2014 Buick Encore Owner Manual - Page 240

10-38 . Vehicle Care Use only radial ply tires of the same size, load range, and speed rating as the original equipment tires. Tire Sidewall Labeling Useful information about a tire is molded into its sidewall. The examples show a typical passenger vehicle tire and a compact spare tire sidewall. and service description. See the "Tire Size" illustration later in this section. (2) 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. (3) 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. DOT Tire Date of Manufacture: The last four digits of the TIN indicate the tire manufactured date. The first two Winter tires with the same speed rating as the original equipment tires may not be available for H, V, W, Y, and ZR speed rated tires. If winter tires with a lower speed rating are chosen, never exceed the tire's maximum speed capability. Summer Tires This vehicle may come with high performance summer tires. These tires have a special tread and compound that are optimized for maximum dry and wet road performance. This special tread and compound will decrease performance in cold climates, and on ice and snow. We recommend installing winter tires on the vehicle if frequent driving in cold temperatures or on snow or ice covered roads is expected. See Winter Tires on page 10-37. Passenger (P-Metric) Tire Example (1) Tire Size: The tire size is a combination of letters and numbers used to define a particular tire's width, height, aspect ratio, construction type,