Tires are essential in covering the wheels of your motorcycle, car, or truck. Canada has winter and summer tires such as T-type, Bias Ply, Radial Ply, ST, and FI that work efficiently in cold and dry locations. You can opt for all-weather car tires from brands such as Michelin, Goodyear, Firestone Weathergrip, or CrossClimate2.

All new tires have a date of manufacture and an expiration date. Surprisingly, most people do not know about the expiration of tires. So, how can you tell if your summer or winter tires are expired? For starters, you can begin by checking the DOT Code for a Manufacturing Date.

Therefore, before purchasing tires at any tire dealership, it is wise to know how to check if they are expired or not. Knowing how and where to check the age of the tires can come in handy and protect you from purchasing tires at the end of your lifetime. Assuming that most new tires are in the best working condition is a mistake that some customers make, ending up with an expiring tire. Read on to learn more about the expiry of tires.

Calculating the Tire Expiry Date

Knowing the age of your car tires prevents buying one at the end of its lifespan. Old tires in heavy or light trucks can cause accidents on the road, hence the need to comply with the Motor Vehicle Tire Safety Regulations in Canada.

New DOT guidelines expect car, truck, and motorcycle tires to last six years at most. So, after identifying the tire’s date code outside or in the sidewall of the tire, add six years to get its expiration date. For example, if the number in the yellow box is 4017, meaning the tire’s lifespan is until 4023.

Tire Age Limit

After using your tires for six years, it is time for them to go, regardless of their mileage, tread depth, treadwear, speed rating, and appearance. Safety standards prohibit the use of old tires that are a high risk on the roads. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration also recommends replacing tires with new ones, including the T-type spare tire. Vehicle manufacturers provide a manual that can help when replacing your old tire.

Bonus Tip

The Canadian Department of Transportation in provinces such as Ontario, home to Toronto City and Saskatchewan, set regulations that protect truck and car owners from buying expired tires. You can find the tire identification number in your tire’s sidewall, information panel, and the owner’s manual.

Most tire manufacturers put the 11-character tire identification number outside the tires instead of the sidewalls. Tires have a two-character plant code, tire size code, and manufacturing date, which appears inside a yellow box with four digits. The first two digits indicate the week of the year, while the last two are the manufacturing year. For instance, 3514 in a set of tires implies the tires were new in the 35th week of 2014.

In Short!

There is an expiration date on the tires you buy in Canada. The country uses DOT regulations similar to those in America to provide for its car, trailer, and light truck owners. TreadNation Program of the FFUN Motor Group can help you find the best new tires at an affordable price and a warranty. It offers tire storage and free tire rotation that makes it easy to find and read the DOT code.