Dates on tires
- Thread starter Mongo
- Start date
MikeK
Well-known member
It depends on how old the tires are. If they pre-date 1990, likely no code.
If sold in the USA in the 90's there is a three-digit code on one side, the first two digits the week of the year (01X to 52X) and the third digit the year in the 90's. (237 = 23rd week of 1997). In 2000 it went to 4 digits at the end of the DOT code, the last two are the year in the 2000's. (at end of DOT code, 0903 = 9th week of 2003).
Numbers and letters prefixing the last 4 digits of the DOT code also identify which of the 850+ listed manufacturing plants produced it. It is not uncommon for a tire with a specific brand name molded on the tire to have been produced by contract in another manufacturers plant! That's why the modern code. Never assume.
The european union also has a code system, as does Australia and NZ, but I don't know details offhand.
If sold in the USA in the 90's there is a three-digit code on one side, the first two digits the week of the year (01X to 52X) and the third digit the year in the 90's. (237 = 23rd week of 1997). In 2000 it went to 4 digits at the end of the DOT code, the last two are the year in the 2000's. (at end of DOT code, 0903 = 9th week of 2003).
Numbers and letters prefixing the last 4 digits of the DOT code also identify which of the 850+ listed manufacturing plants produced it. It is not uncommon for a tire with a specific brand name molded on the tire to have been produced by contract in another manufacturers plant! That's why the modern code. Never assume.
The european union also has a code system, as does Australia and NZ, but I don't know details offhand.
Kurt in NJ
Well-known member
I just looked at the tires on my A, there is a code (WF 0 N52), and I know that they were bought in 1971 ,so probably made in the last week of december 1970 ---Goodyear 4.75-500 19, and they look like you would expect for a 40 year old tire --time to replace.
Kurt in NJ
Well-known member
I went and looked on my tire ---it says "made in canada" ---perhaps the codes have changed since 1970, the codes on my A tires are not set up like the newer dot codes --I looked some on the list in your link, it seems like there are more tire companys in China than in the rest of the world
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john in illinois
Well-known member
The new model A tires such as Goodyear and Firestone are not made by these companies and are not DOT approved tires. They do not have date codes. Apparently tires made for use on cars before 1970 do not have to have a DOT approval. If you look at tires in the coker catalog they will state this. A few of their higher end tires do have DOT and EU approval.