Best Time to Buy Tires: When Prices Are Lowest and How to Save

Tires are one of the most expensive maintenance items on any vehicle. A full set of quality all-season tires runs anywhere from $400 to $1,000+ depending on size and brand. That's a meaningful chunk of money — and timing your purchase right can save you a significant amount.

Tire prices aren't fixed. Manufacturers run promotions, retailers compete for seasonal demand, and holidays bring predictable sales cycles. If you know when to buy — and where to look — you can save 15–25% on the exact same tires.

The Best Months to Buy Tires

Tire pricing follows a seasonal pattern driven by demand, manufacturer rebate cycles, and retail promotions. Here are the windows that consistently deliver the best deals.

April and May

Spring is one of the best times to buy all-season and summer tires. Manufacturers launch their biggest rebate programs in April to capture drivers who are swapping off winter tires and preparing for summer driving season.

You'll commonly see $50–$100 mail-in rebates on sets of four from brands like Michelin, Bridgestone, Continental, and Goodyear during this window. Retailers also compete aggressively with installation deals and bundle pricing.

October and November

The second major buying window hits in fall. Tire manufacturers run another round of rebates before winter, and retailers are trying to move inventory before year-end. October is particularly good for winter tires, as stock is fresh and sizes are fully available.

Black Friday and Cyber Monday bring some of the best tire deals of the year. Online retailers like Tire Rack and SimpleTire routinely offer significant discounts, and some brands stack their own manufacturer rebates on top of retailer sales for double savings.

Holiday Weekends

Presidents' Day (February), Memorial Day (May), Fourth of July, and Labor Day (September) weekends are reliable for tire promotions. These aren't always the deepest discounts of the year, but they're predictable — if you need tires around these dates, it's worth checking for active sales before pulling the trigger.

When NOT to Buy Tires

Just as there are good times, there are predictably expensive ones.

December Through February

Winter tire demand peaks in December and January, driving prices up. If you wait until the first snowfall to buy winter tires, you'll pay full price — and popular sizes may be backordered. Buy winter tires in October before demand spikes.

June Through August

Peak summer driving season means maximum demand for all-season and summer tires. You won't find many promotions, and popular sizes for SUVs and trucks can run short. If you can wait until October, you'll likely save money.

Right Before a Road Trip

Rushing to buy tires before a trip means you have zero negotiating leverage and no time to wait for a sale. If your tires are aging or worn, deal with them well before any planned long drives. You can check your tire age free with TireSpy to see if you're in the replacement zone — better to know now than the week before a cross-country drive.

Where to Get the Best Prices

Where you buy matters almost as much as when you buy. The difference between the most and least expensive retailers for the same tire can easily be $40–60 per tire.

Online Retailers

Online tire shopping has exploded over the last decade, and for good reason — prices are almost always lower than brick-and-mortar shops. The big three online retailers are:

• Tire Rack — the largest online tire retailer in the US, with the widest selection and a network of 10,000+ installation partners
• SimpleTire — competitive pricing with free shipping and a straightforward shopping experience
• Discount Tire / America's Tire — operates both online and in 1,000+ physical locations, often price-matching online competitors

You can compare all three and find replacement tires through our curated retailer guide, which highlights current promotions and shipping options.

Warehouse Clubs

Costco and Sam's Club offer competitive tire pricing for members, often including installation, balancing, lifetime rotation, and flat repair in the package price. The per-tire price may not be the absolute lowest, but the bundled services add real value.

The downside is limited selection. Warehouse clubs carry a curated range of brands and sizes, so if you need something specific — a performance summer tire, an unusual size, or a particular brand — you may not find it.

Local Tire Shops

Independent tire shops and regional chains can surprise you with competitive pricing, especially if you're willing to negotiate. They may also carry off-brand or secondary-line tires that aren't available online — which can be perfectly good tires at significantly lower prices.

The tradeoff is that comparison shopping is harder. You have to call or visit multiple shops, and pricing isn't always transparent. If you go this route, get quotes from at least three shops and compare them against online prices for the same tire model.

How to Maximize Your Savings

Beyond timing and retailer choice, here are additional strategies that consistently save money on tires.

Stack Manufacturer Rebates with Retailer Sales

The best deals happen when manufacturer rebates ($50–$100 back on a set of four) coincide with retailer promotions (free installation, discounted mounting, percentage off). These stacking opportunities are most common in April/May and October/November.

Buy All Four at Once

Nearly every promotion — rebates, bundle deals, installation packages — requires purchasing four tires. Buying two at a time means you miss out on the best per-tire pricing. If budget is tight, plan ahead so you can buy the full set during a sale window.

Don't Overlook Second-Tier Brands

Premium brands like Michelin, Continental, and Bridgestone command top-tier prices. But their second-tier lines — BFGoodrich (Michelin), General (Continental), Firestone (Bridgestone) — use similar technology at 20–30% lower prices. In many independent tire tests, the performance difference is minimal for everyday driving.

Check the Date Code on New Tires

This one doesn't save money directly, but it protects your investment. New tires should ideally be less than 12 months old. Tires that have been sitting in a warehouse for 2–3 years have already used up a portion of their safe lifespan. Check the DOT date code on any new tires before you accept them and use TireSpy to verify the manufacture date.

Keep Your Current Tires Longer (Safely)

The cheapest tire is the one you don't have to buy yet. Proper maintenance extends tire life significantly:

• Rotate every 5,000–7,500 miles to ensure even wear
• Maintain proper inflation — check monthly, as tires naturally lose 1–2 PSI per month
• Fix alignment issues promptly — misalignment causes rapid, uneven wear
• Avoid curb strikes — sidewall damage from curbing can force early replacement

The Bottom Line

The best time to buy tires is during the spring (April–May) or fall (October–November) rebate seasons, with Black Friday being the single best day for online deals. Buy from online retailers for the best pricing, stack manufacturer rebates with retailer sales, and consider second-tier brands for genuine savings without sacrificing safety.

And before you buy — make sure you actually need new tires first. Check your tire age free and inspect your tread depth. If you're still in the green zone, you might be able to wait for the next sale cycle and save even more.