NHTSA considers changes to tire ID numbers

Oct. 24, 2014
NHTSA isn't waiting for Congressional authorization to make some changes. The agency is in the midst of tinkering with tire identification numbers (TINs) to help facilitate recalls.

There are a number of regulatory irons in the fire at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in the aftermath of the General Motors ignition switch debacle, where NHTSA failed to figure out, in part because of GM obtuseness, that a recall was necessary.

So NHTSA is now interested in improving its recall process and Congress is in the process of passing a NHTSA reauthorization that will contain new recall edicts.

NHTSA isn't waiting for Congressional authorization to make some changes. The agency is in the midst of tinkering with tire identification numbers (TINs) to help facilitate recalls. The agency had opened a ruling back in 2001 to make "plain language" changes to the TIN, which helps identify who made a tire, when it was made and some other details. But NHTSA eventually decided against what at the time were considered "plain language" improvements to the TIN. In the aftermath of the GM switch recall problem, NHTSA has picked up that issue again.

The agency published a proposed rule in July containing two modifications to the current TIN numbering system. The TIN consists of up to four groups of symbols. The first group, generally called the plant code, identifies the manufacturer of the tire. For new tires, this code consists of two symbols and for retreaded tires, the code consists of three symbols.

The second grouping is up to two characters and identifies the tire size. The third grouping is voluntary and may be printed by the manufacturer to provide any other significant characteristics of the tire. The fourth grouping is the date code, which identifies the week and year during which the tire was manufactured.

The first NHTSA modification would expand the plant code from two symbols to three for manufacturers of new tires. This amendment would substantially increase the number of unique combinations of characters that can be used to identify individual manufacturers of new tires. There is no question that expansion is needed.

Second, NHTSA is proposing to standardize the length of the tire identification number to eliminate confusion that could arise from the variable length of tire identification numbers. The proposed rule would standardize the length of the TIN at 13 symbols for new tires and seven symbols for retreaded tires.

Currently the TIN for new tires may vary from six symbols to 12, and a retread TIN can be two to eight symbols. George P. Gillespie, Vice President, Gillespie Automotive Safety Services, says, "The agency has taken a positive step towards making TIN reading a more reader friendly and a more reliable experience for all users, thereby improving consumer responses during recalls and investigator analysis during forensics."

But not all aspects of the proposal have drawn praise. One potential problem is the proposed TIN length of 13 symbols is not in line with draft proposal of the global technical regulation for tires, says Masaki Kumamoto, Director of the Technical Department, The Japan Automobile Tire Manufacturers Association.

Then there are those who say the NHTSA proposal doesn't go far enough. They argue the date code in the TIN is indecipherable to most consumers, and even some tire techs. The remedy: requiring a standardized, computer readable TIN.

"RFID in tires is not new and appears in many manufacturers tires – and it is but one available technology," says Sean E. Kane, president of Safety Research & Strategies. "The agency can play an important role in shepherding the TIN into the 21st century."

Kane says Kumho started putting RFID tags on its passenger tires in 2013, although he admits that many other tire manufacturers have not followed suit. Moreover, dealers are generally unable to "read" those RFID tags for lack of technology infrastructure.

"No one has stepped up so that the tire dealers can use RFID," Kane admits. Nor do the tags do anything to help consumers find out information about whether their tire is involved in a recall.

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