How old are my tires?

Tire Age Calculator

Tires are normally manufactured with a DOT stamp on the sidewall. The DOT code holds the key information such as where and when the tire was manufactured. The last 4 numbers of the DOT code represent the week and year the tyre was made. It is important to know that any tyre with only 3 numbers in the last section was made before 2000.

4 Digit DOT Code:

How to find the DOT code?

Each tire has an imprinted DOT code. The four-digit DOT code is usually located in a window on the tire sidewall.

M5EJ 006X - wrong Do not use codes with letters! You need only the numbers.

3017 - proper Find the 4 digit number, 3017 in this example.

  • The first two digits of the code represent the week of production during the year (from 1 to 52).
  • The second two digits represent the year of manufacture.
  • If your DOT code is a 3-digit number, it means your tire was produced before 2000.

Tire Aging and Road Safety

Using the old, worn-out tires can increase the risk of having an accident on the road.

Tires should be replaced after 6 years, regardless of how many miles they have done. After 10 years they are extremely hazardous. To help make sure that your tires are safe enter the last 4 numbers of the DOT code above to get the exact age.

  • If your tires are older than 5 years, you should consider replacing them.
  • Even if the tire has a lot of tread, but the tire sidewall is old, dry and has small cracks, it would be better to replace the tire with a new one.
  • The recommended minimum height of a tread is 3 mm (4/32") for summer tires and 4 mm (5/32") for winter tires. Legal requirements may vary depending on the country (eg. at least 1.6 mm in EU).