How to Determine the Age of Tires

Your safety and your family's safety is dependent on having quality tires.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. By law, every tire is supposed to have a 10 to 12 digit DOT serial number. If you know how to read this code, you'll know how old your tire is. Let's say the serial number is DOTMK87FOWR4201

2. DOT - means the tire has passed the Department of Transportation's safety test.

3. MK - this is DOT's tire plant code.

4. 87 - this number represents the tire size.

5. FOWR - manufacturer's tire brand

6. 4201 - the week of the year when the tire was made and the year when it was made. In this example, the tire was made on the 42nd week in 2001.

Tips & Warnings

• If a tire has a number code that is only three digits long, the tire was made in the 1990s. All tires made after 2000 have 4 digits.
• If your tires don't have a serial number, take them back to the dealership where you bought them and ask for FREE legal tires. If the dealer won't comply, report them to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The dealer could face some pretty stiff fines.

[SunnyJim]

on 11/25/2008 A co-worker of mine has a newer Cadillac Escalade. I checked her tires and only one has DOT info stamped onto the tire. The one that does have something on it is: "DOT 87KP C1JX". What can you tell me about this?
Jim ([e-mail])

[SunnyJim]

on 11/25/2008 A co-worker of mine has a newer Cadillac Escalade. I checked her tires and only one has DOT info stamped onto the tire. The one that does have something on it is: "DOT 87KP C1JX". What can you tell me about this?
Jim ([e-mail]

[NIKIJFG]

on 8/27/2008 Ooops - forget previous post. Took a closer look. My tires are good - It's great to have folks give these alerts though - really appreciate it. Makes for smarter consumers.

[NIKIJFG]

on 8/27/2008 I just purchased a new 2008 car. If I'm reading this right, I have old tires. Can that be possible on a brand new car? What leverage does one have on demanding new tires on a new car??? Help!
niki

[chrbear61]

on 7/16/2008 First thing I am going to do tomorrow is check age of my tires. I just read another article on abcnews.com about how well known stores are selling customers new tires when they really are not "new".