When temperatures drop into freezing ranges, your Subaru tires face extra challenges on the road. Cold weather causes tire pressure to decrease by one to two PSI for every 10-degree temperature drop, affecting your handling, fuel efficiency, and safety. Rafferty Subaru shares how to maintain your tires’ performance throughout winter.
Temperature Changes Affect Subaru Tire Pressure
Subaru tires lose pressure as temperatures fall, as the colder air molecules compress inside the tire. Your Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive® system depends on consistent tire pressure across all four wheels to function properly. When one tire drops below the recommended 32 to 38 PSI range, it creates performance discrepancies affecting traction, handling, and fuel economy.
Cold Weather Performance Changes
Cold temperatures cause the rubber compounds in your Subaru tires to stiffen, reducing flexibility and grip on road surfaces. This stiffening becomes extra noticeable when temperatures approach freezing. Regular all-season tires lose significant traction on snow and ice below 32 degrees Fahrenheit.
Your EyeSight® Driver Assist Technology works most effectively when tires maintain proper road contact. Stiff, underinflated tires compromise this contact, potentially affecting safety system performance.
Maintaining Subaru Tires During Winter
There are a few easy steps you can take to ensure your tires are safe for driving this winter. First, ensure you have sufficient tread—at least 5/32 of an inch. Additionally, as the temperature drops, check your tire pressure regularly and re-inflate as necessary to stay within the recommended range. Finally, if you’re expecting to do a lot of driving or intend to head up north where it may be even colder, you’ll want to consider winter tire installation.
Keep Your Tires Healthy with Rafferty Subaru
The service team at Rafferty Subaru provides professional tire pressure checks, winter tire installation, and vehicle inspections to keep your Subaru tires performing safely. Schedule your service appointment today to drive with full confidence this season.
