How do I read a tire's manufacturing date code?
Quick answer
Find the tire identification number on the sidewall and read its last four digits: the first two give the week and the last two give the year of manufacture. For example, 2319 means week 23 of 2019. Check both sides of the tire because the full number may not appear on both. This is the manufacture date, not the installation date; follow your owner’s manual and tire-maker guidance for age-related replacement advice. [S1]
The question, the details, the next step.
I’m cataloguing the tires on my car. How do I find the manufacturing date, and is it the same as the date they were installed?
Look on the tire sidewall for the tire identification number, or TIN. Its last four digits show the manufacturing week and year: the first pair is the week, and the second pair is the year. That records when the tire was made, not when it was installed. Check both sides because the full number may not appear on both. [S1]
I see a four-digit ending, 2319. What would I write down?
Read 2319 as week 23 of 2019. Record it as “manufactured: week 23, 2019,” rather than guessing a particular day. [S1]
If you cannot find the full number on the side facing you, check the other side of that same tire. Keep this manufacture date separate from any installation date in a receipt or service record.
The car has four tires. Should I assume they all have the same date?
Don’t assume that. Inspect and record each tire separately, using a label such as front left, front right, rear left, and rear right. Look on both sides of each tire as needed to locate its full identification number. [S1]
A simple inventory could look like this:
- Front left — number ending [WWYY] — manufactured week [WW], [20YY]
- Front right — number ending [WWYY] — manufactured week [WW], [20YY]
- Rear left — number ending [WWYY] — manufactured week [WW], [20YY]
- Rear right — number ending [WWYY] — manufactured week [WW], [20YY]
These are placeholders, not readings from your car.
One tire’s date looks much older than when I bought the car. Does that tell me whether it needs replacing?
The date tells you when the tire was manufactured; it does not establish when it was installed or, by itself, whether it must be replaced. Some vehicle and tire manufacturers recommend replacement based on age. Check your owner’s manual and the tire manufacturer’s guidance for applicable service-life and replacement advice. NHTSA’s guidance does not set one universal replacement age. [S1]
If you cannot identify the applicable guidance or have concerns about the tire, ask a tire professional to review the markings and the tire’s condition. Don’t treat the example date code as an age-limit rule.
What if the marking is hard to read, or I can only see part of the number?
Don’t fill in missing digits by guessing. Check the other side of the tire, since the full TIN may not appear on both sides. [S1] If the full number remains unreadable or you are unsure which digits are the final four, record “date code not confirmed” and ask a tire professional to help identify it. Keep any partial reading clearly marked as partial.
Can you give me a short record I can use for each tire and a final note for the car’s file?
Copy and complete this template:
Tire position: [front left / front right / rear left / rear right] Full TIN, if readable: [copy marking] Final four digits: [WWYY / not confirmed] Manufacture date decoded: week [WW] of [20YY] / not confirmed Installation date: [known date / unknown] Age guidance checked: [owner’s manual or tire-maker guidance / not yet checked] Question to ask a tire professional: [write question]
Keep manufacture date and installation date in separate fields. Check the applicable manual and tire-maker guidance rather than applying a universal age limit. [S1]
A practical checklist
Inspect each tire separately and label its position.
Check both sidewalls if the full TIN is not visible on one side. [S1]
Copy the final four digits without guessing at unclear markings.
Decode the first pair as the week and the second pair as the year. [S1]
Record manufacture date separately from installation date.
Check the owner’s manual and tire-maker guidance for age-related replacement advice. [S1]
A few more useful answers
Does the four-digit date tell me the exact day the tire was made?
The cited guidance describes the final four digits as week and year, not a particular day. Record the week and year rather than inventing a day. [S1]
Does NHTSA set one age at which every tire must be replaced?
No. The cited NHTSA guidance does not set a universal replacement age; it points owners to applicable vehicle and tire-maker guidance. [S1]
What should I do if I cannot find the full identification number?
Check the other side of that tire, since the full number may not appear on both sides. If it remains unclear, mark the date as unconfirmed and ask a tire professional for help. [S1]
Sources
References used for this guide.
- [S1] Tire Safety Ratings and Awareness | TireWise | NHTSA nhtsa.gov · Checked