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How old is my Cooper tire?

Type the dot date code from the Cooper label to see when it was built. Cooper units are built by Goodyear since 2021, so the serials follow that company's format.

Scan insteadWhere is the label?

Example

DOT1U9ABCDEF3817
  • DOTDOT: meets U.S. safety standards
  • 1U9Plant: 1U9 = Cooper Tire & Rubber Company, Tupelo, Mississippi, United States
  • ABCDEFManufacturer's code
  • 38Week: 38 (September)
  • 17Year: 17 = 2017

Built Week 38 of 2017 (around September)

9 years, 1 month old

In replacement window. Inside the usual 6 to 10 year lifespan, so replacement could come any time. Worth budgeting for it.

What to do now

  • Have the tires inspected every year from here on, including the spare.
  • Look closely at the sidewalls for fine cracks. Rubber ages even on tires that are rarely driven.
  • When buying tires, check the DOT date before mounting. New tires can sit in storage for a year or more.
How this was read
  1. "DOT" means the tire meets U.S. federal safety standards. The tire identification number follows it.
  2. The first three symbols, 1U9, are the plant code. NHTSA lists it as Cooper Tire & Rubber Company, Tupelo, Mississippi, United States.
  3. The plant list names the company that runs the factory. It may build tires sold under other brands.
  4. The next 6 symbols are the manufacturer's own code for size and type. They are not part of the date.
  5. The last four digits, 3817, are the date code.
  6. The first two, 38, are the week. The last two, 17, are the year: 2017.
  7. Week 38 of 2017 runs from Sunday, September 17, 2017 to Saturday, September 23, 2017.

Format: DOT date code, week and year. Sources: 49 CFR 574.5, tire identification requirements (eCFR), NHTSA: Tires (how to find the tire age), Federal Register, 2015 rule on three-symbol plant codes, NHTSA vPIC tire plant code list.

Reading a Cooper serial number

Goodyear bought Cooper Tire in 2021. Cooper tires still use the standard DOT date code.

The date code is a week and year, like 2219 for week 22 of 2019. Read it on every tire, including the spare, since tires on one car often differ.

About Cooper

  • Cooper is based in Findlay, Ohio, and has U.S. plants in Findlay, Tupelo, Mississippi, and Texarkana, Arkansas.
  • The Tupelo plant makes passenger tires only. Findlay and Texarkana make passenger and light truck tires.
  • NHTSA lists Cooper codes 1UP (Findlay), 1U9 (Tupelo) and 1UT (Texarkana). Tires made before 2015 show the code without the leading 1.

Sources: Goodyear-Cooper Deal: Goodyear to Get Three More Plants, Nearly 100K Units in Added Capacity, NHTSA vPIC: Get Equipment Plant Codes (tires, 2026)

DOT date code, week and year

Used july 2000 to today. Example: DOTU2LLLMLR5107

The date code is the last group of the DOT number on the sidewall. The first two digits are the week and the last two are the year, so 5107 means week 51 of 2007.

Worked example: DOT 1U9 ABCDEF 3817 was built Week 38 of 2017 (around September), so it is 9 years, 1 month old as of October 2026.

Sources: 49 CFR 574.5, tire identification requirements (eCFR), NHTSA: Tires (how to find the tire age), Federal Register, 2015 rule on three-symbol plant codes, NHTSA vPIC tire plant code list

Pre-2000 DOT date code, week and year digit

Used before July 2000. Example: DOTMJL9ABC218

Tires made before 2000 end the DOT number with three digits: the week, then the last digit of the year. Many 1990s tires add a small triangle after the code.

Worked example: DOT MJ L9 ABC 218 fits Week 21 of 1988 (around May) or Week 21 of 1998 (around May). The page above explains how to tell which.

The full lookup tables are on the Bridgestone page, since Cooper uses the same code.

Sources: Federal Register, 1999 rule moving to a four-digit date code, Vintage Tyres: reading tyre age codes, 49 CFR 574.5, tire identification requirements (eCFR)

Factories that make Cooper tires

The two or three symbols right after "DOT" name the factory. These are the plant codes NHTSA lists for Cooper. A code from this list on a Cooper tire is a good sign it is genuine.

CodeLocationOperatorStatus
1UP (UP)Findlay, Ohio, United StatesCooper Tire & Rubber CompanyListed
1RM (RM)Kunshan, ChinaCooper (Kunshan) Tire Co., Ltd.Listed
1AT (AT)Melksham, EnglandCooper Tire & Rubber Company Europe, Ltd.Listed
1U3 (U3)SerbiaCOOPER TIRE & RUBBER COMPANY SERBIA d.o.o.Listed
1UT (UT)Texarkana, Arkansas, United StatesCooper Tire & Rubber CompanyListed
1U9 (U9)Tupelo, Mississippi, United StatesCooper Tire & Rubber CompanyListed

Old two-symbol codes are in brackets. Source: NHTSA vPIC tire plant codes, checked October 2026.