that for her type of car or SUV so she wanted to understand.” “That’s a semi valid question,” a third TikTok user offered. “Ummm they do have load ratings and there are also speed ratings, like you wouldn’t put the same tires on a Mustang that you would an F250 just because it’s the same size,” said a fourth viewer. Others, however, said they would have had far less patience for the caller and admitted they probably would have laughed at the question, too. “Sad isn’t it?” one woman wrote. “I’m a manager at a tire store,” another shared. “I would’ve hung up.” “I work for an auto parts place, some of the phone calls and questions we get are wild,” a third person added. “I can’t even make a smart [expletive] remark to that. I was gonna say well with no air it won’t hold the weight,” a fourth said, followed by a string of laughing emojis. Motor1 has reached out to @shittytire via a TikTok comment. We will update this story if he responds. We want your opinion! What would you like to see on Motor1.com? Take our 3 minute survey. - The Motor1.com Team