What Do Bubbles On Tires Mean? (Hint: IT’S BAD!)

A tire bubble is a bulge or protrusion on your tire, usually near the sidewall or the edge, that’s around the size of a small egg. 

Tire bubbles appear when the inner construction of your tire, sometimes called the carcass, is damaged. You can learn more about how tires are constructed in this post on how car tires are made. The short version is that your tire isn’t just rubber — there are steel wires and cords that reinforce the shape of the tire to ensure that when it’s inflated, it doesn’t have an asymmetrical shape. Tire bubbles occur when that inside construction is damaged. 

Though rare, tire bubbles happen when something impacts your tire. This can be when you hit a curb, another vehicle, or road debris. Tire bubbles may even be manufacturing defects, especially if you just bought the tires (although this is rare). Usually, an impact damages the inside of your tire but doesn’t puncture it, resulting in the air of your tire filling in the sudden gap that’s created. 

Your tire will probably still have the same air pressure and the bubble itself will be stiff. But tires bubbles can (and likely will) result in a blowout, as they’re a weak point for the tire that will likely eventually burst. 

So, if you see a tire bubble, don’t ignore it.

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How To Prevent Tire Bubbles

What causes bubbles in tires? Here are common ways that tire bulging occurs and how to prevent it: 

• Don’t drive over potholes.
• Avoid large debris and rocks on or off the road.
• When making a turn, ensure that you aren’t hitting the curb. A sudden impact with the curb can damage your tire.
• Avoid impacts to the sidewall of your tire, especially if you’re using a low profile tire. 
• Avoid overloading your tire with weight that’s over the tire load capacity. 
• Don’t drive on an overinflated, underinflated or flat tire.
• Replace old tires, especially if they’re cracked and older than 6 to 10 years (or older than the manufacturer’s recommendation).

Although road debris and potholes may be unavoidable, you can avoid hitting curbs when making turns and parking (pay attention!). Tire bubbles most commonly occur on the sidewall of your tire, where the tire is weakest. According to the USTMA, the only area of a tire that can be safely repaired is the center tread; damage to sidewalls cannot be fixed.  

How to Spot a Tire Bubble

Tire bubbles are usually easy to spot. They most commonly occur on the sidewall of your tire and stick out as a large, round protrusion. If you’re noticing your car driving strangely or are getting low tire pressure indicators, you should immediately inspect your tires for a tire bubble or other damage. 

Lastly, if you’re getting your tires installed for the first time, we recommend inspecting them for any tire bubbles. Although manufacturer defects are extremely rare, sometimes they occur, and the sooner you spot them, the better. 

Should I Replace My Tire If It Has a Bulge?

Yes. A tire bubble or bulge on the side of a tire means the inside of the tire’s construction is damaged. If you were to deflate the tire and take if off the wheel, you may not see anything visibly wrong with the tire on the inside or outside. 

The inner construction of the tire is embedded within the tire. A repair would involve deconstructing the tire and attaching new steel wires to the inside of the tire. This would likely be expensive and usually not worth the cost versus just purchasing a new tire. 

A tire with a bubble may not burst immediately, but it’s a vulnerable spot that will pop very soon. If you drive on a tire with a bulge and experience a blowout while driving, your wheel or vehicle may be damaged, resulting in hundreds to thousands of dollars in repair costs and danger to you, the driver.

Can I Drive With a Bubble In My Tire? 

No. If you see a bump on a tire, and you must drive, don’t drive faster than a slow roll to safely park your vehicle. Change the tire to your spare and get to your tire shop, or call a towing service.  

Can A Tire Bubble Be Fixed?

No, tire bubbles can’t be fixed. Unlike punctures, bubbles on the sidewall or tread of your tire can’t be patched. This is because the inner structure of your tire is damaged, rather than the outer rubber. 

If a patch was placed on the outside of the bubble, it wouldn’t stay in place. Tire patches or plugs push rubber into the puncture of your tire to fill and patch the puncture. This will only successfully patch the tire if the inner construction of the tire is still intact.

We also wouldn’t recommend trying to puncture a tire bubble and patching that hole. Not only is this very dangerous, but the patch wouldn’t hold. This is because the damaged construction of your tire means that the air within your tire isn’t being properly distributed throughout the tire. If you inflated a tire where you patched the bubble, a lot of air pressure would push up against the patch, which would eventually push it out of the tire. 

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