2021 HYUNDAI SONATA LIMITED tires

08
8-37
Information
Tires that are asymmetrical or
directional can only be installed
on the wheel in one direction.
The outside and inside of an
asymmetrical tire is not easily
distinguishable. Pay careful
attention to the markings on the
sidewalls of the tires, noting the
“outside” marking and also the
rotating direction before installing
them on the vehicle.
WARNING
• Do not use the compact spare
tire for tire rotation.
• Do not mix bias ply and radial ply
tires under any circumstances.
This may cause unusual handling
characteristics that may cause
loss of vehicle control resulting in
an accident.
Wheel Alignment and Tire
Balance
The wheels on your vehicle were
aligned and balanced carefully at the
factory to give you the longest tire
life and best overall performance.
In most cases, you will not need to
have your wheels aligned again.
However, if you notice unusual tire
wear or your vehicle pulling one way
or the other, the alignment may need
to be reset.
If you notice your vehicle vibrating
when driving on a smooth road, your
wheels may need to be rebalanced.
NOTICE
Improper wheel weights can
damage your vehicle’s aluminum
wheels. Use only approved wheel
weights.

Maintenance
8-38
Tire Replacement
Tread wear indicatorTread wear indicator
OLMB073027
If the tire is worn evenly, a tread wear
indicator will appear as a solid band
across the tread. This shows there is
less than 2/32 inch (1.6 mm) of tread
left on the tire. Replace the tire when
this happens.
Do not wait for the tread surface to
become level with the tread wear
indicators before replacing the tire.
WARNING
To reduce the risk of DEATH or
SERIOUS INJURY:
• Replace tires that are worn, show
uneven wear, or are damaged.
Worn tires can cause loss of
braking effectiveness, steering
control, and traction.
• Always replace tires with the
same size as each tire that was
originally supplied with this
vehicle. Using tires and wheels
other than the recommended
sizes could cause unusual
handling characteristics, poor
vehicle control, or negatively
affect your vehicle’s Anti-Lock
Brake System (ABS) resulting in a
serious accident.
• Tires degrade over time, even
when they are not being used.
Regardless of the remaining
tread, HYUNDAI recommends
that tires be replaced after six (6)
years of normal service.
• When replacing tires, it is
recommended to replace the
two front or two rear tires as a
pair. Replacing just one tire can
seriously affect your vehicle’s
handling. If only replacing one
pair of tires, it is recommended
to install the pair of new tires on
the rear axle.
• Heat caused by hot climates or
frequent high loading conditions
can accelerate the aging process.
Failure to follow this warning
may cause sudden tire failure,
which could lead to a loss of
vehicle control resulting in an
accident.

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8-39
Compact spare tire replacement
A compact spare tire has a shorter
tread life than a regular size tire.
Replace it when you can see the
tread wear indicator bars on the tire.
The replacement compact spare tire
should be the same size and design
tire as the one provided with your
new vehicle and should be mounted
on the same compact spare tire
wheel. The compact spare tire is
not designed to be mounted on a
regular size wheel, and the compact
spare tire wheel is not designed for
mounting a regular size tire.
WARNING
The original tire should be repaired
or replaced as soon as possible to
avoid failure of the spare and loss
of vehicle control resulting in an
accident. The compact spare tire
is for emergency use only. Do not
operate your vehicle over 50 mph
(80 km/h) when using the compact
spare tire.
Wheel Replacement
When replacing the metal wheels
for any reason, make sure the new
wheels are equivalent to the original
factory units in diameter, rim width
and offset.
Tire Traction
Tire traction can be reduced if you
drive on worn tires, tires that are
improperly inflated or on slippery
road surfaces. Tires should be
replaced when the tread depth is at
least 2/32 inch (1.6 mm). To reduce
the possibility of losing control, slow
down whenever there is rain, snow
or ice on the road.
Tire Maintenance
In addition to proper inflation,
correct wheel alignment helps to
decrease tire wear. If you find a tire
is worn unevenly, have your dealer
check the wheel alignment.
When you have new tires installed,
make sure they are balanced. This
will increase vehicle ride comfort
and tire life. Additionally, a tire
should always be rebalanced if it is
removed from the wheel.
Tire Sidewall Labeling
This information identifies and
describes the fundamental
characteristics of the tire and also
provides the tire identification
number (TIN) for safety standard
certification. The TIN can be used to
identify the tire in case of a recall.

Maintenance
8-40
OLMB073028
1. Manufacturer or brand name
Manufacturer or brand name is
shown.
2.
Tir
e size designation
A tire’s sidewall is marked with a
tire size designation. You will need
this information when selecting
replacement tires for your car.
The following explains what the
letters and numbers in the tire size
designation mean.
Example tire size designation:
(These numbers are provided as
an example only; your tire size
designator could vary depending on
your vehicle.)
205/65R16 95H
205 -
Tire width in millimeters.
65 -Aspect ratio. The tire’s section
height as a percentage of its
width.
R -Tire construction code (Radial).
16 -Rim diameter in inches.
95 -Load Index, a numerical code
associated with the maximum
load the tire can carry.
H -Speed Rating Symbol. See the
speed rating chart in this section
for additional information.
Wheel size designation
Wheels are also marked with
important information that you need
if you ever have to replace one. The
following explains what the letters
and numbers in the wheel size
designation mean.
Example wheel size designation:
6.5J X 16
6.5 -
Rim width in inches.
J -Rim contour designation.
16 -Rim diameter in inches.
Tire speed ratings
The chart below lists many of the
different speed ratings currently
being used for passenger vehicle
tires. The speed rating is part of the
tire size designation on the sidewall
of the tire. This symbol corresponds
to that tire’s designed maximum safe
operating speed.
Speed Rating Symbol Maximum Speed
S 112 mph (180 km/h)
T 118 mph (190 km/h)
H 130 mph (210 km/h)
V 149 mph (240 km/h)
W 168 mph (270 km/h) Y 186 mph (300 km/h)

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3. Checking tire life (TIN : Tire
Identification Number)
Any tires that are over six years old,
based on the manufacturing date,
(including the spare tire) should be
replaced by new tires. You can find
the manufacturing date on the tire
sidewall (possibly on the inside of
the wheel), displaying the DOT Code.
The DOT Code is a series of numbers
on a tire consisting of numbers and
English letters. The manufacturing
date is designated by the last four
digits (characters) of the DOT code.
DOT : XXXX XXXX OOOO
The front part of the DOT shows a
plant code number, tire size and
tread pattern and the last four
numbers indicate week and year
manufactured.
For example:
DOT XXXX XXXX 1420 represents that
the tire was produced in the 14th
week of 2020.
4.

Tir
e ply composition and material
The number of layers or plies of
rubber-coated fabric in the tire. Tire
manufacturers also must indicate the
materials in the tire, which include
steel, nylon, polyester, and others.
The letter “R” means radial ply
construction; the letter “D” means
diagonal or bias ply construction;
and the letter “B” means belted-bias
ply construction. 5.

M
aximum permissible inflation
pressure
This number is the greatest amount
of air pressure that should be put in
the tire. Do not exceed the maximum
permissible inflation pressure. Refer
to the Tire and Loading Information
label for recommended inflation
pressure.
6.
M
aximum load rating
This number indicates the maximum
load in kilograms and pounds that
can be carried by the tire. When
replacing the tires on the vehicle,
always use a tire that has the same
load rating as the factory installed
tire.
7.
U

niform tire quality grading
Quality grades can be found where
applicable on the tire sidewall
between tread shoulder and
maximum section width.
For example:
TREAD WEAR 200
TRACTION AA
TEMPERATURE A

Maintenance8-42
Tread wear
The tread wear grade is a
comparative rating based on the
wear rate of the tire when tested
under controlled conditions on a
specified government test course.
For example, a tire graded 150 would
wear one-and-a-half times (1½) as
well on the government course as a
tire graded 100.
The relative performance of tires
depends upon the actual conditions
of their use, however, and may
depart significantly from the norm
due to variations in driving habits,
service practices and differences in
road characteristics and climate.
These grades are molded on the
sidewalls of passenger vehicle tires.
The tires available as standard or
optional equipment on your vehicle
may vary with respect to grade.
Traction AA, A, B & C
The traction grades, from highest
to lowest, are AA, A, B and C. Those
grades represent the tire’s ability to
stop on wet pavement as measured
under controlled conditions on
specified government test surfaces
of asphalt and concrete. A tire
marked C may have poor traction
performance.
WARNING
The traction grade assigned to this
tire is based on straight-ahead
braking traction tests, and does not
include acceleration, cornering,
hydroplaning, or peak traction
characteristics.
Temperature A, B & C
The temperature grades are A (the
highest), B and C representing the
tire’s resistance to the generation
of heat and its ability to dissipate
heat when tested under controlled
conditions on a specified indoor
laboratory test wheel.
Sustained high temperature can
cause the material of the tire to
degenerate and reduce tire life, and
excessive temperature can lead to
sudden tire failure. Grade C responds
to a level of performance which
all passenger car tires must meet
under the Federal Motor Vehicle
Safety Standard No. 109. Grades
B and A represent higher levels of
performance on the laboratory test
wheel than the minimum required
by law.
WARNING
The temperature grade for this
tire is established for a tire that
is properly inflated and not
overloaded. Excessive speed,
under-inflation, over-inflation, or
excessive loading, either separately
or in combination, can cause heat
build-up and possible sudden
tire failure. This may cause loss
of vehicle control resulting in an
accident.

Maintenance
8-46
All Season Tires
HYUNDAI specifies all season
tires on some models to provide
good performance for use all year
round, including snowy and icy
road conditions. All season tires
are identified by ALL SEASON and/
or M+S (Mud and Snow) on the tire
sidewall. Snow tires have better
snow traction than all season tires
and may be more appropriate in
some areas.
Summer Tires
HYUNDAI specifies summer tires on
some models to provide superior
performance on dry roads. Summer
tire performance is substantially
reduced in snow and ice. Summer
tires do not have the tire traction
rating M+S (Mud and Snow) on
the tire side wall. If you plan to
operate your vehicle in snowy or icy
conditions, HYUNDAI recommends
the use of snow tires or all season
tires on all four wheels.
Snow Tires
If you equip your car with snow
tires, they should be the same size
and have the same load capacity as
the original tires. Snow tires should
be installed on all four wheels;
otherwise, poor handling may result.
Snow tires should carry 4 psi (28 kPa)
more air pressure than the pressure
recommended for the standard
tires on the tire label on the driver’s
side of the center pillar, or up to the
maximum pressure shown on the tire
sidewall, whichever is less. Do not
drive faster than 75 mph (120 km/h)
when your vehicle is equipped with
snow tires.
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 pairs
of radial-ply tires should always be
used as a set for the front tires and a
set for the rear tires.
Longer wearing tires can be more
susceptible to irregular tread wear.
It is very important to follow the tire
rotation interval in this chapter 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.
WARNING
Do not mix bias ply and radial ply
tires under any circumstances.
This may cause unusual handling
characteristics that may cause loss
of vehicle control resulting in an
accident.

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8-47
Low Aspect Ratio Tires
The aspect ratio is lower than 50 on
low aspect ratio tires.
Because low aspect ratio tires are
optimized for handling and braking,
their sidewall is a little stiffer than
a standard tire. Also low aspect
ratio tires tend to be wider and
consequently have a greater contact
patch with the road surface. In some
instances they may generate more
road noise compared with standard
tires.
CAUTION
Because the sidewall of a low
aspect ratio tire is shorter than
a standard tire, the rim of the
wheel and the tire itself is more
easily susceptible to damage. Use
caution when driving and follow the
guidelines below to help minimize
damage to the wheel and tire:
• When driving on a rough road
or off road, drive cautiously
because tires and wheels may
be damaged. And after driving,
inspect tires and wheels.
• When passing over a pothole,
speed bump, manhole, or curb
stone, drive slowly so that the
tires and wheels are not damaged.
• If the tire is subjected to a severe
impact, have the tire and wheel
inspected by an authorized
HYUNDAI dealer.
• Inspect the tire condition and
pressure every 1,800 miles
(3,000km).
CAUTION
• It is not easy to recognize tire
damage with your own eyes. But
if there is the slightest hint of tire
damage, have the tire checked or
replaced because the tire damage
may cause air leakage from the
tire.
• If the tire is damaged by driving
on a rough road, off road, pothole,
manhole, or curb stone, it will not
be covered by the warranty.