DO-IT-YOURSELF MAINTENANCE Engine and Chassis -> Checking and replacing tires for Your Toyota Prius 4 Door Second Generation (2004-2009)

Checking and replacing tires  
The tires on your Toyota have builtin  
tread wear indicators to help you  
know when the tires need replace-  
ment. When the tread depth wears to  
1.6 mm (0.06 in.) or less, the indica-  
tors will appear. If you can see the  
indicators in two or more adjacent  
grooves, the tire should be replaced.  
The lower the tread, the higher the  
risk of skidding.  
High tire pressure (overinfla-  
tion)—  
Tread wear indicator  
Poor handling  
Excessive wear  
Uneven wear  
A greater possibility of tire  
damage from road hazards  
The effectiveness of snow tires is  
lost if the tread wears down below  
4 mm (0.16 in.).  
CHECKING YOUR TIRES  
If you have tire damage such as  
cuts, splits, cracks deep enough to  
expose the fabric, or bulges indi-  
cating internal damage, the tire  
should be replaced.  
Check the tire’s tread for tread  
wear indicators. If the indicators  
show, replace the tires. The loca-  
tion of tread wear indicators is  
shown by the “TWI” or “Δ” marks,  
etc., molded on the sidewall of  
each tire.  
If a tire often goes flat or cannot be  
properly repaired due to the size or  
location of a cut or other damage, it  
should be replaced. If you are not  
sure, consult with your Toyota dealer.  
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If air loss occurs while driving, do not  
continue driving. Driving even a short  
distance can damage a tire beyond  
repair.  
REPLACING YOUR TIRES  
CAUTION  
When replacing a tire, use a tire of  
the same size and construction,  
and the same or greater load ca-  
pacity as the originally installed  
tires.  
Observe the following instruc-  
tions. Otherwise, an accident  
may occur resulting in death or  
serious injuries.  
Any tires which are over 6 years  
old must be checked by a qualified  
technician even if damage is not  
obvious.  
Using any other size or type of tire  
may seriously affect handling, ride,  
speedometer/odometer calibration,  
ground clearance, and clearance be-  
tween the body and tires or snow  
chains.  
Do not mix radial, bias belted,  
or bias−ply tires on your ve-  
hicle, as this may cause dan-  
gerous handling characteris-  
tics resulting in loss of control.  
Tires deteriorate with age even if they  
have never or seldom been used.  
This applies also to the spare tire and  
tires stored for future use.  
Do not use tires other than the  
manufacturer’s recommended  
size, as this may cause danger-  
ous handling characteristics  
resulting in loss of control.  
Check that the maximum load of the  
replaced tire is greater than 1/2 of the  
Gross Axle Weight Ratings (GAWR)  
of either the front axle or the rear  
axle, whichever is greater. As for the  
maximum load of the tire, see the load  
limit at maximum cold tire inflation  
pressure mentioned on the sidewall  
of the tire, and as for the Gross Axle  
Weight Ratings (GAWR), see the Cer-  
tification Label. For details about the  
sidewall of the tire and the Certifica-  
tion Label, see pages 332 and 330.  
Toyota recommends all four tires,  
or at least both front or rear tires  
be replaced at a time as a set.  
See “If you have a flat tire” on page  
361 for tire change procedure.  
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