Worn Tires VW Sharan 7N - Replace Now! (Weblog Zamuda)

Translated on 12-08-2026, 0:25.

The inner sides of both rear tires are very worn. (Description: VW Sharan 7N 2012, 220,000 km, 170 hp, DSG, 7 seats, Lane Assist, original alloy wheels 16" and 17"). I usually drive alone. I have never overloaded my car. I always check the tire pressure.
So far, I've had the alignment adjusted and bought new tires from the VW dealer. Then, I experienced the same problem even with the new tires. I went back to the service department. They thoroughly checked everything technically and found no errors (absolutely no defects).
A lot has been discussed about this online, but without a proper solution (tire pressure, incorrect tires, speeding are definitely not the cause).
I replaced the bushings on the (control arm) wheel suspension. The bushing also contains the screw for adjusting camber. The problem with the worn tires still hasn't been resolved.
You can still replace approximately 10 more bushings on the wheel suspension. You could also replace the entire wheel suspension or the complete set of control arms, but that would be quite expensive.
Any experiences or solutions?

Thank you and best regards.
Zamunda.

Translated on 12-08-2026, 0:28.

Hi there!

After 11 years and over 200,000 km, it's possible that some components of the complex axle have worn out. You can either continue driving with worn tires or address the issue, but be prepared for rusted screws.

A professional wheel alignment and adjustment, complete with a report, is mandatory.

Translated on 12-08-2026, 0:29.

Okay, please check the measurement protocol and target values. If the alignment is not correct, even small deviations can cause problems.

Translated on 12-08-2026, 0:30.

Hello!

I used to have a small workshop myself, although it was only a side business and officially registered.

I am very familiar with the problem of the rear tires on the Sharan.
I then also carefully examined the cars and didn't see anything defective, worn, or damaged on the rear axle.
One of the Sharans wasn't old enough for wear and tear to be expected on the axle components.

Then I saw that, if I remember correctly, you can probably adjust the rear wheel alignment there.
However, I certainly didn't start tinkering with things on random cars without being able to properly measure or understand what I was doing.

If it had been my own car, maybe...

From my own experience, I remember a similar problem with the Trabant car. Due to its Stone Age-like rear axle (a swing axle), the outer edges of the tires would wear down if the "car" was driven normally and mostly unloaded.

Because tires were relatively expensive and difficult to obtain in East Germany, it was practically a daily routine for me, as an apprentice and young professional, to mount the tires on the rim in the opposite direction (i.e., rotate them) so that they wouldn't wear out too unevenly.
This allowed people to almost double the lifespan of their tires.

Translated on 12-08-2026, 0:33.

Quote:

Because tires were relatively expensive and difficult to obtain in East Germany, it was practically a daily routine for me as an apprentice and young specialist to mount the tires on the rim in the opposite direction (i.e., rotate them) so that they would not wear out too unevenly.
In this way, it was possible to almost double the lifespan of the tires.

Herbert.

Translated on 12-08-2026, 0:35.

Quote:

I usually drive alone. I have never overloaded my car. I always check the tire pressure.

I would like to know how many miles the tires have been driven.

You can see a similar case here: https://community.dieselschrauber.org/en/viewtopic.php?t=30681

In the photos there, it looks like only the edges of the tires are affected.

If the rear axle alignment isn't completely off during inspection, it might be possible to mitigate edge wear by carefully adjusting the camber and toe.

However, one thing must not be forgotten: the vehicle has a relatively high center of gravity and tends to roll in curves. This means that the outer wheel takes over steering, while the inner wheel effectively has very little grip. However, from a toe-in perspective, it wants to steer inwards. "Theoretically speaking," the inner tire will inevitably "scrub." We need to know how the track width and camber values behave due to the axle construction when the suspension is compressed or extended... but we don't know that exactly. Therefore, you won't have much room for adjustment other than setting the track width as close to the tolerance limit as possible in a negative direction. The same applies to camber: adjust it towards the positive tolerance limit.

Another factor that might also be involved is the stiffness of the tire sidewalls; a slightly softer sidewall can sometimes be more forgiving and less prone to errors.

Okay, so it's not quite as simple as it looks. If it were my car, I would adjust the alignment and camber as described and just live with it.

Translated on 12-08-2026, 0:38.

"I would like to know how many miles the tires have been driven."

The two rear tires were worn out in 4 months (approximately 5,000 km). The wheel alignment was previously done at a VW service center. It's not uncommon for the inner side of the tires to wear down on the Sharan and Alhambra; I've read a lot about it online, even on relatively new Sharans.