Everything Rides On Your Tires

    All tire manufacturers know that with proper use, tire treads will wear out and eventually need to be replaced, however, a surprising number of drivers aren't aware of when their tires should serviced.  Did you know that all tires have an expiration date that is required to be printed directly on the tire?  Many of you know about some common tire maintenance such as checking pressure, tread-wear and getting tires balanced and rotated but to avoid major failures and blowouts there needs to be more education about tire shelf-life and their expiration dates.

    Most new tires are estimated to last around 70,000 miles and the NHTSA says that regardless of use or mileage tires should be replaced after 6 years, which is fine if a consumer is buying their tires "brand new" but what about tires that sit in a warehouse for years before they are sold or ever put on a car?  The U.S. Department of Transportation has worked out a system that should make it easier for all consumers to know when their tires were made and when they should be replaced, it's as simple as looking at your tire...

    On the outside sidewall, usually near the rim or hubcap there will be a number preceded by "DOT" which means that this tire meets all the Department of Transportation's standards.  This will be followed by either 2 numbers or letters that will indicated where the tire was made.  Following the manufacturer's numbers will be the information about the tires age.  All tires made after the year 2000 will have a 4-digit code:  The first two digits indicate the week of the year in which the tire was made so 01 would mean it was made in the first week of the year, and so on until 52.  The last two digits indicate the year so 05 would mean it was made in 2005.  For example 1607 would mean that the tire was made in the 16th week of the year 2007.

    For more information on tire safety we recommend you contact your local Department of Transportation.