Ford Fiesta Tyre Pressures

A very important part of maintaining your car is checking your tyre pressures on a regular basis. However, it can often be a bit confusing exactly what your tyre pressures should be, especially if you don’t know where to look.

Excessively low or high tyre pressures can lead to poor fuel economy, reduced grip, increased wear and premature tyre failure, so it’s important to get it right.

In this article we’re going to show you what your Ford Fiesta tyre pressures should be. Different models of Fiesta run different tyre sizes, and so you should always be sure exactly which tyres you are running. We’ll also show you how to check your tyre pressures so you can be sure your tyres are correct. 

On all Fiestas, the optimal tyre pressure information is given to you on a little placard in the passenger door shut, and this gives you the exact front and rear tyre pressures for your car. We’ve made every effort to ensure the below information is correct, but if it’s different to what this information card says, the information card is correct.

Note: we’re referring to the Mk6 Fiesta onwards here. If you have an earlier Fiesta, check your owner’s manual.

How to find the tyre size on your Ford Fiesta

Like most cars in its class, the Fiesta was fitted with a range of either 15 inch, 16 inch, 17 inch or 18 inch wheels. The size of the wheels dictates the size of tyre you need to put on your car. 

You also need to consider other things, however - for example, the width and height of the tyre because this affects how your vehicle looks on the road, as well as the ride comfort. You may want thinner, run-flat tyres for a sportier look, but this may lead to a less comfortable ride.

On each of your tyres, you have a number like this: 195/55/R15.

This is usually on the tyre's sidewall, as below:

This tells you the size of your tyres.

So let’s look at a basic 2014 Ford Fiesta that came with 15” alloys, and is fitted with 185/55/R15 tyres.

185 = the tyre’s width

55 = the tyre’s height

R15 = the tyre’s diameter (which is the same size as the wheel - the “15” here refers to the 15” wheels the car was fitted with.)

It’s not unusual to have cars with different tyre sizes front and back, but you should find that most Fiestas have the same. The tyres on an axle are always the same - if you put different sized wheels on an axle the wheels will turn at different speeds which causes problems for handling.

Ford Fiesta tyre pressures

Below we have collated as much information about the different wheel sizes fitted to the Ford Fiesta from around 2002 onwards. However, if your car is missing here, follow the information card in the passenger door shut.

If we have missed your tyre size, please let us know and we will add it in.

Just so you’re absolutely clear, the different versions of the Fiesta are pictured below - whichever one looks most like your car is the one you should follow in the chart.

How to check the tyre pressures on your Ford Fiesta

Tyre pressures are easy to check. If you don’t know how, make sure you have a tyre pressure gauge - you can either get a digital one or an analaogue one (I would recommend a digital one) and they’re available very cheaply from eBay or Amazon.

Open the tyre valve by unscrewing the cap. Look after the cap - don’t lose it. Push the pressure gauge onto the valve (you may need to check that the gauge is set to a certain unit of measurement first, either bar, PSI or kPa.) Make a note of the reading. 

If the reading is too low, inflate the tyre - if it’s too high, deflate the tyre by pushing the gauge onto the valve until you hear a hissing sound. Make sure you do another reading before you finish to ensure the tyre is at the correct pressure.

Common questions about Ford Fiesta tyres

What happens if tyre pressure is too high?

Overinflation can cause a number of problems - mainly uneven wear. What happens is that the excess air causes the tread to push out and this wears out first. This then causes both an uncomfortable ride, as well as you needing to replace your tyres more often due to quicker wear. 

An overinflated tyre is significantly more likely to burst, and when a tyre does burst it’s very difficult to maintain control of your car. Additionally if you do experience a tyre bursting, your ABS will likely not be functional and it will be difficult to safely bring your car to a stop.

Overinflated tyres are also more likely to become damaged from potholes, cracks and other debris in the road, and this is due to the fact that the tyre is more rigid and stiff than it otherwise would be, and isn’t able to flex around road objects and obstacles.

Should front and rear tyre pressure be the same?

Sometimes yes, and sometimes no. Often on front wheel drive cars like the Fiesta the front tyres are inflated to a higher pressure than the rear tyres. However, if the chart above says that both front and rear pressures should be the same, then you should run them at the same pressure.

Do tyres last longer with higher pressure?

No. There is no such thing as over-inflating your tyres to make them last longer - in fact, as we’ve said, overinflation is significantly more likely to lead to increased tyre wear, potential bursting and an uncomfortable ride.

How do you know when Ford Fiesta tyres need replacement?

Tyres should be replaced if they are damaged by way of a cut or bulge along the tyre, if they are cracking or perishing due to age, or if they have worn down to the point where the tread is nearly at the legal limit. Running a tyre which has worn down most of the tread is dangerous and can lead to you having an accident - not to mention that it’s an MOT failure. 

We recommend ProTyre for having your Ford Fiesta tyres replaced - they stock a number of different brands and models so there’s definitely something to suit your needs and budget.

We’ve written a lot of content about the Ford Fiesta, so if you’re experiencing problems or need advice, check out some of our other articles!