updates | May 27, 2026

Is a higher Utqg better?

In basic terms, and in the spirit of the concept, the higher the UTQG treadwear rating, the greater the tire life. A tire with a “600” treadwear rating is forecasted to last twice as long as a tire with a “300” rating, and should accumulate three times the mileage of a “200” rated tire.

What does the UTQG mean on tires?

Uniform Tire Quality Grading
“UTQG” stands for “Uniform Tire Quality Grading”. The 400 is tread wear which represents the tire’s comparative wear when measured against the governments mandated tire, which is rated at 100. So the tire rated at 400 would wear four times longer than the government’s mandated tire.

What is the best UTQG?

Most ultra-high-performance tires achieve the best grade: AA. Most car tires get the next best grade of A; less than 22 percent of the tires have a B grade; and only one tire (out of more than 2,400 models) has the honor of a C grade.

What does treadwear 500 mean on a tire?

If the tire being tested gets a 500-tread wear rating, that means it’s expected to take five times as long to wear out as the control tire. The tread wear grade designation is defined when the tire is run a 640 kilometer course for 11,520 km, with tread depths being measured every 1,280 to give a projected tread life.

How many miles is a 500 treadwear rating?

This is a lower-middle level treadwear rating. Tires with a high-end rating of over 500 should deliver approximately 80,000 miles.

What is a good tire treadwear rating?

What is a good treadwear grade? In basic terms, and in the spirit of the concept, the higher the UTQG treadwear rating, the greater the tire life. A tire with a “600” treadwear rating is forecasted to last twice as long as a tire with a “300” rating, and should accumulate three times the mileage of a “200” rated tire.

What does UTQG 720 AA mean?

A UTQG rating is made up of a three-digit number and two letters or letter groups. For example, a tire might have a 720 A A rating. The first letter or group of letters is the traction rating. The best grade is AA, followed by A, B and C. The better the grade, the better the tire will stop in wet conditions.

How many miles is 500 treadwear?

Over 500= about 80,000 miles. 5. Traction – The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are AA, A, B, C. This rating represents the tires ability to stop on wet pavement as measured under controlled conditions.

How many years do tires last?

How Long Should a New Set of Tires Last? It may be tentative, but tires do have an expiration date. There is a general consensus that most tires should be inspected, if not replaced, at about six years and should be absolutely be swapped out after 10 years, regardless of how much tread they have left.

Do tires expire?

A large body of scientific evidence supports that most tires should be replaced six years from the date they are manufactured. This six-year expiration date begins from the day the tire was manufactured at the plant—not the date it was sold to a consumer or the date that it was installed on a vehicle.

How long will 100 treadwear tires last?

The standard is set so that a rating of 100 is equal to 30,000 miles. The actual rating is a percentage of 30,000 miles. A tire rated at 200 has a projected tread life of 60,000 miles. A tire rated at 50 has a projected tread life of 15,000 miles.

How many miles is a 100 treadwear rating?

30,000 miles
The standard is set so that a rating of 100 is equal to 30,000 miles. The actual rating is a percentage of 30,000 miles. A tire rated at 200 has a projected tread life of 60,000 miles. A tire rated at 50 has a projected tread life of 15,000 miles.

What does UTQG 500 AA mean?

Over 500= about 80,000 miles. 5. Traction – The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are AA, A, B, C. In 1997, the UTQG Traction Grades were revised to provide a new category of AA for the highest performing tires in addition to the earlier A, B and C grades.

How long will a 200 treadwear tire last?

60,000 miles
A tire rated at 200 has a projected tread life of 60,000 miles. A tire rated at 50 has a projected tread life of 15,000 miles.

How fast do tires wear?

If you drive a typical number of miles, somewhere around 12,000-15,000 miles annually, a tire’s tread will wear out in three to four years, long before the rubber compound does. But if you drive much less than that, or have a car that you only drive on weekends, aging tires could be an issue.

Are 20 year old tires safe?

Old tires are dangerous, regardless of tread depth. While there’s no federally sanctioned safety guidance on when a tire is too old to be safe, many carmakers recommend replacement at six years from the date of manufacture. Old tires have been the culprit in fatal accidents.

Should I replace all 4 tires?

Type of Vehicle If so, most vehicle manufacturers and the Tire Industry Association (TIA) recommend that you always replace all four tires at the same time. That’s because the reduced diameter of the lower-tread tires causes them to spin faster than the new one.

Can I use 10 year old tires?

While there’s no federally sanctioned safety guidance on when a tire is too old to be safe, many carmakers recommend replacement at six years from the date of manufacture. An analysis of the used tire revealed that it was nearly 10 years old.

What happens to tires after 10 years?

Per BRMA, unused tires over six years old should never be put in service, and all tires should be replaced after 10 years from their date of manufacture. JATMA recommends inspection after five years and replacement after 10, regardless of treadwear and overall condition. The original spare tire for Jeff’s Corvette.