To find the manufacturing date of Continental tyres in the UAE, look for the DOT code on the sidewall, a small oval or rectangle containing the letters "DOT" followed by a series of characters. The last four digits of this code are crucial: the first two indicate the week of manufacture (01 to 52), and the last two indicate the year. For example, "3523" means the tyre was made in the 35th week of 2023.
While the DOT format is global, checking it is critical in the UAE due to our extreme climate. The RTA Dubai recommends replacing tyres every 5 years regardless of tread depth, as the rubber compound degrades. The MOI UAE enforces a minimum tread depth of 1.6mm for vehicle safety inspections. A tyre with a date code like "2219" (mid-2019) is already over 5 years old by 2024 and should be replaced before the next summer, even if it looks fine.
From a total cost of ownership (TCO) view, neglecting the date is expensive. A set of four new tyres for a Toyota Land Cruiser can cost around 3,200 AED. If you drive 25,000 km per year, and tyres last 50,000 km, your cost per km for tyres is roughly 0.064 AED. However, using aged tyres risks a sudden failure on the Dubai-Abu Dhabi highway, leading to a potential accident, a 500 AED fine for bald tyres, and invalidated insurance—costs that far outweigh early replacement.
