Tire Failures: How Forensic Engineers Determine Why a Tire Failed

Tire Failures: How Forensic Engineers Determine Why a Tire Failed

 

Tires are the only point of contact between a vehicle and the roadway. Four relatively small contact patches are responsible for accelerating, braking, steering, and maintaining vehicle stability under a wide variety of driving conditions.

When a tire fails, the consequences can be catastrophic.

 

A sudden loss of tire integrity can lead to loss of vehicle control, roadway departures, rollovers, multi-vehicle collisions, serious injuries, and fatalities. Following a crash, one of the most important questions investigators must answer is:

Did the tire fail before the collision—or did it fail because of the collision?

The answer can determine liability, insurance coverage, product responsibility, and litigation strategy.

At Garrett Forensics, our accident reconstructionists and forensic engineers conduct detailed tire failure investigations using engineering principles, physical evidence, and scientific analysis to determine the most probable cause of the failure.

 

Every Tire Tells a Story

Although a damaged tire may appear destroyed after a collision, it often contains valuable evidence about what occurred before, during, and after the incident.

The condition of the tread, sidewalls, bead area, belts, inner liner, and wheel assembly can reveal whether the tire experienced:

Gradual air loss
Sudden deflation
Impact damage
Road hazard damage
Overloading
Underinflation
Heat-related deterioration
Belt separation
Manufacturing defects
Improper repairs
Collision-related damage

Understanding these clues requires careful examination by engineers familiar with tire construction and failure mechanisms.

 

Why Tire Failures Occur

Despite advances in tire technology, no tire is immune to failure.

Common causes include:

Underinflation

Driving on an underinflated tire is one of the leading contributors to tire failure.

Insufficient air pressure allows excessive sidewall flexing, generating heat that can weaken internal components and eventually lead to structural failure.

Investigators examine:

Sidewall damage
Heat degradation
Rubber discoloration
Cord damage
Internal wear patterns

Overloading

Every tire is designed to carry a specific maximum load.

Exceeding that capacity increases stress within the tire structure and may accelerate fatigue or contribute to catastrophic failure.

Engineers evaluate:

Vehicle loading
Cargo weight
Tire load ratings
Axle weights
Manufacturer specifications
Road Hazard Damage

Not every tire failure results from a defect.

Potholes, roadway debris, curbs, and sharp objects can damage internal tire components without immediately causing a loss of air.

Weeks or even months later, the weakened structure may fail.

Investigators inspect for:

Impact breaks
Pinch damage
Sidewall cuts
Rim strikes
Embedded foreign objects

Manufacturing Defects

In some investigations, the evidence suggests that the tire itself may have contained a defect.

Potential manufacturing issues include:

Belt adhesion failures
Material contamination
Improper curing
Ply construction defects
Bead defects
Rubber inconsistencies

A forensic engineer carefully examines the failed tire to determine whether the damage is consistent with a manufacturing-related issue or another failure mechanism.

 

Tread Separation

One of the most recognized tire failures is tread or belt separation.

During this type of failure, the tread package separates from the tire casing while the remainder of the tire may initially remain inflated.

Tread separations may result in:

Vehicle instability
Loss of steering control
Rollover crashes
Secondary impacts
Fatal accidents

Engineers examine:

Separation surfaces
Belt condition
Rubber adhesion
Heat effects
Remaining tread depth
Wear patterns

Determining when the separation occurred is often critical to understanding the sequence of events.

 

Tire Failures Following a Collision

A common misconception is that every damaged tire caused the accident.

In reality, many tires are damaged during the collision itself.

For example:

Wheels may fracture during impact.
Sidewalls may tear from collision forces.
Tires may be cut by damaged suspension components.
Debris may puncture the tire after impact.

Garrett Forensics evaluates whether the observed damage occurred before the collision or resulted from crash forces.

This distinction can dramatically affect liability.

 

Examining the Entire Wheel Assembly

A tire is only one part of the system.

Our experts also inspect:

Wheels
Valve stems
TPMS sensors
Lug nuts
Wheel bearings
Suspension components
Steering components
Brakes
Axles
Hub assemblies

Damage to these components may contribute to tire failure or help explain how the failure developed.

 

Accident Reconstruction and Tire Evidence

Tire evidence plays an important role in accident reconstruction.

Our experts compare tire findings with:

Tire marks
Yaw marks
Skid marks
Gouge marks
Debris fields
Vehicle damage
Event Data Recorder (EDR) data
Vehicle Control History (when available)
Tesla electronic data
Police reports
Witness statements
Surveillance video

Combining electronic evidence with physical tire evidence allows reconstructionists to better understand the sequence of events.

 

Certain investigations require detailed laboratory analysis.

Depending on the circumstances, engineers may evaluate:

Fracture surfaces
Steel belt condition
Cord failures
Rubber degradation
Material separation
Microscopic damage
Heat effects
Corrosion
Foreign material

Laboratory analysis helps identify subtle failure mechanisms that cannot be observed during a field inspection.

 

Commercial Truck Tire Failures

Commercial vehicle tire failures often involve additional considerations.

Investigators examine:

Fleet maintenance records
Tire replacement history
Retread condition
Inflation records
Driver inspection reports
DOT compliance
Vehicle loading
Brake system performance

These investigations frequently involve multiple parties, including carriers, maintenance providers, manufacturers, and insurers.

 

Product Liability Investigations

When a tire failure allegedly results from a defective product, Garrett Forensics conducts an independent engineering evaluation.

Our investigation considers whether the evidence supports:

Manufacturing defects
Design defects
Material failures
Improper maintenance
Road hazard damage
Installation errors
Improper repairs
Overloading
Underinflation
Driver operation

Rather than assuming a product defect, we evaluate the available evidence objectively using accepted engineering principles.

 

Why Preserving the Tire Matters

One of the biggest mistakes following a collision is disposing of the failed tire.

The tire itself often contains the most important evidence in the entire investigation.

Once discarded, critical information may be permanently lost.

Garrett Forensics recommends preserving:

All failed tires
Wheels
Valve stems
TPMS sensors
Suspension components
Vehicle electronic data
Photographs
Scene evidence

Early preservation provides the best opportunity for an accurate engineering evaluation.

 

Garrett Forensics’ Tire Failure Investigations

Garrett Forensics provides comprehensive tire failure investigations for:

Insurance carriers
Defense attorneys
Plaintiff attorneys
Fleet operators
Manufacturers
Municipalities
Commercial transportation companies
Self-insured organizations
Private clients

Our multidisciplinary approach combines:

Accident Reconstruction
Mechanical Engineering
Product Liability Analysis
Vehicle Inspections
Event Data Recorder (EDR) Downloads
Electronic Vehicle Data Analysis
Engineering Calculations
Expert Witness Testimony

By integrating physical evidence with engineering analysis, we determine whether a tire failure contributed to an accident and identify the most probable cause of the failure.

 

Engineering Answers the Important Questions

A failed tire may appear to tell a simple story—but the engineering evidence often reveals a far more complex sequence of events.

Determining whether a tire failed because of underinflation, road hazards, overloading, manufacturing defects, impact damage, or collision forces requires careful investigation, evidence preservation, and scientific analysis.

Through comprehensive inspections and objective engineering methodology, Garrett Forensics helps insurance carriers, attorneys, manufacturers, and courts understand why a tire failed and whether that failure contributed to the collision.

Garrett Forensics provides forensic tire failure investigations, accident reconstruction, product liability analysis, and expert witness services throughout California and across the Western United States.

If your case involves a suspected tire defect, tread separation, commercial truck tire failure, or a collision where tire performance is in question, contact Garrett Forensics to discuss how our engineering experts can help determine the true cause of the failure.