What is Road Hazard Protection?

No matter where you live and drive, roads around the country have their fair share of threats to your car’s tires, from nails to construction sites, potholes, and more. If you’ve ever gotten a flat tire after driving over some road debris, you know how frustrating it is to have to either fix the puncture or buy a new tire (or tires!) altogether. Road hazard protection may come in handy to offset the cost of replacement tires in the event of damage during non-negligent, defensive driving.

Different types of warranties are available to cover tires in the case of various types of damage, including manufacturer warranties and separate road hazard protection. Read on to find out whether you need extra warranty coverage on your tires to help offset the cost of replacing your tires.

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Tire Manufacturer Warranties

Most tires feature manufacturer warranties to cover factory defects, known as workmanship and material warranties. These automatically come with the purchase of the tires and are usually restricted to particular periods of time post-purchase, or they are limited to an amount of wear on the tires. Additionally, tires may come with ride uniformity warranties, another warranty against manufacturer defects, and they usually protect tires for the first year of using them.

You might also find a tire manufacturer offering tread-wear coverage after a number of miles, which covers how long tires last before they wear out. However, manufacturers usually require proof that you maintained your tires properly in order to receive compensation after filing a claim, so you’d want to keep a record of all receipts and dates of tire rotations. This kind of coverage is usually only available on all-weather tires since snow tires are meant for less frequent, seasonal use.

What Does a Road Hazard Warranty Cover?

Road hazard protection, or a road hazard warranty, on the other hand, is a separate type of insurance that may either come free or that you would buy from either the manufacturer or even the store where you purchased the tires.

Tire manufacturers may offer road hazard warranties for free for certain models, covering part, if not all, of the cost for replacing the tires. This coverage may only last up to a certain amount of tread-wear, a certain amount of mileage, or a certain length of time.

Retailers may offer free road hazard coverage, or they may charge about 10% of the cost of the tires for added protection. Each retailer’s coverage is different, so try to shop around to find the best offering. Warehouse clubs may be a good place to look for tires as well as discount tire retailers.

Road hazard warranties cover things like tire punctures from driving over nails, broken glass, or other hard-to-see hazards in the road.

Road hazard warranties do not cover tire damage caused by driver error like accidentally hitting a curb or under- or over-inflation. They also usually do not cover the additional costs of getting new tires, such as mounting and balancing, disposal of the old tire, or taxes on the cost of it all.

Who Should Get Road Hazard Protection?

Check the different manufacturers’ road hazard offerings as well as what retailers or tire stores have available for coverage, whether it is free or at an added fee. Paying extra for additional road hazard protection may be worth it if you live in an area with lots of potholes or a lot of construction. You may also want to consider added road hazard protection if you’re getting low-profile tires, which tend to get damaged more easily than other tires.