Consumer Information; Uniform Tire Quality Grading - Mercedes-Benz 2004 M-Class Operator's Manual

Technical data

Consumer information

Consumer information
This has been prepared as required of all
manufacturers of passenger cars under
Title 49, Code of U.S. Federal Regulations,
Part 575 pursuant to the "National Traffic
and Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1966".

Uniform tire quality grading

Quality grades can be found, where appli-
cable, on the tire sidewall between tread
shoulder and maximum section width. For
example:
Tread wear Traction Temperature
200 AA A
All passenger car tires must conform to
federal safety requirements in addition to
these grades.
308
Tread wear
The tread wear grade is a comparative rat-
ing based on the wear rate of the tire when
tested under controlled conditions on a
specified government test course. For ex-
ample, a tire graded 150 would wear one
and one-half (1½) times as well on the gov-
ernment course as a tire graded 100. The
relative performance of tires depends
upon the actual conditions of their use,
however, and may depart significantly
from the norm due to variations in driving
habits, service practices and differences in
road characteristics and climate.
Traction
The traction grades, from highest to lowest
are AA, A, B, and C. Those grades repre-
sent the tire's ability to stop on wet pave-
ment as measured under controlled
conditions on specified government test
surfaces of asphalt and concrete. A tire
marked C may have poor traction perfor-
mance.
Warning!
The traction grade assigned to this tire is
based on straightahead braking traction
tests, and does not include acceleration,
cornering, hydroplaning, or peak traction
characteristics.
G