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It’s important to know how old your tires are so that your car is safe on the road, but where do you find that information? Telling the age of a tire is a breeze—just locate the Department of Transportation code on the tire’s sidewall and look at the date. In this article, we’ll walk you through how to decipher the DOT code to learn what year your tire was made plus give you the scoop on when to replace worn-out tires. If you’re ready to hit the road feeling confident that your tires are safe, keep reading!

Things You Should Know

  • Locate the DOT code on the sidewall of your tire. The code consists of the letters "DOT" followed by up to 13 numbers and letters.
  • Read the last 4 digits of the DOT code. The first 2 numbers tell you the week of the year the tire was made, and the last 2 numbers indicate the year.
  • Replace your tires when they’re 6 years old, regardless of their condition.
2

Locate your tire’s DOT code.

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  1. A tire’s sidewall is the smooth part of the tire outside the rim before the tread starts. Check both sides of the tire if you see an incomplete code on the outside—the full code is legally required to be printed onto one sidewall in the US, but there may only be a partial code printed on the other.
    • DOT stands for Department of Transportation and the code provides information about when and where the tire was made and its size.
    • The DOT code is sometimes called a Tire Identification Number (TIN).
4

Look at the last 3 digits of the DOT code (pre-2000).

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  1. Like newer codes, the first 2 numbers tell you the week of the year the tires were made. The third number tells you the year, but doesn’t specify the decade since it was assumed the tires would be replaced within 10 years.
    • For example, if you see 347, that means the tires were made in the 34th week of a year ending in 7, like 1997, 1987, or 1977.
    • In the 90s, some tire manufacturers included a triangle after the DOT code to indicate that the manufacturing year was during the 1990s.
    • It’s very rare to come across tires made before 2000.
5

See if your tires are still under warranty.

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  1. Most major manufacturers offer warranties lasting 4 to 6 years per tire from the date of purchase. If your tire fails under warranty, present your sales receipt with your car’s odometer reading at the time of purchase, plus any additional warranty paperwork to make a claim.[3]
    • If you lost your receipt, the tire is likely under warranty for 5 years from the week of manufacture indicated on the DOT code. Contact the manufacturer for warranty details and to learn how to file a claim without a receipt.[4]
    • For example, if you got new tires that were 1 year old, your warranty would cover them for 6 years. Without your receipt, you’d get 4 years of coverage since they’re already 1 year old.
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6

Get new tires when yours are 6 years old.

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  1. Plan to start shopping a few weeks or months earlier so you have time to replace them before they become unsafe. Even if they have plenty of tread left, the rubber on old tires can dry and crack, leading to flats or blowouts.[5]
    • Replace your tires sooner if the tread wears down too far or there is other damage.
    • Check on your spare tires, too. Even if you haven’t used one, replace any spare tires that are 6-10 years old.
7

Replace worn-out tires even if they're not 6 years old.

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  1. Dry rot happens when tires become dry and brittle. If you see dry rot signs like separated treads, cracks in the sidewall, or stiff rubber, replace the tire immediately to avoid a blowout on the road.[6]
    • Measure the tread of your tires monthly, too. If the tread is 1/16 inch (1.59 mm) deep or less, the tires are considered unsafe to drive on.
    • To test the tread quickly, insert a penny head-down into your tire’s tread. If the tire is even with the top of Abraham Lincoln’s head, the tread is too worn down and the tires are unsafe.[7]
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Warnings

  • Old tires are a safety hazard. In addition to losing their grip, they can crack and cause tread separation (when the steel belts in the treads separate from the rest of the tire).
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Expert Interview

Thanks for reading our article! If you’d like to learn more about tires, check out our in-depth interview with Howard Fleischmann.

About This Article

Howard Fleischmann
Co-authored by:
Automotive Tire & Repair Specialist
This article was co-authored by Howard Fleischmann and by wikiHow staff writer, Dan Hickey. Howard Fleischmann is an Automotive Tire and Repair Specialist and the CEO of Community Tire Pros & Auto Repair, with ten locations throughout Phoenix, Glendale, Yuma, and Casa Grande, Arizona. Howard specializes in full-service auto repair and tire replacement and care for domestic/imported vehicles and large trucks. Howard’s dedication to Community Tire Pros & Auto Repair has earned their team multiple awards and features including the 2021 Phoenix Magazine AZ State 48 “Best of the Best!”, the 2020 “Best of Phoenix” in Auto Repair, the 2013 Master SBD award, the 2013 National “Top Shop” award by Tire Review, the 2012 Diversity Champions Phx Business Journal, the 2009 BBB Ethics award, the 2008 Phx Chamber of Commerce Impact Award -” Small Business of the Year”, and the 2008 ASU Spirit of Enterprise award. Howard is often referred to as “The Car Guy” for local TV stations and is a regular on TV’s Channel 3 Sunday, Good Morning Arizona monthly. This article has been viewed 77,082 times.
41 votes - 85%
Co-authors: 4
Updated: December 11, 2024
Views: 77,082
Categories: Tires and Suspension
Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 77,082 times.

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