Summer Tires; Tire Sidewall Labeling - Chevrolet 2013 Malibu Owner's Manual

10-46 Vehicle Care
Use only radial ply tires of the
same size, load range, and
speed rating as the original
equipment tires.
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 45.

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.
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,
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.