Kia Optima: Tires and wheels / Radial-ply tires

Radial-ply tires provide improved tread life, road hazard resistance and smoother high speed ride. The radial- ply tires used on this vehicle are of belted construction and are selected to complement the ride and handling characteristics of your vehicle.

Radial-ply tires have the same load carrying capacity as bias-ply or bias belted tires of the same size and use the same recommended inflation pressure. Mixing of radial-ply tires with bias-ply or bias belted tires is not recommended. Any combinations of radial-ply and bias-ply or bias belted tires when used on the same vehicle will seriously deteriorate vehicle handling. The best rule to follow is: identical radial-ply tires should always be used as a set of four.

Longer wearing tires can be more susceptible to irregular tread wear. It is very important to follow the tire rotation interval shown in this section to achieve the tread life potential of these tires. Cuts and punctures in radial-ply tires are repairable only in the tread area, because of sidewall flexing. Consult your tire dealer for radial-ply tire repairs.