2011 Buick Lucern Owner's Manual - Page 344

Tire Sidewall Labeling Useful information about a tire is molded into its sidewall. The examples below show a typical passenger vehicle tire and a compact spare tire sidewall. construction type, and service description. See the "Tire Size" illustration later in this section for more detail. (B) TPC Spec (Tire Performance Criteria Specification): Original equipment tires designed to GM's specific tire performance criteria have a TPC specification code molded onto the sidewall. GM's TPC specifications meet or exceed all federal safety guidelines. (C) DOT (Department of Transportation) : The Department of Transportation (DOT) code indicates that the tire is in compliance with the U.S. Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. (D) Tire Identification Number (TIN) : The letters and numbers following DOT (Department of Transportation) code is the Tire Identification Number (TIN). The TIN shows the manufacturer and plant code, tire size, and date the tire was manufactured. The TIN is molded onto both sides of the tire, although only one side may have the date of manufacture. Passenger (P‐Metric) Tire Example (A) Tire Size: The tire size is a combination of letters and numbers used to define a particular tire's width, height, aspect ratio, 6-58