How to Determine the Age of General Tires
- 1). Locate the plaque on the sidewall of the General Tire. This plaque will start with the letters "DOT," which indicates that the tire met all U.S. Federal Standards at the time of production. In 1987, the last three numbers represent the week and year the tire was built. For example, the number 317 means the tire was made during the 31st week of 1987. The additional digits represent the manufacturer's marketing codes.
- 2). Identify the decade the tire was built. In the early 1990s, Continental added a triangle at the end of the DOT to indicate the tires were not made in the 1980s. All tire manufacturers were required to indicate the build date for the year 2000 by increasing the number of digits from three to four. Obtain a calendar that corresponds to the last digits of the DOT, indicating the year of manufacture. Note the two digits preceding the year, and count the weeks indicated by these numbers. For example, a tire with the four-digit date 0110 was built in the first week of 2010.
- 3). Replace tires that are more than ten years old, including the spare tire. In Europe, vehicle manufacturers typically recommend replacing tires that are more than six years old.