What a fair price looks like
Condition on WishThrift is described by the seller against five grades, and nobody inspects them on your behalf — so the description and the photographs are what you are buying on.
| Condition | Typical | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| New with Tags | £300 (~$400) | Unused, tags or seals intact |
| Like New | £255 (~$340) | Barely used, no visible wear |
| Good | £195 (~$260) | Light signs of use, complete and working |
| Fair | £135 (~$180) | Heavily used, or a described fault or missing part |
| For Parts | £75 (~$100) | Not working or incomplete, sold as seen |
Sterling guide ranges with an approximate US dollar equivalent at £1 ≈ $1.33 (July 2026). Sellers set their own asking price; these are a starting point for judging an offer. All five grades explained.
The checklist before you pay
Paperwork above everything. A vehicle without a matching registration document, or with outstanding finance, is a problem you inherit.
Run through these before money changes hands — they are the things that decide whether car tyres is worth what is being asked:
- Tread near or below the legal minimum
- Tyres more than several years old, whatever the tread
- Sidewall damage, bulges or cracking
- Previous puncture repairs
And the things worth paying more for, because they hold their value:
- Tread depth well above the legal minimum
- Manufacture date within the last few years
- Matching sets of four in the same size
- Recognised brands with no repairs
Common faults and fakes
Cloned plates and altered documents are the serious end of this category, and mileage discrepancies the common end.
Check the registration document against the vehicle’s own numbers, run a history check for finance and write-off markers, and never pay a deposit before you have seen the vehicle and the paperwork together.
WishThrift does not authenticate, inspect or grade anything, and no marketplace check replaces your own. If a seller will not answer a direct question about condition or origin, that is the answer.
Questions to ask the seller
These are the three that get asked most often about car tyres, and the answers tell you most of what you need:
Give the measured figure in millimetres, not a description. The legal minimum across most of Europe is 1.6mm, and most buyers want 5mm or more to be worth fitting.
Read the date code and give the week and year. Rubber hardens with age, and many fitters decline to fit tyres over about six years old regardless of tread.
Disclose any plug or patch. A correctly done repair within the permitted area is acceptable to many buyers, but it must never be concealed.
Also worth establishing before you commit:
- Measure the tread depth and state it in millimetres
- Read the four-digit date code on the sidewall
- Photograph the sidewall including size and date
Photographs to ask for
If the listing does not already show these, ask — a seller who has the item will send them in minutes:
- The tyre whole, showing the tread pattern across the full width
- A tread depth gauge in the groove, with the reading visible
- The sidewall markings, including size, load and speed rating and the date code
- Both sidewalls in full, showing there is no bulge, cut or crack
Details to confirm before you commit
- Full size marking, plus load index and speed rating
- Measured tread depth in millimetres, across the width
- The four-digit date code from the sidewall
- Whether ever repaired, and confirmation there is no bulge, cut or sidewall cracking
Live car tyres listings
Nothing matching is listed at the moment. Browse vehicles for what is live now, or everything on the site — stock changes daily and new listings are free to post, so it is worth checking back.
When to buy
Lifts in autumn as people prepare for winter and around MOT season. Common sizes with genuinely good tread sell quickly; worn or aged tyres do not sell at any price and should be recycled.
Prices move against that cycle for a buyer: the cheapest time to buy is when sellers are listing most, not when demand peaks.
Paying and collecting safely
WishThrift does not process payments, hold funds or offer buyer protection — you agree the price and the method with the seller directly, which is what keeps the platform free on both sides. Meet somewhere public where you can, inspect before you pay, and keep the conversation on the site so there is a record of what was agreed. Be wary of any seller who wants to move the conversation elsewhere before you have agreed anything.
Selling one instead?
If you already have car tyres sitting unused, it is free to list and there is no commission — the price you agree is the amount you keep. Read how to sell car tyres for what to photograph and how to price, or what car tyres are worth at each condition grade.
Frequently asked questions
What should I pay for used car tyres?
Around £20 to £195 in good condition, more for barely-used examples and less for anything with a described fault. Compare against the seller’s photographs rather than the grade alone.
How do I check car tyres before buying?
Check the registration document against the vehicle’s own numbers, run a history check for finance and write-off markers, and never pay a deposit before you have seen the vehicle and the paperwork together.
Is buying car tyres second hand safe?
Yes, with the ordinary care any private sale needs. WishThrift does not authenticate, inspect or hold funds, so inspect before you pay where you can, meet somewhere public, and keep the conversation on the site. Paperwork above everything. A vehicle without a matching registration document, or with outstanding finance, is a problem you inherit.
See also: all buying guides · car tyres value guide · selling car tyres · Vehicles · condition grades.