Free Tire Age Decoder
Every tire states its birthday. Most buyers never read it.
The DOT code on the sidewall ends in four digits: the week and the year the tire was made. Type them and see the date, the age, and whether it sits inside the replacement guidance — because rubber ages whether or not it wears.
- Fixed by federal standard
- Runs in your browser
- Read all four, plus the spare
The last four digits
Two digits for the week, two for the year
The full code may appear on one sidewall only — check the inner face. Nothing you type here leaves your browser.
Before you buy
Check any VIN — free, instant, no sign-up
Decode the year, model, trim, plant and engine, then check NMVTIS for title brands and NHTSA for open recalls. The repair does not show on the paint. It shows in the record.
Week, then year
The date is the code’s last four digits: two for the week, two for the year. NHTSA’s own worked example ends 0308 — the third week of 2008 — and the guide walks the whole code.
Rubber ages unworn
Makers advise replacement at six to ten years regardless of treadwear, because ageing happens inside the rubber — and, more usefully, you cannot detect it by looking.
Four tires, one story
Read every tire and the spare. Matching years say the set was replaced together; a mismatch says ask which corner failed, and why — the lot visit’s checklist carries the rest.
