A customer recently went to the tire section of his local Walmart and read out the four-digit codes stamped into the sidewalls of tires there. Here’s why.
Chris (@kingskid80), who lives in North Texas and whose TikTok channel is mostly focused on his immaculate 1969 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28, posted the 51-second clip, which has since drawn more than 592,500 views. “PSA: if you buy tires at walmart or really anywhere,” reads the text across the screen.
“What you need to be careful for is, say, you go to buy some new tires,” he says. “This DOT number—that’s the date they were manufactured.” The first one he points at reads 1823: “The 18th week of 2023; so those are already over three years old.”
Next is a General Altimax, made in Ecuador, stamped 2918. “Check this one: the 29th week of 2018,” he says. “Crazy.” A third is from the 20th week of 2021. He ends by noting the date he is filming, Sept. 11
The tires are on a Manager’s Special rack, with one cut to $100 from $218 and another to $200 from $406. All the tires are stacked on their sides in front of a sunny window.
Gallery: Your Ride: 1969 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28
What Do The Numbers On Tires Mean?
The code is there because of government regulations. Federal rules say the date code is “the final group” of the tire identification number and “must identify the week and year of manufacture,” using the example of 0109 for a tire built in the first full week of 2009.
Chris specified where to look for the codes: “DOT is on both sides. Date code is after DOT only on 1 side.” He is right, and the safety standard for new tires is why. It requires the full identification number on one sidewall and lets the other side carry a partial version with the date code left off. NHTSA tells drivers the same thing: “Look on both sides of the tire. The TIN may not be on both sides.”
Is It Legal To Sell An 8-Year-Old Tire?
Selling eight-year-old tires as brand new is totally legal under U.S. federal law.
NHTSA’s chief counsel established this in an answer to a 1996 letter from a lawyer who asked whether the agency’s rules had been broken when a tire built in 1986 was sold as new in 1991.
“NHTSA has no regulation requiring a tire to be sold within a certain amount of time from its date of manufacture,” he wrote, and suggested asking the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) about whether the sale itself was fair.
But while the FTC used to have specific rules about tire advertising, these were rescinded in 2004.
Oddly, NHTSA’s consumer guidance warns that “as tires age, they are more prone to failure,” and that “some vehicle and tire manufacturers recommend replacing tires that are six to 10 years old, regardless of treadwear.” The agency also warns that “you cannot detect tire aging simply by looking at your tires.”
That advice is based on what happens to tires in storage. Tires kept “in direct sunlight, in extreme heat or cold” break down faster than tires “wrapped and kept in a temperature and humidity-controlled environment,” according to that same letter.
‘Don’t Purchase Those!’
“Selling a tire made in 2018 is WILD!!!” wrote bella.bionda.3 in a comment.
Bendeebradshaw wrote, “Yes, dry rot is an actual thing. Even if they have never seen a car. Don’t purchase those!”
Orderapan2x explained the chemistry: “The rubber compounds naturally break down, harden, and crack over time even if they have never rolled on a road.”
People who work in the tire industry suggested thresholds. “As someone that worked in this field, if they are over 3 years from current I will not buy them or sell them, I would send back to manufacturer for new ones,” wrote tawny615.
Geezenstack444 was blunter: “As someone who used to work at Walmart automotive, don’t go there please.” Chris answered that one: “They aren’t all bad lol… or are they?"
Others said the rack was self-explanatory. “See how that topper says Manager Special?” wrote thatchevyguy83. “That means they marked them down and are trying to get rid of them before they have to be thrown away.”
Sparklin.thoughts wrote, "These are clearance tires. Customers ordered them but never picked them up.” Chris replied, "Yeah, 8 years ago.” Told by another viewer that he was fear-mongering, he wrote, "No fear to be given here… helpful knowledge only.”
His advice is to ask the shop to confirm the manufacture date, then check the sidewall again once the tires are mounted. “Preferably within last 12 months but up to 2 years is okay,” he wrote. He also told commenters that the problem is not specific to Walmart: “It’s not just Walmart that does this, even Goodyear etc….. ESPECIALLY smaller shops need to make sure because they usually sit on inventory longer.”
Motor1 reached out to Chris via TikTok direct message and to Walmart through its media relations form. We’ll be sure to update this if either responds.
