Q. The tread on my one tire is bad. The tire company told me if one is replaced you need to replace them all. Is there any truth to this or do they just want to make a sale?

A. The more important question here is why one tire is bad.

You probably need an alignment and possibly some other work. Assuming it was just a bad tire to start, or maybe you drive or park on curbs on the one side, then no, there is no reason to get a whole set. Certainly if you had a blowout in one tire you would not go out and buy four.

Always remember that the tires with the best tread should be in the front for traction. So if you get one new tire you may have to rotate them to have the best, newest tires in front.

Tires that are over-inflated will wear in the middle; under-inflated will wear on the outside. Tires should be rotated every other oil change for maximum mileage.

New tires all have a safety spot in the tread, when that spot goes flat it's time for a new tire. Of course it is very difficult for one person, by themselves, to see the worn safety spot. A reliable mechanic can check this for you.

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