The short answer is yes, bad tires can cause a humming sound. But there are other causes to annoying or concerning sounds that you think are coming from the tires.

Can Bad Tires Cause a Humming Sound

A humming sound that is constant and never seems to change is likely one or more wheels out of balance, or the damage the wheels sustain by being out of balance. Some unscrupulous tire companies will intentionally set the tire pressure wrong or make the tires out of balance in order for you to need tires faster. But wheels do need to be rebalanced from time to time as a normal maintenance, depending on how rough your roads are and if the condition of your shocks and alignment are poor.

Uneven tire wear is the most common cause of humming noise from the tires. Wheel alignment issues, improper tire pressure and other problems can cause wear that creates a humming sound when you drive. If the tires have worn oddly with weird patterns, you can diagnose the likely cause of the wear by looking at the tread. You will need a repair and a new set of tires. Your tire shop will be able to quickly find the cause of the uneven wear, fix it then put your new tires on.

A bad wheel bearing is also the cause of a noise that will sound as if it’s coming from the tires. But it is less of a humming noise and more of a high-pitched squeak or grinding noise. This issue needs to be fixed right away. It could cause your wheel to fall off.

Getting a Diagnosis

Have one of our mechanics at A1 Performance Auto Repair European Specialists look at your tires and check some things like wheel bearings, wheel rims, brakes, the tire wear patterns and balancing. He’ll figure out the cause quickly. Give us a call for an appointment.