Hyper Tyres — The Mobile Tyre Company
How to Read Your Tyre Sidewall: NZ Markings Guide
Learn to read tyre sidewall markings: size, load and speed ratings, DOT date, UTQG, tread indicators and snow symbols, with NZ tread-depth and pressure advice.
Mobile tyre fitting is available at eligible Auckland home and workplace addresses, subject to address and appointment checks. Installer fitting and delivery are available nationwide.
The short answer
Your tyre sidewall identifies the fitted tyre’s size, load and speed ratings, manufacture date and fitting instructions. Read these markings alongside your vehicle’s tyre placard or handbook, because the existing tyre may not be the correct specification and the sidewall maximum is not your recommended pressure. In New Zealand, the ordinary tyre legal minimum is 1.5mm in the principal grooves around the whole circumference; treadwear indicators are commonly set at 1.6mm.
- Photograph the full tyre size and ratings, then compare them with your vehicle’s placard or handbook.
- Read the final four DOT digits as the manufacture week and year, and assess age alongside condition.
- Use the vehicle’s recommended cold pressures, not the MAX PRESS marking on the tyre.
Questions drivers often ask
Why can I see DOT on my tyre but no four-digit date?
The complete DOT code, including the date, may be on the other sidewall. The final four digits give the week and year: 2419 means week 24 of 2019. If the inner sidewall is difficult to access safely, ask a tyre shop to read it; do not crawl under an unsupported vehicle.
Does a UTQG treadwear grade of 400 mean four times the mileage?
No. It is a relative grade against a reference tyre under the grading system, not a kilometre guarantee. Pressure, alignment, roads and driving affect actual life. Use it cautiously when comparing tyres within a brand, and do not treat it as a reliable cross-brand mileage forecast.
Can I move an asymmetric tyre from one side of the car to the other?
An asymmetric tyre that is not also directional can usually move across the car as a complete wheel, with OUTSIDE still facing out. The vehicle’s rotation instructions, front and rear sizes and any additional rotation arrow still apply. A directional tyre must retain its specified rolling direction.
Sources and further reading
- NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi — Tyres: tread depth, pressure and fitting
- Michelin — Tire Markings Explained: How to Read a Tire
- Continental — How to Read Tire Size and Specs
Updated 4 November 2026