A vehicle requires a lot of maintenance to prevent costly auto repairs down the road. From oil changes to brake inspections, various preventative maintenance tasks will help keep your vehicle running smoothly. What about the oft-forgotten aspects of car maintenance, such as your tires? Rotating your tires is essential for a car's health and should be done regularly. According to J.D. Power, it is recommended to rotate your tires every 5,000 to 7,500 miles. Here are five reasons why every driver should never forget to schedule their biannual tire rotation.

1. Ensure Even Wear

When you're riding on the road, your tires aren't wearing out at the same rate. Some might wear out sooner than others and without a professional inspection, you'll never notice until it starts to impact your driving. When you rotate your tires, you'll work towards wearing them out at a more even rate. If your tires all wear down at a similar rate, you won't ever have to worry about one tire needing auto repairs before the others.

2. Improve Handling

When you have four tires of equal wear rolling under you while you're driving, you're going to have a better time handling your vehicle. That's because they are going to be gripping the road equally well. With maintained tires, you're going to be able to make more precise turns and stops than if you had four tires gripping the road with varying degrees.

Also, if you don't rotate your tires, it will throw off the alignment. Even if your steering wheel is right in the center, your car might drift to the side. That's certainly something you don't want to happen when you're driving on a highway. That's a recipe for a dangerous accident.

3. Prolong the Life of Your Tires

Since each tire is going to have equal wear on it, that means that they will last longer. You're going to be greatly reducing the chance that one of them might blow out while you're in the middle of a long road trip. Maintaining your tires will not only allow you to drive hassle-free but also more safely.

4. Save on Costly Repairs

If you don't rotate your tires, it can throw off other aspects of your vehicle. As a result, these various inconsistencies can spiral and get out of whack very quickly. With uneven tread, a wobbly alignment, and perhaps a single tire popping while you're driving, you could find yourself in an accident if you're not careful. As with many other aspects of your vehicle, like your oil change, ignoring regular maintenance might result in severe damage that requires costly auto repairs or replacements.

5. Enjoy Better Fuel Efficiency

You want your vehicle to be as fuel-efficient as possible. If your tires can't grip the road like they are supposed to, then they'll require more energy. As such, your vehicle goes through more fuel than it should and you will need to fill it up even more often. You can keep that from happening by rotating your tires.

There are other reasons to rotate your tires. One of them is that it can prevent tread cupping. Tread cupping results in your vehicle bouncing up and down while you're on the road. This can put a strain on other parts which will result in the need for future auto repairs.

Your tires are just as important as your engine since both are vital to your being able to be on the road for any amount of time. You should always talk to your auto professional about whether they should be rotated and when. You can always schedule them to do this at certain points, but if you feel something happens before then, you should have it done before something terrible occurs.

Think of this as an investment in the health of both you and your vehicle. While you should make sure your engine is in great shape, have the tires looked at, too. Then you'll be ready to be safe on the road.

Do you need to have auto repairs done on your vehicle? If you live in WI, Wisconsin Muffler Tire & Auto Center has four convenient locations in the state where you can have us work on everything from your suspension to your tires. Contact us today to learn more.