What is a tire rotation, exactly?

Tire rotation is when a technician moves the tires on your vehicle to a different position, depending on your vehicle, tire type, and driving habits. Different tire positions on your car can lead to varied wear patterns due to the braking process. Front tires typically experience more stress than rear wheels as they take the brunt of the braking force. Rotating your tires provides even traction, tread wear, and extends their life so one-off replacements won't be required.

How often should you rotate your tires?

How often to rotate your tires can depend on a few different factors. It’s best to have your tires rotated every 5,000 to 8,000 miles. This conveniently aligns with how often you should be changing your vehicle’s engine oil, so you can do it all in one stop. Be sure to check your owner’s manual for specific directions from your manufacturer about when to rotate your tires.

What happens if you don’t rotate your tires?

Ignoring regular tire rotations can lead to uneven tire wear, shortened tire lifespan, noisy tires, vibrating sensations up through the steering wheel, and decreased handling. When your tires experience irregular wear, this places more strain throughout the vehicle, especially the suspension. This can lead to expensive repairs down the road.

Do front and rear tires wear differently?

Yes, tires can wear differently depending on their location. Front wheels will typically wear faster than rear tires, especially on front-wheel-drive (FWD) cars, where they’re bearing the majority of the workload. This includes handling steering, holding most of the vehicle's weight, and withstanding the force from acceleration, braking, and turning. Front tires will typically experience most of their wear on the edges due to the stress of turning. When it comes to the rear tires on passenger vehicles, they will most likely be “free rolling” and wear more slowly due to receiving less stress. The wear that will be most common on rear tires is in the center of the tread.

How much does a tire rotation cost?

If you’ve purchased your tires from Mavis, your tire rotation is free! If you didn’t shop for your tires with us, don’t worry. A tire rotation will typically range in cost between $20 to $50 depending on your vehicle.

Is tire rotation necessary for AWD vehicles?

Yes, tire rotation is necessary for all-wheel drive (AWD) vehicles, and can even be needed more frequently than other vehicles on the road. Cars with all-wheel drive evenly send power to all four wheels, which means they are experiencing the stress of driving just like any other tires. Since AWD vehicles are using all their tires to their fullest capacity, the recommended rotation interval for them is every 3,000 to 10,000 miles, or every 5,000 to 8,000 miles.

Home Learning Center What Is a Tire Rotation & Why It Matters

What Is a Tire Rotation & Why It Matters

By Dan Krauss

Published 08/22/2025

Mavis tech removing tire for tire rotation

What is a tire rotation? It’s the process of switching your vehicle’s tire positions to make sure you have even wear, this is more important than many drivers realize. Regularly rotating your tires from front to back and side to side extends their useful life, improves safety, and maintains warranty coverage. If you’re searching for a tire rotation explanation, you’re in the right place.

What is a Tire Rotation?

A tire rotation is the process of routinely moving the position of the tires around your vehicle. It makes sure there is even wear by guaranteeing that all parts of the tire are used. Depending on your type of tires, your driving habits, and your local road conditions, some of your tires will work harder than others. For instance, your vehicle’s front tires tend to require the most stopping power, which wears them down significantly faster than the tires in the rear. By swapping the front and rear tires on a regular schedule, they share that burden. And that’s how tire rotation works!

Here are some of the most common tire rotation patterns that you’ll see on standard vehicles:

Forward Cross: The tire rotation pattern front wheel drive vehicles use is a forward cross. Your mechanic will move your front tires straight back and move the rear tires to the opposite front positions.
Rearward Cross: Rear tires are moved to the front, and front tires are moved to the opposite rear positions. Most rear or all-wheel drive vehicles will have this pattern of tire rotation.
X-Pattern: The X-pattern is versatile and can be used on many different vehicles. This is when the tires cross from front to rear and rear to front in an X-pattern.
Front-to-Rear: This pattern is mostly used on vehicles with directional tires. It keeps each tire on the same side, but changes out the front for the rear and vice versa.
Side-to-Side: If your vehicle has different-sized tires on the front and the rear, this one is for you. In this case, the tires will be swapped across the same axle.

Why Tire Rotation is Important

Keeping up with scheduled maintenance may not sound exciting, but it’s crucial to maximizing your vehicle's performance. Postponing a tire rotation can lead to a handful of negative side effects that will impact your experience on the road.

Let’s take a look at the benefits of rotating tires and why it’s an important part of a well-maintained vehicle:

Prevents uneven wear

All tires will experience wear and tear, but tire rotation will allow them to age at a similar rate. Tire wear can be caused by many factors, such as steering, braking, driving conditions, and driving habits. Rotating your tires shares this burden over time.

Improves safety

By regularly rotating your tires, you are prioritizing your safety. When tires are evenly worn, they provide balanced handling and stable traction, even in unpredictable weather conditions.

Extends tire life

Evenly worn tires have a longer useful life. Rotating your tires will definitely help you financially.

Protects your warranty

Most tire warranties require regular tire rotations and will even request records to prove you’re up-to-date on your maintenance schedule. If you fall behind, you’ll risk losing your coverage.

Tire Rotation vs. Alignment

Tire rotation changes the position of your tires on the vehicle, while wheel alignment adjusts their angle and direction in that position back to their factory specifications. Alignment corrects both vehicle pull and crooked steering wheels. Including both tire rotation and tire alignment in your regular vehicle maintenance is important in keeping you and your passengers safe while also extending the life of your tires.

What Happens If You Skip Tire Rotation?

Delaying tire rotation leads to uneven wear, and will eventually require you to purchase replacement tires earlier than anticipated. We understand that life can get busy, but frequently skipping tire rotations can also lead to safety concerns, such as hydroplaning, blowouts, or poor handling. Tires with irregular wear will also be noisier and can cause unnecessary vibrations in the steering wheel.

Tire Rotation at Mavis

Here at Mavis, we strive to make tire maintenance very easy. When you arrive, your mechanic will perform a vehicle assessment to move your tires into the correct pattern for your vehicle and tire type. Our technicians will also thoroughly look at your tire’s condition, tread depth, and inflation. This way, you can drive home knowing that your tires are in their best shape possible for the road ahead.

If we notice any other red flags, we’ll provide maintenance advice and guidance on how to proceed. Depending on your location and the circumstances of your tires, rotation services may even be free. If everything goes according to plan, we aim to have your rotation completed in under an hour.

Rotating your tires regularly will give you the confidence to get on the road, knowing that your tires will be there for the long haul. Let Mavis take care of your next tire rotation, so you can enjoy the drive and rest easy knowing that well-rotated tires are the safest way to ride.