Tire Expiration Dates Promoted

Ford Motor Company recently announced it will recommend that vehicle owners replace their
tires after six years. This includes the spare tire, even if it has never been used.
DaimlerChrysler also recommends that tires should be replaced after six years. General
Motors, however, does not recommend such replacement and reports that it has no research
indicating that tires begin to seriously degrade after six years. The tire date code is
located on the sidewall next to the letters DOT, followed by the tire’s serial number. The
last four digits indicate the week and year the tire was manufactured. For example, if the
last four digits are 0104, the tire was made during the first week of January 2004.