Your car tires are marked with loads of information that’s valuable for all car owners. Whether you’re trying to find the size of your tire, its time of production, or if it is suitable for winter driving, you can find the information on the tire sidewall. Here’s a handy guide for interpreting tire markings.
Visit your local Nokian Tyres dealer if you need help choosing just the right tires for your vehicle.
Tire size
Tire size may be the most important piece of information you need when looking for new tires. Size information is marked on the tire’s sidewall in a series of characters, such as “205/55 R 16 94 V XL”. Here’s what the marking tells you about tire size:
- In the example, 205 indicates tire width in millimeters when measured from sidewall to sidewall. After tire width, the marking tells the tire’s aspect ratio, which is a tire’s height in relation to its width. The aspect ratio is measured as a percentage. In our example, the tire sidewall’s height is 55% of its width.
- The third number for determining tire size is rim diameter measured in inches. Here, the rim diameter is 16 inches.
- The other markings in the example indicate tire type (R for radial), speed rating (94) and load index (V).
- The XL marking lets you know that the tire is reinforced. That means the tire can tolerate a higher load than tires of the same size.
Manufacture date
The last four digits in the Department of Transportation (DOT) tire identification number indicate the tire’s manufacture date. This tire date code indicates the week and year the tire was manufactured. For example, “1223” means the tire was manufactured in the 12th week of 2023. Often, the date code will only be found on one side of the tire. If you cannot see the code for your tire, check the inside sidewall - or the opposite side of the vehicle.
Finding a tire’s manufacture date is important as the age of a tire is useful in determining if it has reached its maximum service life. A general recommendation is to change new tires after 6 years in service, or 10 years from date of manufacture, whichever comes first. Remember that a variety of factors, such as storage, tire pressure and mileage, can affect tire life and cause them to wear out faster.
3PMSF and M+S markings
There are two markings that refer to a tire’s performance in certain challenging weather conditions. The first of the two is the Three-Peak Mountain Snowflake (3PMSF) marking. If a tire is equipped with this marking, it is suitable for winter driving in severe snow conditions thanks to its good traction and handling on snow and ice. Look for this marking when buying winter or snow tires.
For less demanding driving conditions, find tires with the M+S (Mud and Snow) marking on the sidewall. The tire provides better traction than regular summer tires but is outmatched by tires with the 3PMSF symbol. Always refer to local winter driving regulations about the use of winter tires.
Uniform Tire Quality Grading (UTQG)
When inspecting your tires, remember to also refer to the UTQG or Uniform Tire Quality Grading markings, a standardized rating system used specifically in the United States. The UTQG has three parts that you can find on the tire sidewall: treadwear, traction and temperature resistance. Treadwear measures the tire’s durability against other tire offerings within the same manufacturer's product portfolio. Traction indicates the tire’s grip on wet road surfaces. Temperature resistance indicates the tire’s capability to dissipate heat.
Do you need to find a local tire shop near you? You can use our Nokian Tyres dealer locator to find one:
