Volkswagen Polo Quiz
Vehicle care and maintenance

Tread depth and wear indicators

In this manual: Vehicle care and maintenance
Vehicle exterior — 4Vehicle interior — 8Instrument cluster — 14Before setting off — 14Opening and closing — 35Sitting correctly and safely — 46Lights and vision — 26Transporting items — 29Practical equipment — 20Starting the engine, changing gear and parking — 34Driver assist systems — 18Air conditioning system — 8At the filling station — 14In the engine compartment — 24Vehicle care and maintenance — 66Practical tips — 2In an emergency — 5Manual opening and closing — 6Vehicle toolkit — 4Hubcaps — 4Changing a wheel — 9Breakdown set — 7Fuses — 4Changing a bulb — 13Starting the engine with jump leads — 4Tow-starting and towing — 7
~2min read

Fig. 147 Tyre tread: wear indicators

First read and observe the introductory information and safety warnings

Tread depth

Difficult driving situations demand the deepest possible tread depth for the tyres and the same tread depth for the tyres on the front and rear axles. This applies in particular for driving in winter weather and cold temperatures and in wet conditions .

In most countries, the minimum tread depth required by law is 1.6 mm (measured in the tread grooves next to the tread wear indicators). Observe any country-specific legal requirements.

Winter tyres lose a large degree of their effectiveness when the tread is worn down to a depth of 4 mm.

The tread depth of new tyres can vary according to type and manufacturer due to construction and tread design.

Tread wear indicator in tyres

The original tyres on your vehicle have 1.6 mm high tread wear indicators running across the tread . These wear indicators are positioned at set intervals around the tyre. Markings on the tyre sidewall (for instance the letters TWI or other symbols) indicate the positions of the tread wear indicators.

The tread wear indicators show if a tyre is worn down. The tyre must be replaced at the latest when the tread depth is just down to the tread wear indicator.

Worn tyres are a safety risk and can lead to a loss of control of the vehicle and cause serious injury.
  • Tyres must be replaced at the latest when the tread is worn down to the tread wear indicators.
  • Worn tyres have considerably less tread, particularly on wet roads, which can cause the vehicle to glide along the road surface (aquaplaning).
  • Worn tyres reduce the possibility of controlling the vehicle well in normal and difficult driving situations and increase braking distance and the risk of sliding.

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