Kia Soul 2023 Manual page 426

Maintenance
(possibly on the inside of the wheel), dis-
playing the DOT Code. The DOT Code is
a series of numbers on a tire consisting
of numbers and English letters. The
manufacturing date is designated by the
last four digits (characters) of the DOT
code.
DOT: XXXX XXXX OOOO
The front part of the DOT means a plant
code number, tire size and tread pattern
and the last four numbers indicate week
and year manufactured.
For example:
DOT XXXX XXXX 1622 represents that
the tire was produced in the 16th week
of 2022.
WARNING
Tire age
Replace tires within the recommended
time frame. Failure to replace tires as
recommended can result in sudden tire
failure, which could lead to a loss of con-
trol and an accident.
4. Tire ply composition and mate-
rial
The number of layers or plies of rubber-
coated fabric in the tire. Tire manufac-
turers also must indicate the materials in
the tire, which include steel, nylon, poly-
ester, and others. The letter "R" means
radial ply construction; the letter "D"
means diagonal or bias ply construction;
and the letter "B" means belted-bias ply
construction.
5. Maximum permissible inflation
pressure
This number is the greatest amount of
air pressure that should be put in the
7 32
tire. Do not exceed the maximum per-
missible inflation pressure. Refer to "Tire
and loading information label" on page
5-165 for recommended inflation pres-
sure.
6. Maximum load rating
This number indicates the maximum
load in kilograms and pounds that can
be carried by the tire. When replacing
the tires on the vehicle, always use a tire
that has the same load rating as the fac-
tory installed tire.
7. 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
Tires degrade over time, even when they
are not being used. Regardless of the
remaining tread, we recommend that
tires be replaced after approximately six
(6) years of normal service. Heat caused
by hot climate or frequent high loading
conditions can accelerate the aging pro-
cess.
Tread wear
The tread wear 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-a-half times (1½) as well
on the government course as a tire
graded 100.
Tires and wheels