The left front tire on a vehicle shows outside tread wear. What is the most likely cause?

When a vehicle experiences outside tread wear on a left front tire, the most likely cause is an incorrect camber adjustment. Camber refers to the angle of the wheels in relation to the vertical axis of the vehicle when viewed from the front. If the camber is set with too much positive angle, the top of the tire will tilt away from the vehicle, leading to increased wear on the outer edge of the tire.

Incorrect camber can often occur due to misalignment, which can happen over time as a vehicle is driven or if it experiences impacts like hitting a pothole. When camber is out of specification, it directly affects how the tire meets the road, causing uneven wear patterns.

In contrast, worn shock absorbers primarily affect ride comfort and handling, rather than the specific tread wear patterns associated with camber problems. Tires being overinflated can lead to center tread wear rather than outside edge wear. An incorrect caster adjustment can impact vehicle stability during straight-line driving and cornering but typically does not cause outside edge tread wear. Thus, identifying incorrect camber adjustment as the cause of outside tread wear helps diagnose alignment issues effectively.