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Step 1
Locate the DOT number on the sidewall of the tire. It's easy to find since the first 3 digits are "DOT." They are displayed on both sides of the tire, however, the last four digits are the tire stamp and that only appears on wide sidewall of the tire. So, if you're looking at the sidewall of your tire, and there are only 7 or 8 digits after the letters "DOT," you'll most likely need to look on the interior sidewall to locate the date stamp.
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Step 2
Look for a 10 to 12 digit number. The last four digits will be placed in an oval and will only be numerical.
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Step 3
Determine the age of the tires by reading the last four digits of the full DOT number from the sidewall of the tire. The first two digits of the four digit date stamp will indicate the week of the year the tire was manufactured. The last two digits in the date stamp number will determine the year it was manufactured. For example, 1208, as the last four digits of the full DOT number displayed on the sidewall of a tire, would dictate that the tire was manufactured in the 12th week of the year 2008.
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Step 4
Use this code to age the tires on your car and request to see this number before purchasing any new tires. It's not uncommon to be purchasing a year or maybe two year old tires, but the newer the better and compare that to the price you're being charged for them.
