can you put one tire on an awd car

[ValerieDella]

No, you should not put just one new tire on an all-wheel drive (AWD) vehicle. Doing so can cause significant and expensive damage to the drivetrain. The core issue is maintaining identical tread depth across all four tires. AWD systems are designed to send power evenly to all wheels. Even a small difference in tire circumference, caused by worn tread, can confuse the system, leading to constant binding and stress on the center differential, transfer case, and axles.

Most vehicle manufacturers specify a maximum allowable tread depth difference, typically 2/32 of an inch or less. Exceeding this tolerance risks premature wear and catastrophic failure of drivetrain components. The safest and most recommended course of action is to replace all four tires at once. If that's not feasible, the second-best option is to replace the damaged tire with a new one that is shaved down to match the tread depth of the remaining three. Some specialty tire shops offer this service.

AWD System Component at Risk	Potential Damage from Mismatched Tires	Typical Repair Cost Range (USD)
Center Differential	Overheating, binding, premature wear	$1,500 - $3,500+
Transfer Case	Gear and chain wear, fluid breakdown, seizure	$2,000 - $4,000+
Rear Differential	Bearing failure, gear damage	$1,000 - $2,500+
Wheel Bearings	Increased stress and heat leading to failure	$400 - $800 (per axle)
Vehicle Dynamic Control Systems	Erratic behavior, false activation of traction/stability control	Varies

The repair costs for a damaged drivetrain far exceed the price of a single new tire or even a full set. Always consult your owner's manual for the manufacturer's specific recommendations regarding tire replacement on your AWD vehicle.

[SanSavannah]

Absolutely not. Think of the AWD system like a team of horses; if one is a different size, it throws the whole team off. That one new tire will spin at a slightly different speed than the worn ones. The car's computer will fight this constantly, putting a huge strain on the drivetrain. You're risking a repair bill that could be thousands of dollars just to save a few hundred on tires. It's just not worth the risk. Replace at least two, but ideally all four.

[JeremiahRose]

I learned this the hard way. I had a Subaru and got a flat. I figured, "Hey, it's just one tire." Big mistake. Within a few weeks, I started hearing a whining sound from the drivetrain. The mechanic told me the mismatched tire had put extra stress on the transfer case. The cost to fix it was more than what a whole new set of tires would have been. Now I always replace tires in pairs on the same axle, or all four if it's AWD. Don't be like me.

[TannerDella]

From a mechanical standpoint, the answer is a firm no. An AWD system relies on precise synchronization between all four wheels. A new tire has a larger diameter than a worn one. This creates a speed difference that the system's differentials must constantly compensate for, causing them to overheat and wear out prematurely. The potential damage to the transfer case and differentials is severe. The only safe approaches are replacing all four tires or having a new tire professionally shaved to match the tread depth of the others.