How old are my tyres and how to read the DOT ?

How to determine the age of your tyres ?

To determine the age of your tyre, you can check the DOT code on the tyre's sidewall:
 

 The production date or the age of the tyre is shown as 4 nombers, e.g. "3909", as illustrated in the picture above.

“39” represents the 39th week of the year, in this case September.

“09” represents the year, in this case 2009.

Therefore, this tyre was produced in September 2009.

What is the maximum life expectancy of a tyre ?

It is very common in the industry to receive tyres that are 1 or 2 years old. Some companies manufacture their tyres in South Africa, which others may manufacture overseas hence there will be a time difference between the production delay and the transport time. These import tyres often arrive to South Africa several months after their production date.

As for the life expectancy of a tyre, it is widely acknowledged in the industry that tyres from major manufacturers become unsafe after 10 years if not worn out before (https://www.michelin.ca/en/howLongTyreLast.html). However after 5 years of use tyres must be inspected every year.