One of my tires punctured in the sidewall, and the mechanic is saying I'll need to get 4 new tires due to AWD. The tires have a good amount of tread left on them, so I'm a little concerned about dropping all that money. Is it really necessary for 4 new ones? Or could I get away with only buying 2?

Thanks for your help.

 

I dont know of any reason you must get four, except that its xmas time and the salesman probably needs some extra commission.

Hell, if the rest are in good shape, get one! isn't the tire under warranty? Roadhazard?

 

Depends on how many miles are on the other tires... AWD is not going to be damaged at all. I have replaced a single tire on a car at 8,000 miles. Sure it's always better to have every tire with the same amount of tread: for traction only. And will you notice the difference...I doubt it. It's like only doing the front brakes and not the rear. Sure maybe braking would be a bit better if you had all 4 done at the same time.

Is it practical... No...

 

Check you owner's manual for differences in tread depth
left to right and front to rear.