What Causes Tire Blowouts? 

Tires blowouts happen for a number of reasons, usually related to the age, condition, or pressure of the tire. A tire blowout is a structural failure, when the tire suddenly loses pressure and deflates quickly. Because blowouts happen suddenly, drivers can panic or lose control of their vehicles, especially at high speeds. 

Fortunately, tire blowouts are often preventable if you maintain your tires properly, avoid driving on older tires, and don't buy questionable used tires. This post explains why tires blow out and what to do if you experience a tire blowout.

What Causes Tire Blowout

Tire blowouts have a few typical causes and contributing factors:

• Tire bubbles are irregular bumps or bulges in your tire’s sidewall or shoulder that indicate that the internal structure of your tire is damaged. The rubber may bulge and even crack around the weak area. A tire bubble significantly increases blowout risk, so if you notice a tire bubble, stop driving on that tire and replace it immediately!
• Tire cracks tend to show up as a tire ages, and are more common in dry climates. It can also be caused by UV exposure, ozone, and improper storage. A tire’s rubber wears down over time, and a tire's cracking usually means that the sidewall is weakening and becoming brittle. Tire cracks can start small, but don’t ignore them. They’ll grow and can increase blowout risk over time. 
• Worn tread happens with age, miles, driving habits and other factors. While not necessarily a predecessor to a blowout, a worn-down tread reduces traction, increases risk of hydroplaing, and the tire is more vulnerable to road debris and potholes. You should regularly check your tread depth to make sure it’s still able to maintain traction with the road. 
• Poorly maintained tires don't necessarily cause tire blowouts, but they can increase risks:
  • Check tire pressure to make sure it’s the correct pressure for your vehicle.
  • Rotate your tires so that tread wears evenly over the life of the tire.
  • Check for tire damage (like cracks or bubbles), especially before long road trips.
  • Balance your tires and align your wheels regularly.
• Potholes and road debris can cause blowouts, which is not something you normally can control. Most of today's tires are built to handle potholes but they aren't foolproof. If you’ve hit a curb, run over road debris, or hit a bad pothole, pull over as soon as it’s safe and inspect your tire. 

Did you know?: Tires are more vulnerable to blowouts in summer and hot weather. While summer and heat don't cause tire failures and blowouts, your tires are more at risk for a couple of reasons. First, heat raises tire pressure and hot pavement raises internal tire temperatures. If tires are under-inflated, they are especially vulnerable in high heat. Second, we drive more in summer. Long summer highway trips increase the sustained stress on tires, which can cause them to deteriorate. If you're driving on brand-new tires, this is much less of a concern than if your tires are worn or aging. Tires with lower tread depth — such as below 4/32" — often indicate overall wear, and older or heavily worn tires are more vulnerable to heat-related failure.

What Do I Do if My Tire Blows Out?

If you’re driving and your tire suddenly blows out, you can follow these steps and minimize harm to yourself and your car:

• Ease off your accelerator but don’t suddenly brake; light, gradual braking is recommended. The goal is to reduce your speed safely and slowly. 
• Keep both hands on the wheel and keep your car stable. Don’t suddenly swerve or turn to the side of the road. 
• Turn on your hazard lights when it’s safe to do so to alert other vehicles to your situation. 
• Stay moving straight and only pull off to the side of the road when it’s safe to do so and your speed is reduced. 

Once you’ve reached a place where you can safely park and exit your vehicle, you can inspect your tires. And hey, speaking of which, remember to keep your spare tire inflated and regularly inspect that too! You shouldn't drive on donut spare tires for very long, but they’re good for short distances and lower speeds (under 50 MPH usually). 

Can I Repair a Tire That’s Blown Out?

In most cases, no, you can’t. Sidewall damage, for example, is not repairable. A big hole in your tire is impossible to safely patch or repair, and the damage that’s done to your tire when your car drives on it makes it impossible to repair a blown-out tire. Small punctures on the tread, however, may be repairable.  

Because you’ll have to replace a blown-out tire, we recommend checking out Tire Agent’s tire matching tool and our payment plans. Tire Agent offers free shipping within the continental U.S., and will help you find a trusted tire installer near you that can get you back on the road. Whether you’re replacing one tire or need a full set, Tire Agent has you covered. Keep in mind -- if one tire blows out, you may need to avoid mismatched tires; especially in AWD vehicles, you'll need to replace two or all four.

What Causes Most Car Crashes?

Among the causes of car accidents, tire blowouts are less common than accidents caused by driving while impaired, distracted and speeding. There were 646 fatalities with tire-related accidents in 2023 (the most recent year available). The leading causes of car accidents, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, include:

• Drunk driving (as many as 30% of traffic crash fatalities involve drunk drivers)
• Distracted driving (8% of fatal crashes in 2023 involved distracted driving)
• Speeding (29% of traffic fatalities involved speeding in 2023)

ID 404151629 | Dmitrii Korostylev | Dreamstime.com