Federal law mandates that tire manufacturers
place standardized information on the side-
wall of all tires (see the illustration).
The following information is listed on the tire
sidewall:
The tire designation:
NOTE
Please be aware that the following tire
designation is an example only and that
this particular tire may not be available on
your vehicle.
1. 215: the width of the tire (in millimeters)
from sidewall edge to sidewall edge. The
larger the number, the wider the tire.
2. 65: The ratio of the tire's height to its
width in percent.
3. R: Radial tire (the designation RF and the
symbol indicate that the vehicle is
equipped with optional self-supporting
run flat tires
1
. See page 342 for more
information about these tires).
4. 15: The diameter of the wheel rim (in
inches).
5. 95: The tire's load index. In this example,
a load index of 95 equals a maximum
load of 1521 lbs (690 kg).
6. H: The tire's speed rating, or the maxi-
mum speed at which the tire is designed
to be driven for extended periods of time,
carrying a permissible load for the vehi-
cle, and with correct inflation pressure.
For example, H indicates a speed rating
of 130 mph (210 km/h).
NOTE
The tire's load index and speed rating may
not appear on the sidewall because they
are not required by law.
7. M+S or M/S = Mud and Snow, AT = All
Terrain, AS = All Season
8.
U.S. DOT Tire Identification Number
(TIN): This begins with the letters "DOT"
and indicates that the tire meets all fed-
eral standards. The next two numbers or
letters are the plant code where it was
manufactured, the next two are the tire
size code and the last four numbers rep-
resent the week and year the tire was
built. For example, 1510 means that the
tire was manufactured during week 15 of
2010. The numbers in between are mar-
keting codes used at the manufacturer's
discretion. This information helps a tire
manufacturer identify a tire for safety
recall purposes.
9.
Tire Ply Composition and Material
Used: Indicates the number of plies indi-
cates or the number of layers of rubber-
coated fabric in the tire tread and side-
wall. Tire manufacturers also must indi-
cate the ply materials in the tire and the
sidewall, which include steel, nylon, poly-
ester, and others.
1
Self-supporting run flat tires may not be available on all models
