<p>Significant expansion of highway transportation network has been driven by industrialization and consequent need for road traffic. The continuous growth in vehicular movement has led to the generation of massive quantities of waste tires, posing serious environmental challenges. The lightweight nature and excellent damping performance of soil-rubber mixture have attracted considerable research interest as a potential alternate material for mitigating earthquake motion induced ground vibrations. Nevertheless, uncertainties remain regarding the mechanical behaviour of the soil–rubber mixtures. Therefore, in this paper the author revisited the existing research related to index properties and engineering behavior of coarse grained soil mixed with various forms of waste rubber tire. Index properties such as relative density, grain size distribution and engineering behavior like compaction characteristics, compressibility and strength characteristics are major focus in this present study. It has been observed that the addition of rubber tyre particles to soil generally enhances ductility, while reducing brittleness and post-peak strength loss. Additionally, the study explores the influence of several factors such as soil types, rubber type, size, shapes and interaction between soil and rubber. Recent advancement in testing methodology such as X-ray scanner, photoelasticity study of the internal structure and image analysis investigations on the interaction of rubber tire with soil, are also discussed. Furthermore, the review identifies current challenges, research gaps and potential directions for future studies, offering a road map for continued investigation in this evolving field. A detailed assessment reveals that the threshold rubber content depends on form of rubber, soil type and desired engineering behavior. Depending on the abovementioned factor the soil rubber mixture transitioning from soil like behavior to rubber like behavior at rubber contents of approximately 20–40%.</p>