The DOT code is printed on the tyre sidewall and reveals the production date. The last four digits matter: the first two give the calendar week, the last two the year. Tyres made before 2000 only had three digits — those tyres are long gone from the market anyway.
Example: "25 23" means the tyre was made in calendar week 25 of 2023 — even if sold as "new", it's worth checking the DOT code, especially for tyres that have been in storage for a while.
The load index is a two- or three-digit number on the tyre sidewall indicating how much weight a single tyre can carry at maximum tyre pressure. A higher index means more permitted load capacity — important especially for fully loaded vehicles, vans or trailer use.
| Load Index | Load capacity per tyre |
|---|---|
| 75 | 387 kg |
| 76 | 400 kg |
| 77 | 412 kg |
| 78 | 425 kg |
| 79 | 437 kg |
| 80 | 450 kg |
| 81 | 462 kg |
| 82 | 475 kg |
| 83 | 487 kg |
| 84 | 500 kg |
| 85 | 515 kg |
| 86 | 530 kg |
| 87 | 545 kg |
| 88 | 560 kg |
| 89 | 580 kg |
| 90 | 600 kg |
| 91 | 615 kg |
| 92 | 630 kg |
| 93 | 650 kg |
| 94 | 670 kg |
| 95 | 690 kg |
| Load Index | Load capacity per tyre |
|---|---|
| 96 | 710 kg |
| 97 | 730 kg |
| 98 | 750 kg |
| 99 | 775 kg |
| 100 | 800 kg |
| 101 | 825 kg |
| 102 | 850 kg |
| 103 | 875 kg |
| 104 | 900 kg |
| 105 | 925 kg |
| 106 | 950 kg |
| 107 | 975 kg |
| 108 | 1000 kg |
| 109 | 1030 kg |
| 110 | 1060 kg |
| 111 | 1090 kg |
| 112 | 1120 kg |
| 113 | 1150 kg |
| 114 | 1180 kg |
| 115 | 1215 kg |
The speed index is a letter directly after the load index, indicating the maximum permitted sustained speed. A tyre with a lower index than required by the vehicle manufacturer must not be fitted — a higher index, however, is never a problem.
| Q | R | S | T | U | H | V | W | Y |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 160 km/h | 170 km/h | 180 km/h | 190 km/h | 200 km/h | 210 km/h | 240 km/h | 270 km/h | 300 km/h |
Germany and the whole EU legally require a minimum tread depth of 1.6 mm. However, organisations like the ADAC and other experts recommend replacing tyres well before that — common guideline values are around 3 mm for winter tyres and 3–4 mm for summer tyres, since performance (especially on wet roads and snow) noticeably declines as the tread wears down, long before the legal limit is reached.
A well-established rule of thumb is the 7°C rule: winter tyres grip better below 7°C thanks to their softer rubber compound, summer tyres perform better above it. Germany has no fixed calendar requirement — instead there's a situational obligation to fit appropriate tyres in wintry conditions (ice, snow, black ice), regardless of season, though many people use the mnemonic "O to O" (October to Easter for winter tyres) as a rough guide.
Look on the tyre sidewall for the marking "DOT" followed by a code. The last four digits are the week and year of manufacture, e.g. "2523" stands for week 25 of 2023.
Yes, a higher load index than specified by the vehicle manufacturer is not a problem. A lower index, however, must not be used, as the load capacity would then be insufficient.
Legally, 1.6 mm is the absolute minimum. For safety reasons, however, experts recommend replacing tyres already at around 3 mm (winter tyres) or 3–4 mm (summer tyres).
No, there is no calendar-based winter tyre requirement. Instead, there is a situational obligation to fit appropriate tyres in wintry road conditions such as snow, ice or black ice, regardless of the date.