Tyre expiry date: how to read it and when old tyres must go

Tyres do not carry an expiry date. What they carry is a manufacture date, moulded into the sidewall as a short code, usually the last four digits of the long string that starts with “DOT”: the first two digits are the week, the last two the year, so 2319 means the 23rd week of 2019. The age guidance that matters comes from the tyre makers. Michelin, for example, recommends a professional inspection every year once a tyre has been in service for five years, and replacement ten years after the date of manufacture, however good the tread looks. That applies to the spare too. Many tyres wear out long before that; on a car that is rarely driven, age can come first.

Do tyres expire?

Not in the way food or medicine does. There is no date after which a tyre suddenly becomes unsafe, and the tyre provisions of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules deal with a tyre’s condition and tread depth, not its age. What happens is gradual. Michelin explains that rubber degrades with heat cycles, ultraviolet light and ozone, in ways that are not always visible on the surface. Meanwhile, an impact from a pothole years earlier may have weakened the structure inside.

That is why age guidance is expressed as checks and an outer limit rather than an expiry date. Michelin’s guidance is a good benchmark: inspect annually after five years in service, and replace at ten years from manufacture regardless of tread depth or apparent condition.

How to find and read the date code

Indian rules require every tyre maker to emboss the week and year, or the month and year, of manufacture on each tyre, alongside the trade mark, size and maximum load (rule 95 of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules).

On most car tyres the date appears at the end of the tyre identification number that begins with DOT, a format set by the US regulator. Under that rule:

• The date code is the final group of four digits.
• The first two digits are the week of manufacture, with 01 standing for the first full week of the year.
• The last two digits are the year.
• So 3520 is the 35th week of 2020, and 0124 is the first full week of 2024.

The code is moulded on only one sidewall. Michelin notes that depending on which way the tyre was fitted, it may face inwards, so you may need to look at the inner side or check when the wheel is off. Our tyre age checker turns the code into an age and shows when the five-year and ten-year marks fall.

How old is too old for a car tyre?

Use three markers.

Five years from manufacture. Have the tyres inspected by a tyre professional at least once a year from this point, including the spare. Look for cracking, cuts, bulges and uneven wear. Our guide to sidewall cracks explains what to look for.

Signs of trouble at any age. Michelin lists visible sidewall damage, persistent vibration and changes in handling or wet grip as reasons to have a tyre checked whatever its age. These can point to damage inside the tyre.

Ten years from manufacture. Replace the tyre, spare included, even if it has plenty of tread. Michelin applies the ten-year guideline to spares that have never touched the road.

Buying new tyres: how old is acceptable?

A new tyre that is a few months old is normal; tyres travel from factory to warehouse to dealer. A tyre that has been sitting for well over a year is worth questioning, for one practical reason as much as a safety one: the warranty.

Most car tyre warranties in India start counting from the date of manufacture, not the day you buy. MRF covers passenger car radials for six years from the month of manufacture, and Apollo for five years from the week of manufacture. A tyre that spent eighteen months in stock reaches the end of its cover eighteen months sooner. Our tyre warranty guide lists the terms for other brands, some of which count from purchase.

Before fitting:

1. Ask the dealer for the manufacture dates of the tyres being fitted, or read them yourself.
2. Make sure all tyres on the same axle are from similar dates.
3. Write the dates on your invoice, which also helps with any warranty claim.

Age or tread: which comes first?

For most cars, tread wears out first. Apollo says a new tyre generally lasts 50,000 to 80,000 km before it needs replacing, depending on driving habits and maintenance. A car doing 15,000 km a year would reach the low end of that range in a little over three years, well inside the age limits.

The cars where age catches up first are those used little: a second car, a car garaged during long trips abroad, or the spare, which may never be used at all. If your car covers only a few thousand kilometres a year, plan on age-based replacement and keep an eye on tread depth as well.

Buying a used car: check every date code

A second-hand car can arrive on tyres of very different ages, and a good tread depth says nothing about how old the rubber is. Before you buy, or on the day you collect the car, read the date code on all five tyres, spare included. If any are past five years, budget for an inspection; if any are near ten, budget for replacements and factor that into the price you offer. Mixed dates on the same axle are worth asking about too, since they can mean one tyre was replaced after damage.

Storing tyres and the spare

The spare ages exactly like the tyres on the road. Michelin recommends checking its pressure at least once a year and inspecting it for cracks and damage. If the car has been parked for a long period, check all five tyres before driving off: pressure, sidewalls and, if anything looks wrong, a professional inspection.