Agreed, but the pothole and wheel damage caused by lower pressure is much more aggravating (and expensive) than the occasional puncture.
Since low pressure is the cause of all kinds of tire woes, it doesn't matter which is more aggravating - the fix is the same. More pressure than the recommended (or, at a bare minimum, no less than the recommended cold PSI). I know of exactly zero use cases in which it makes sense to run even one PSI less than the manufacturer's minimum recommended pressure.
I'm convinced the reason some people have so many problems is largely because some people don't really believe that "cold" means "cold" and they prefer to adjust pressures based upon what the TPMS says while they are driving. They are concerned when they see numbers like 48 PSI displayed on the center screen, even though that's a normal pressure. They think a tire reading that high is more likely to "pop" because it has so much pressure. Nothing could be further from the actual truth.
For those who have a hard time getting this, I'll be crystal clear:
It's NORMAL for the TPMS to read well above the cold PSI. Because it's generally reading hot PSI. Just remember, tire pressures are ALWAYS referring to the pressure measured cold. The maximum pressure of many tires listed on the sidewall is 50 psi. This is a cold PSI reading which means the tire is not over the maximum safe pressure even it reads as high as 55 PSI after some driving. To be clear, 55 psi hot is generally too high for maximum cornering, braking and even tread wear, my point is it is not over the rated maximum pressure of the tire and is not at increased risk of blowout. If anything, it's at reduced risk of blowout because tires run cooler at higher pressures.
So don't shy away from pressures on the high side because you think it over-stresses the tire, it's actually the other way around, lower pressures stress the tire more. In almost every use case there are good reasons to not run tires at the maximum cold psi but fear of "popping" is not one of them.
However, there are often good reasons to run the tire above the manufacturers recommended cold PSI. Often this number is a compromise based on ride smoothness over pavement imperfections and you will actually get higher performance from higher pressures. By "higher performance" I'm referring to better cornering in particular and sometimes shorter stopping distances.
There are other factors to consider, like evenness of treadwear from side to side. The ideal pressure for even treadwear side to side can be different for different drivers even when they have identical setups. I drive pretty hard on a twisty roads with a fairly abrasive road surface so I need a higher pressure to prevent the outsides of the tread from wearing faster than the middle. Gentle drivers on straight, smooth pavement will require a lower pressure than I run to avoid wearing the center tread prematurely. Higher pressures are particularly important for extended hard cornering because it helps control sidewall tuck-under and excessive heat buildup that can reduce traction and make tires feel "greasy".
Tire life can be considerably longer with higher pressures. This is mostly due to reduced heat buildup from a reduction in sidewall flexing. A cooler running tire lasts longer and maintains the properties of the rubber longer for good traction. Most of the benefit is in the first 2 to 4 PSI above manufacturer's recommended pressures. Tires that have experienced too much thermal cycling (repeated heating cycles) can harden and lose grip as they enter the last half of their life. This effect is most noticeable on cold, wet roads. I've seen people swear a particular tire has crappy traction when the only issue was they ran too low of air pressures for conditions which caused the rubber on the tread to age prematurely. Higher inflation pressures can prevent many issues as your tires age. You will know you have been running pressures
too high if the tread depth wears shallower in the middle of the tire than near the shoulders.
If all this sounds too complicated and interdependent to make an informed decision, I have some good rules of thumb:
1) Always set the pressure manually using the same pressure gauge on every tire. The TPMS uses a separate measuring device on each tire and has variances from tire to tire of up to 1 psi. The TPMS is useful for noticing sudden changes that could indicate a puncture but that's about it.
2) Never run less than the manufacturer's recommended cold PSI unless you have a very special circumstance and know exactly what you are doing.
3) Don't set the pressure for the plushest ride you can achieve without completely ruining performance. In general, the pressure that will return the best driving experience and the best ownership experience is not the pressure that will return the smoothest ride. There is more to driving than a plush ride.
3) Never set the cold PSI above the sidewall maximum (although it's OK if the hot PSI rises above).
4) Try to maintain a relatively consistent PSI through the life of the tires. Making large changes to the PSI requires the tread to "wear in" to the new pressure before the effect can be fully appraised. Avoid large changes in PSI by maintaining the tires within a narrow band of pressures. This requires seasonal adjustments, even in most mild climates.
5) Buy a tread depth gauge online. They are very inexpensive and can be used at 25% wear, 50% wear, etc. to see if you have been running appropriate pressures. If your pressures have been all over the board you will learn nothing. That's why it's important to maintain PSI in a narrow range.
6) Generally, a good starting point is 2-4 psi above the manufacturers recommended pressure.
