Tires: Tire noise, alignment settings, alignment shop

Question
2007 Escape Hybrid with 60,000+ miles with original tires.  Now an increasing tire hum is making conversation difficult at higher speeds but tread depths seem fine. Tires have been compulsively rotated. Is it worth buying all new tires?  What mileage is reasonable to expect from tires?

Answer
Rebecca,

The problem is the alignment - and that is causing irregular wear - and that is causing the noise.

While rotation is important, it will not overcome a problem with alignment.

BTW, my experience says that factory published alignment tolerances - not the spec, but the allowable deviation from spec - are too wide by half.  In other words, the alignment settings need to be within the inner half of the spec.

Find an alignment shop that agrees with what I have just posted and then tell your friends about him.

Unfortunately, fixing the alignment is not going to fix the noise - you aren't going to be adding rubber back onto the tires.  So once you've fixed the alignment, you only have two choices:

1)  Put up with the noise and hope a new wear pattern develops over time.

2) Buy new tires.

BTW, 60K on OE tires is EXCELLENT, especially on a hybrid.