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Old 05-25-2025, 06:56 AM
retiredguy123 retiredguy123 is offline
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Whenever I buy tires, even on a new vehicle, I always check the DOT number on the sidewall. The last 4 digits indicate the week and year that the tire was made. For example, "3422" would indicate that the tire was made during the 34th week of 2022.

As I understand it, a new vehicle has no vehicle manufacturer warranty for the tires. The tires have a separate warranty. So, an unscrupulous dealer could switch the tires on a new vehicle, and install older and cheaper tires on a brand new vehicle.

I recently bought 4 new Michelin tires from Firestone. When I checked the DOT numbers, I found that two of the tires did not have a visible DOT number. It turns out that the tires were asymetrical, and the installer had mounted two of the tire backwards, so the DOT number was on the inside of the wheel. I am glad I checked.