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How Do You Tell The Date On A Tire

Learning when your tires were manufactured is crucial. It will prevent you from driving a car with expired tires. Driving your vehicle on expired tires is dangerous and can result in an accident when it breaks.

For this reason, your tire’s DOT code might not be in the same year you bought the tires. That’s because it takes a while before getting to the retailer.

There are several characters on the tire, which makes it difficult to identify the tire date code. But what exactly is a tire date code and how do you interpret it? Let’s take a look at it.

What is the Tire Manufacturer Date Code (DOT)?

The tire manufacturer date code, or DOT (Department of Transport) number shows the date the tire was manufactured and other details. To check your date code, look at the last four digits. These numbers represent the week and year the tire was produced. The codes also include the country, factory, etc.

Where to Find the Dot Tire Date Code on Tires?

The DOT code is usually located on the tire sidewall. However, the location may vary with manufacturers as there are no regulations detailing where the tire identification should be. Regardless of the tire type, it is located on both sidewalls. In most cases, the DOT symbol is located on the inner tire sidewall.

How to Read the Date Code on Tires?

The DOT code is part of the tire identification number, it is the final four digits. The first two digits of the tire manufacture date are the week, while the last two signifies the year. So, if your tire has 1022 on it, that means it was manufactured in the 10th week of 2022. This will give you an estimate of how old your tires are.

Tire Date Coding Before and after 2000

With the improvement of rubber compound blends, tires can now stay in service for longer than ten years. However, that was not always the case.

Before 2000, the general assumption was that tires would be changed before reaching that 10-year mark. For this reason, their tire identification number looked different.

From 2000 the date code on tires had to change. The last three digits were replaced by four digits, which is used to identify when the tires were manufactured.

Frequently Asked Questions [FAQs]

How do you tell how old your tire is?

You can tell how old a tire is by checking its DOT number. This number is located on one of the sidewalls and shows the week and year when a tire was produced. By knowing this information, you can calculate the tire age without issues.

When should I replace my tires?

Your tires should be replaced when the thread depth is 2/32 inches. At this point, manufacturers consider tires to be worn out at this stage. A good time to replace t=your tires is also when you notice aging signs.

How many miles do tires last?

On average, a tire lasts for about 50,000 miles. However, there are many factors that can influence this like the compound material, performance category, driving conditions, etc.

Are 10 year old tires safe?

Although there is no federal sanctioned safety guidance on when a tire is too old to be safe, experts recommend replacing your car tire six years from the date of manufacture.

Do tires expire if not used?

Yes, tires can last up to 6 to 10 years if not used. This greatly depends on the storage and environmental conditions. Overall, the time limits for stored tires are much the same as for tires that are being used.

Will your tires expire before the thread runs out?

No, usually, the thread’s depth will run out before the tire expires. This occurs when the vehicle is frequently being used.

Wrap Up!

You should know that when you buy a new tire it doesn’t mean they were made recently. That is because it takes time for tires to reach retailers. Which is why we have aligned the steps to help you check the dates on your tire before purchase. Goodluck.