Does TBT1 Code on Tire Sidewall Give the Date of Manufacturer?

Updated 11/07/2023 | Published 11/06/2023

Question:

is there a chart for date codes with letters i got a 4 digit code of tbt1 Thanks

asked by: Rusty J

Expert Reply:

According to my research it looks like you have a Towmax tire and while we don't carry this brand, I did reach out to them directly and they said there should be 3 groupings of numbers/letters after the "DOT" on your tire sidewall. The TBT1 will be in the middle ad the 3rd group will have 4 digits that correspond to the date of the tire.

This is typical for tires and even ones we carry, like part # AM10501, have this as well. The first 2 digits are the week of the year and the last 2 digits are the year itself. I've attached a photo as an example. In the photo we see the numbers "1718" which means that tire was manufactured in the 17th week (or near the end of April) in 2018.

If you can't find the tire date code anywhere then a good rule of thumb is to change out your tires every 5-6 years or 10,000-12,000 miles (whichever comes first). If you think you might be near either of those then it would be a good idea to change your tires to avoid a blowout. Let me know what tire size you have on your sidewall and I'll be more than happy to make a replacement recommendation for you!

expert reply by: Jon G