There are two different things people mean by tyre "warranty": the manufacturer's guarantee against faults, and optional road-hazard cover against accidental damage. They protect against very different problems, and both come with exclusions. Knowing what each covers helps you decide whether paying extra for road-hazard cover makes sense for your driving.
Guarantee vs warranty
Every reputable tyre comes with a manufacturer's guarantee against defects in materials and workmanship, the rare cases where a tyre fails because of how it was made. This doesn't cover normal wear, or damage from potholes, kerbs and punctures, because those aren't faults with the tyre. It's there for the unlikely event that a tyre is genuinely defective.
What road-hazard cover includes
A road-hazard warranty is optional cover you can buy for accidental damage, the everyday hazards a guarantee excludes. Typically it can cover a tyre damaged by a pothole, a puncture that can't be repaired, or a kerb impact, within a set period and often on a pro-rata basis (paying out less as the tyre wears). Terms vary, so the detail matters.
The exclusions to watch
Read the small print. Common exclusions include normal wear, damage from driving on a flat, illegal tyres, and tyres below a certain tread depth. Cover is also usually pro-rata, so a worn tyre pays out less than a nearly new one. None of this makes the cover bad, but it's why you should know exactly what's included before relying on it.
Is it worth it?
It depends on your risk. If you drive a lot on pothole-ridden roads, do high mileage, or have fitted expensive tyres, road-hazard cover can pay for itself with a single claim. For low-mileage drivers on good roads with budget tyres, the cost may outweigh the benefit. Weigh the premium against the cost of the tyres and your typical road conditions.
We keep it simple
We'll explain any cover available on the tyres we fit, with no pressure, and fit your tyres at home or work across the UK. Book a fit.
