Department Of Transportation Uniform Tire Quality Grades; Treadwear; Traction Grades; Temperature Grades - Chrysler PACIFICA HYBRID 2019 User Manual

DEPARTMENT OF
TRANSPORTATION
UNIFORM TIRE QUALITY
GRADES
The following tire grading categories were
established by the National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration. The specific grade
rating assigned by the tire's manufacturer in
each category is shown on the sidewall of
the tires on your vehicle.
All passenger vehicle tires must conform to
Federal safety requirements in addition to
these grades.

Treadwear

The Treadwear 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 times as well on the govern-
ment course as a tire graded 100. The rela-
210
tive 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 prac-
tices, and differences in road characteristics
and climate.

Traction Grades

The Traction grades, from highest to lowest,
are AA, A, B, and C. These grades repre-
sent the tire's ability to stop on wet pave-
ment, as measured under controlled condi-
tions 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.

Temperature Grades

The Temperature grades are A (the high-
est), B, and C, representing the tire's resis-
tance to the generation of heat and its abil-
ity 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 re-
duce tire life, and excessive temperature can
lead to sudden tire failure. The grade C
corresponds to a level of performance,
which all passenger vehicle tires must meet
under the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standard No. 109. Grades B and A repre-
sent higher levels of performance on the
laboratory test wheel, than the minimum
required by law.