Re: USA makes tires. You can't find any of them in Fairfax. Who do we hang for that??
Posted by:
Fix Your Flat
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Date: December 26, 2021 12:05PM
If you are looking to buy tires made in USA, you should know that most foreign global tire manufacturers already have plants in America. In fact, there are only two genuine American brands: Goodyear and Cooper. The largest foreign tire companies with plants in the US include Michelin, Pirelli, Continental, Bridgestone, and Yokohama. However, to make sure you buy USA tires, you should make sure they were made in the USA-based plants.
You can learn where a tire was made by looking at its DOT code. You will see the Tire Identification Number (TIN) after the letters DOT. The first pair of letters and/or numbers is the plant code. Some tires also have “Made in USA” (or another country) molded onto their sidewall. According to the US Government Publishing Office, new three-symbol plant codes will become mandatory from April 13, 2025. Until that time, manufacturers can use both two- and three-symbol codes for their convenience.
Goodyear runs 48 facilities in 21 countries worldwide, including 17 USA-based facilities. Tires with the MC plant code are made at the Goodyear plant in Danville VA. Kelly Springfield Tire Company is a Goodyear subsidiary that makes tires in the U.S. Since Goodyear is international you would need to check the plant codes.
Cooper Tire and Rubber Company’s started in 1914 in Akron, Ohio. It is the 5th largest tire company in North America and the 12th in the world. Their nearest plant at Albany Georgia has the 3D plant code.
The largest tire manufacturers offering tires made in USA are Michelin, Pirelli, Continental, Bridgestone and Yokohama. Each of these companies have a number of U.S. plants. You would need to know the plant codes to determine whether these tires are US or foreign made.