How do I read a tyre production date?

Look for the DOT code on the sidewall and read its last four digits. The first two are the production week and the last two the year: 3624 means the 36th week of 2024. The full code is often legible on only one side of the tyre, so if you cannot see the number with the tyre on the car, check the other side. Before 2000 a three-digit code was used.

Is a new tyre a couple of years old a bad buy?

No. An unused tyre stored dry, dark and cool keeps its properties for a long time and is still a new product rather than a used one. It is a natural part of stock that a tyre was manufactured earlier than it was bought. Age becomes worth attention only as the tyre approaches its sixth year, or when storage conditions are unknown.

How old a tyre should be replaced?

Most tyre manufacturers recommend inspecting a tyre more carefully for age from around its sixth year, and not using tyres over ten years old even if tread remains. The compound hardens with time and fine cracks appear in the sidewall, which reduces grip. Age is a reason to replace a tyre independently of how much tread is left.

Why is the production year missing on some products?

Because the supplier has not reported it to us. In that case we say plainly that the year is unknown rather than displaying a guess — we previously had a bug that stamped the current year on every tyre automatically, and it has been fixed. If the production year matters to your buying decision, ask before ordering and we will check.

Tyre age and the DOT code: how to read the production date

Every tyre carries a DOT code moulded into the sidewall, and the end of it says exactly which week and year the tyre was made. An unused tyre is not automatically bad after a few years, but the production year is an honest number worth knowing when you buy. Here is how to read the code and what age means in practice.

How to read the DOT code

The DOT code begins with the letters DOT and ends in a four-digit number. That four-digit number is the production date: the first two digits are the week, the last two the year. For example 3624 means the 36th week of 2024, so September.

The code is moulded into the sidewall. Often the full code is legible on only one side of the tyre — if you cannot see the number with the tyre on the car, look at the other side.

Before 2000 a three-digit code was used, where the last digit gave the year within the decade. A tyre that old should no longer be used on a car, so in practice you meet these only on very old vehicles or sets that come out of long storage.

On our product pages the production year is shown when the supplier has reported it to us. When the year is unknown we say so plainly — we do not display a guessed year.

How old a tyre is still sound

An unused tyre stored dry, dark and cool keeps its properties for a long time. That is why a tyre that has sat in a warehouse for a couple of years is not a bad buy: it is still a new product, not a used tyre.

Most tyre manufacturers nevertheless recommend inspecting a tyre more carefully on account of age from around its sixth year, and not using tyres more than ten years old even if tread remains. The compound hardens over time and fine cracks can appear in the sidewall, reducing grip and raising the risk of failure.

The practical conclusion: when buying new tyres a production year a couple of seasons back is not a problem, but a ten-year-old tyre does not belong on a car even if it looks new. If a set out of storage is of unknown age, have it inspected at a workshop.

Frequently asked questions

How do I read a tyre production date?: Look for the DOT code on the sidewall and read its last four digits. The first two are the production week and the last two the year: 3624 means the 36th week of 2024. The full code is often legible on only one side of the tyre, so if you cannot see the number with the tyre on the car, check the other side. Before 2000 a three-digit code was used.
Is a new tyre a couple of years old a bad buy?: No. An unused tyre stored dry, dark and cool keeps its properties for a long time and is still a new product rather than a used one. It is a natural part of stock that a tyre was manufactured earlier than it was bought. Age becomes worth attention only as the tyre approaches its sixth year, or when storage conditions are unknown.
How old a tyre should be replaced?: Most tyre manufacturers recommend inspecting a tyre more carefully for age from around its sixth year, and not using tyres over ten years old even if tread remains. The compound hardens with time and fine cracks appear in the sidewall, which reduces grip. Age is a reason to replace a tyre independently of how much tread is left.
Why is the production year missing on some products?: Because the supplier has not reported it to us. In that case we say plainly that the year is unknown rather than displaying a guess — we previously had a bug that stamped the current year on every tyre automatically, and it has been fixed. If the production year matters to your buying decision, ask before ordering and we will check.