Do you know how to determine how old your vehicle’s tires are? For your family’s safety, you should.
My wife insisted that I watch this ABC News 20/20 segment. The segment focused on how consumers could determine the manufacturing date of their vehicle tires. ABC News determined that many supposedly new tires (tires previously unsold and unused) were, in fact, old.
Though the US tire industry maintains there is no scientific evidence to support ABC’s premise that tires have a shelf life, other countries have long accepted it. Even Consumer Reports recommends not buying tires more than two years old, saying, “They can degrade with age.”
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) publishes an excellent webpage brochure titled Tire Safety – Everything Rides On It. In addition to all the other useful information, it explains how to determine your tire’s age by decoding its Department of Transportation (DOT) number.
At the top of this page I included a photo of the DOT number on one of my pickup’s tires. Find the last four digits (2207). The 2207 means it was manufactured in the 22nd week of the year 2007.
If it had been a three-digit number, it would have been manufactured after 1990 but before 2000. For example, 335 would mean the tire was manufactured in the 33rd week of 1995.
Now you know how to determine how old those new tires are that you’re buying from the tire shop or service station.
I looked at the dot number on my tires and I can’t find any manufacture date.I tend to buy the cheapest 6 ply tires Les Schwab sells.
Let me guess,you only get a manufacture date if you spend money on the higher priced tires?
I’ll run my tires for 2 years anyway.All-season radials on my 4×4.
Comment by kageman — July 20, 2008 @ 5:34 pm
kageman,
All US tires must display the DOT number, but some have the DOT number on the side under the car rather than the outside. Also, you may want to have a damp sponge (or spit on your finger) to dampen the number to make it stand out more. You may also want a small flashlight handy. One of the main reasons for the date being there at all is to facilitate recall notices. Isn’t that reassuring?
Comment by Bill — July 20, 2008 @ 7:04 pm
buy new. trade in every 2 years. let the dealership worry.
Comment by TheWiz — July 20, 2008 @ 7:40 pm