Owner's manual

Tire Sidewall Labeling
Useful information about a tire is molded into its
sidewall. The examples below show a typical
passenger car tire and a compact spare tire
sidewall.
Passenger Car Tire Example
(A) Tire Size: The tire size is a combination of
letters and numbers used to define a particular
tire's width, height, aspect ratio, construction
type and service description. See the “Tire Size”
illustration later in this section for more detail.
(B) DOT (Department of Transportation)
: The
Department of Transportation (DOT) code
indicates that the tire is in compliance with the
U.S. Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle
Safety Standards.
(C) Tire Identification Number (TIN)
: The letters
and numbers following DOT code are the Tire
Identification Number (TIN). The TIN shows the
manufacturer and plant code, tire size, and date
the tire was manufacture d. The TIN is molded
onto both sides of the tire, although only one side
may have the date of manufacture.
(D) Tire Ply Material
: The type of cord and
number of plies in the sidewall and under the
tread.
(E) Uniform Tire Quality Grading (UTQG)
: Tire
manufacturers are required to grade tires based
on three performance factors: treadwear, traction
and temperature resistance. For more information
see Uniform Tire Quality Grading
on page 6‑66 .
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