2004 Saturn VUE Owner's Manual - Page 305

Tire Sidewall Labeling Useful information about a tire is molded into the sidewall. The following illustrations are examples of a typical P-Metric and a LT-Metric tire sidewall. (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 code are 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. (E) Tire Ply Material: The type of cord and number of plies in the sidewall and under the tread. (F) Uniform Tire Quality Grading (UTQG): Tire manufacturers are required to grade tires based on three performance factors: treadwear, traction and temperature resistance. For more information, see Uniform Tire Quality Grading on page 5-73. (G) Maximum Cold Inflation Load Limit: Maximum load that can be carried and the maximum pressure needed to support that load. For information on recommended tire pressure see Inflation - Tire Pressure on page 5-69 and Loading Your Vehicle on page 4-49. 5-63 P-Metric Tire (A) Tire Size Code: The tire size code is a combination of letters and numbers used to define a particular tire's width, height, aspect ratio, construction type and service description. See the "Tire Size Code" illustration later in this section for more detail.