Typical tire symbols

1 Tire size
2 Summer tire or all season tire
An all season tire has “M+S” on the sidewall. A tire not marked “M+S” is a summer tire.
3 Uniform tire quality grading For details, see “Uniform Tire Quality Grading” that follows.

4 DOT and Tire Identification Number (TIN)
5 Tire ply composition and materials
Plies are layers of rubber-coated parallel cords. Cords are the strands which form the plies in a tire.

6 Location of treadwear indicators
7 Load limit at maximum cold tire inflation pressure
8 Maximum cold tire inflation pressure
This means the pressure to which a tire may be inflated.

9 TUBELESS or TUBE TYPE
A tubeless tire does not have a tube and air is directly filled in the tire. A tube type tire has a tube inside the tire and the tube maintains the air pressure.

1 Radial tires or bias-ply tires
A radial tire has RADIAL on the sidewall. A tire not marked RADIAL is a bias-ply tire.

Typical DOT and tire identification number (TIN)

1 DOT symbol*
2 Tire Identification Number (TIN)
3 Tire manufacturer’s identifi- cation mark
4 Tire size code
5 Manufacturer’s optional tire type code (3 or 4 letters)
6 Manufacturing week
7 Manufacturing year

*:The DOT symbol certifies that the tire conforms to appli- cable Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.

Tire size

- Typical tire size information

The illustration indicates typi- cal tire size.

1 Tire use
(P = Passenger car, T = Temporary use)
2 Section width (millimeters)
3 Aspect ratio
(tire height to section width)
4 Tire construction code
(R = Radial, D = Diagonal)
5 Wheel diameter (inches)
6 Load index (2 or 3 digits)
7 Speed symbol
(alphabet with one letter)

- Tire dimensions

1 Section width
2 Tire height
3 Wheel diameter

Tire section names

1 Bead
2 Sidewall
3 Shoulder
4 Tread
5 Belt
6 Inner liner
7 Reinforcing rubber
8 Carcass
9 Rim lines
10 Bead wires
11 Chafer

Uniform Tire Quality Grading

This information has been prepared in accordance with regulations issued by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration of the U.S.A. Department of Transportation.

It provides the purchasers and/or prospective purchasers of Lexus vehicles with information on uniform tire quality grading.

Your Lexus dealer will help answer any questions you may have as you read this information.

- DOT quality grades
All passenger vehicle tires must conform to Federal Safety Requirements in addition to these grades. Quality grades can be found where applicable on the tire sidewall between tread shoul- der and maximum section width.

For example: Treadwear 200 Traction AA Temperature A

- Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a comparative rating based on the wear rate of the tire when tested under controlled conditions on a specified government test course.

For example, a tire graded 150 would wear one and a half (1 - 1/2) times as well on the government course as a tire graded 100.

The relative performance of tires depends upon the actual conditions of their use, however, and may depart significantly from the norm due to variations in driving habits, service practices and differences in road characteristics and climate.

- Traction AA, A, B, C
The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are AA, A, B and C, and they represent the tire’s ability to stop on wet pavement as measured under controlled conditions on specified government test surfaces of asphalt and concrete.

A tire marked C may have poor traction performance.

Warning: The traction grade assigned to this tire is based on braking (straight ahead) traction tests and does not include cornering (turn- ing) traction.

- Temperature A, B, C
The temperature grades are A (the highest), B, and C, represent- ing the tire’s resistance to the generation of heat and its ability to dissipate heat when tested under controlled conditions on a spec- ified indoor laboratory test wheel.

Sustained high temperature can cause the material of the tire to degenerate and reduce tire life, and excessive temperature can lead to sudden tire failure.

The grade C corresponds to a level of performance which all passen- ger car tires must meet under the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Stan- dard No. 109.

Grades B and A represent higher levels of performance on the labo- ratory test wheel than the minimum required by law.

Warning: The temperature grades for this tire are established for a tire that is properly inflated and not overloaded.

Excessive speed, underinflation, or excessive loading, either sepa- rately or in combination, can cause heat buildup and possible tire failure.

Glossary of tire terminology

*:Table 1 ⎯ Occupant loading and distribution for vehicle normal load for various designated seating capacities