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Pictures:

Close up

Zoomed out

As you can see, it took a good chunk out of the tire, next to the rim. Unfortunately there's also quite a lot of scratch damage on the edges there.

Is this still safe to drive, or should I get the front tires replaced asap? The tire and rim don't seem to be deformed on first glance.

Oh, it's a Volkswagen Polo by the way, 48 000 km.

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  • It will either be ok or not but it's a hard lesson if it's not death or injury to you or other Is your life not worth £60 – user52906 Oct 4 at 8:50
  • This tyre is perfectly legal. Only tyres with deep holes or cuts where you can see wires are illegal. – Andi Sadler Nov 13 at 2:03
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The chunks taken out are not affecting the integrity of the tire.

Since there isn't any structural damage to the tire you should be fine.

If you feel some vibrations in the steering wheel after the wheel encountered the curb it might be worth considering having that wheel rebalanced but I can tell you from experience that this is probably a non-concern.

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    Taking into account the response of the garage, I have changed my accepted answer to this. It would seem that, due to the location of the problem and relative "youth" of the tires this isn't a big issue. Thank you for your contribution. – Moeri Dec 8 '16 at 16:12
  • Seeing the pictures now (I wasn't able to see them previously), I agree that the tires are most likely not damaged. – FourthGenZ28 Dec 13 '16 at 22:21
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I highly recommend having the tires replaced.

Even if physical deformation/damage is not evident from a visual inspection, there could be damage to the internal structure of the tire, like the steel belts.

A blow-out at high speed would endanger yourself and those around you.

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  • Thanks, will call the garage first thing in the morning. – Moeri Dec 6 '16 at 19:53
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    Update: the garage said that this isn't an issue at all, that the tires are still relatively new and that it would be a shame if the tires were replaced already... – Moeri Dec 7 '16 at 18:34
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    What an honest garage... normally they'd want to sell you more tyres. I've been driving on similar looking tyres (actually worse) for over 10,000 miles with no issue but I wouldn't recommend it to anyone because whilst it might be safe to drive on, the next time you hit a kerb in that spot, you might deflate or debead the tyre. – DizzyFool Dec 8 '16 at 15:41
  • Yes, quite surprising indeed. The car is going in for scheduled maintenance next week though, so they will get a chance to look at it again. But they definitely didn't deem it a dangerous situation. – Moeri Dec 8 '16 at 16:15
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Yeah I agree. Shouldn't be a problem at all.. If spot starts to swell or business blend out then yes definitely do something with it but.... More likely than not ur good to go still... But really it comes down to ur personal preference....

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