Tyre noise is partly just how tyres work and partly a warning sign, and telling the two apart is the whole job. A steady hum that has always been there is usually the tyre and the road. A noise that has grown or changed is the kind to chase.
The ordinary causes
Most road noise is designed in or comes with the surface:
- Tread pattern. Aggressive off-road and high-performance tyres are louder by nature; touring tyres are quieter. The EU label scores each one, as covered under the tyre noise rating
- Road surface. Coarse, chipped asphalt roars where smooth tarmac is near silent, which is why the noise changes road to road
- Wear stage. Tyres tend to be quietest when new and get a little louder as they wear down
- Pressure. Under-inflation changes the contact patch and the note
The fault causes
When the noise is new, growing or one-sided, look at:
- Uneven or cupped wear, which makes a rhythmic drone or roar, per cupping and scalloping
- A failing wheel bearing, whose hum changes as the car corners, louder turning one way, quieter the other
- A separating tyre, which can roar and usually vibrates too, as under vibration at speed
The cornering test is the most useful one: a noise that shifts left to right is almost always a bearing, not the tyre.
Keeping tyres quiet
Correct pressure, even wear through regular rotation, and a good noise rating chosen at purchase do most of the work. Fixing an alignment fault early stops the uneven wear that turns a quiet tyre into a droning one, and that diagnosis carries over to a humming or droning noise.
From the workshop: the test I do for free in the car park is have them drive a gentle slalom. If the drone gets louder turning right and quieter turning left, that's a bearing, not a tyre, and I've saved them buying tyres that won't fix it. Even noise that's always been there is just the rubber and the road.
Sources and accuracy. This reflects standard diagnosis at the time of writing. A noise paired with vibration or play in a wheel should be checked promptly. If anything here looks wrong, get in touch and we will check it and put it right.
Common questions
Why are my tyres so loud?+
Some of it is design: chunky or performance tread patterns are simply noisier than touring tyres, and coarse road surfaces add to it. The rest can be wear and pressure, or a fault such as cupped wear or a failing wheel bearing. If the noise has grown recently, it is the second group worth checking.
Do new tyres make more noise?+
Tyres are usually quietest when new and get a little louder as they wear and the tread blocks shrink and stiffen. A big jump in noise after fitting can mean a noisy tread pattern was chosen, or the pressures are wrong. The EU label gives each tyre a noise figure to compare before buying.
Is loud tyre noise a sign of a problem?+
It can be. Even, consistent noise is usually just the tyre and the road. A droning that changes as you turn left or right points to a wheel bearing, and a roar that came with a vibration points to uneven wear. New or one-sided noise is the kind to investigate.
How can I make my tyres quieter?+
Keep them at the correct pressure and evenly worn through regular rotation, and when replacing them, choose a touring or comfort tyre with a good noise rating on the EU label. Fixing any alignment or balance fault stops the uneven wear that makes tyres drone.