Dot Tire Quality Grading - Acura MDX 2015 Owner's Manual

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DoT Tire Quality Grading

The tires on your vehicle meet all U.S. Federal Safety Requirements. All tires are also
graded for treadwear, traction, and temperature performance according to Department of
Transportation (DOT) standards. The following explains these gradings.
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
Quality grades can be found where applicable on the tire sidewall between tread shoulder
and maximum section width.
For example:
Treadwear 200
Traction AA
Temperature A
All passenger car tires must conform to Federal Safety Requirements in addition to these
grades.
Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a comparative rating based on the wear rate of the tire when
tested under controlled conditions on a specified government test course. For example,
a tire graded 150 would wear one and one-half (1 1/2) times as well on the government
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 represent
the tire's ability to stop on wet pavement as measured under controlled conditions on
specified government test surfaces of asphalt and concrete. A tire marked C may have
poor traction performance.
WARNING: The traction grade assigned to this tire is based on straight-ahead braking
traction tests, and does not include acceleration, cornering, hydroplaning, or peak
traction characteristics.
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Temperature
The temperature grades are A (the highest), B, and C, representing the tire's resistance
to the generation of heat and its ability to dissipate heat when tested under controlled
conditions on a specified indoor laboratory test wheel. Sustained high temperature
can cause the material of the tire to degenerate and reduce tire life, and excessive
temperature can lead to sudden tire failure. The grade C corresponds to a level of
performance which all passenger car tires must meet under the Federal Motor Vehicle
Safety Standard No. 109. Grades B and A represent higher levels of performance on the
laboratory test wheel than the minimum required by law.
WArNING: The temperature grade for this tire is established for a tire that is properly
inflated and not overloaded. Excessive speed, underinflation, or excessive loading, either
separately or in combination, can cause heat buildup and possible tire failure.
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