How to Determine a Car's Production Date from Its Tires?
4 Answers
Method to determine a car's production date from its tires: The production date of the car can be found on the outer sidewall of the tire. The last four digits of the marking indicate the production date information. The first two digits represent the week of the year, and the last two digits represent the year. New tires come with a production certificate, and you should check for clear tread patterns and ensure the date is within the valid period. When buying a car, pay attention to this. Generally, the shelf life of car tires is three years, as tires are mainly made of rubber, which has a shelf life of three years. The replacement cycle for tires should be every three years. When purchasing, always choose tires with a recent production date.
A few days ago, a friend asked me how to identify the production date of a car tire from its markings. As a veteran driver who has been behind the wheel for most of my life, I have to say this is actually a specialized skill. On the sidewall of the tire, near the rim, you can find a series of numbers—typically the last four digits of the DOT code. For example, ‘3617’ indicates the tire was produced in the 36th week (‘36’) of the year 2017 (‘17’). Tires older than five years are prone to aging and cracking, with reduced grip, especially on wet or slippery roads—posing significant risks. I once experienced a skid because I overlooked the date and was using an eight-year-old tire that eventually burst. When buying a car or replacing tires, I recommend first cleaning the tire edges and using a flashlight to carefully locate those numbers, ensuring they’re from the last year or two before use. This approach saves money and enhances safety. Additionally, checking the tires every six months during car washes can help prevent unexpected incidents.
I learned how to read tire dates when I bought my own car, and it's quite simple. There's a marking on the side of the tire called DOT, with the last four digits like '1220'. The first two digits '12' represent the 12th week, and the last two '20' stand for the year 2020. It's best to install new tires within six months of their production date, as older stored tires can harden and lose effectiveness. I often use a mobile app to scan and decode the date, which is super convenient. This knowledge is incredibly useful—when buying tires online, I always ask the seller to send photos to confirm the date to avoid getting old stock. For regular driving, tires should be considered for replacement every three to four years, especially in high-temperature areas where they age faster. Maintenance is simple too: just clean the sidewall dust with a soft cloth for easy reading. It saves money and ensures driving stability—why not do it?
Checking the tire production date is actually quite simple. Every time I wash my car, I pay attention to the small numbers on the side of the tire, such as '4321', which means the tire was produced in the 43rd week of 2021. The code is located on the raised part of the tire and is easy to find. Newer tires are more durable and wear-resistant, while older ones should be replaced promptly—don't skimp on this expense. Safety comes first.
