Every tyre has a hidden age — and knowing how to find it can help you stay safer on the road. This guide explains what the DOT code means, how to read the manufacturing date on your tyres, and when old tyres should be replaced to maintain peak performance and safety.
The regularity with which most UK drivers use their vehicles, is such that having a tyre become outdated and too old to use anymore is rare. This is because most tyres become worn below the legal tyre tread limit, well before they become too old to drive on. So, for the most part, vehicle owners don’t necessarily need to worry about their tyres being too old.
However, knowing how to check the age of your tyre is an important part of maintenance and being able to find the right replacement tyres when you need them.
This is where identifying and deciphering the date of manufacturing comes in.
Where to Find the Date of Manufacturing
When you look at a tyre from the side, you will see a series of letters and numbers printed around the edge, between the outer rubber surface and the wheel rim inside.
This is the tyre sidewall and is where you can find the tyre size calculation as well as information on the tyre type and the date of manufacturing.
What Does the Date Look Like and How Do You Read it?
The date of manufacturing is presented as a set of four numbers: for example, 3620.
Often these four numbers are preceded by the letters ‘DOT’ to help you identify the correct set of numbers and read them correctly.
The first two numbers of the set of four, indicate the week of the year that the tyre was manufactured.
The second two numbers relate to the year the tyre was made.
So, in our above example, the tyre was manufactured in the 36th week of 2020.
