Tire Sidewall Labeling
Useful information about a tire is molded into its
sidewall. The examples below show a typical
passenger vehicle tire and a compact spare tire
sidewall.
(A) Tire Size
: The tire size is a combination of
letters and numbers used to define a particular
tire’s width, height, aspect ratio, construction type
and service description. See the “Tire Size”
illustration later in this section for more detail.
(B) TPC Spec (Tire Performance Criteria
Specification)
: Original equipment tires designed
to GM’s specific tire performance criteria have
a TPC specification code molded onto the sidewall.
GM’s TPC specifications meet or exceed all
federal safety guidelines. If your vehicle has
205/55R16 size tires, they meet the GM TPC Spec
rating, but the TPC Spec code has not been
molded onto the tire’s sidewall.
(C) DOT (Department of Transportation)
:
The Department of Transportation (DOT) code
indicates that the tire is in compliance with the
U.S. Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle
Safety Standards.
Passenger (P-Metric) Tire Example
5-50