Before we dive into the specifics of decoding, it is essential to understand why you should care about a tire's birthdate. Unlike milk or bread, tires don't usually come with a "best by" sticker. Yet, the rubber compounds within a tire degrade over time due to exposure to oxygen, ozone, heat, and sunlight.
A tire with shallow tread (2/32") hydroplanes. A tire with old rubber (6+ years) delaminates. nexen date code