Tire recalls affect millions of vehicles and can lead to blowouts, tread separation, and fatal accidents. Checking the DOT number on your tire sidewall takes 5 minutes and could save lives.
Tire recalls are managed primarily by NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) - not just CPSC. NHTSA maintains a searchable recall database at nhtsa.gov/recalls and a vehicle-specific lookup at nhtsa.gov/vehicle. You can also check by entering your vehicle's VIN, which may reveal tire recalls associated with the original equipment tires on that vehicle.
For aftermarket tires, search by brand and model at nhtsa.gov/recalls, or enter the DOT number using NHTSA's tire recall lookup tool.
The DOT number is molded into the tire sidewall. It may be on the outward-facing side or the inward-facing side - you may need to look from underneath or use a flashlight. It starts with 'DOT' followed by up to 12 characters. The last 4 digits identify the manufacturing week and year.
For example, DOT XX XX XXXX 3422 means the tire was manufactured in week 34 of 2022. Tire recalls typically specify affected DOT date ranges - knowing your manufacturing date determines if you're affected.
Tire tread separation at highway speed is a life-threatening failure. The DOT number is the 5-minute check that could prevent it.
Bawte Consumer Guide
Stop driving on the recalled tires if the notice indicates a safety risk - particularly for tread separation or blowout risks. Contact the tire manufacturer or an authorized dealer to arrange the remedy. Tire recalls typically provide free replacement tires.
If you registered your tires, you may receive a direct notification from the manufacturer with instructions. Unregistered tire owners must discover recalls on their own - through news coverage, NHTSA notices, or checking the database periodically.
Bawte monitors NHTSA tire recall data against your DOT numbers continuously - so you don't have to check manually.
NHTSA has a TREAD Act requirement for tire dealers to register tires on behalf of buyers - but compliance is incomplete. Registering your own tires using the DOT number is the most reliable path to recall notification.
Bawte monitors NHTSA recall data against your registered DOT batch codes. When a recall is issued that matches your tire's manufacturing code, you receive an immediate alert with remedy instructions - no periodic database checking required.
Bawte cross-references your registered tire DOT codes against NHTSA recall data. You're alerted immediately when a recall matches.
Recall alerts include the specific remedy steps for your tire brand and model - free replacement, repair, or refund.
Photograph DOT numbers from your sidewalls. Bawte registers them and begins NHTSA monitoring immediately.
Bawte monitors every registered tire DOT code against NHTSA recall data - no periodic checks required.
Connect →NHTSA: nhtsa.gov/recalls - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration tire recall database.
CPSC: cpsc.gov/recalls - Consumer Product Safety Commission.
Clyde/Cover Genius: Post-Purchase Experience Report - 75% open rate on safety recall emails.
Registria/GlobeNewswire: Consumer Product Registration Survey, 2017.
TREAD Act (Transportation Recall Enhancement, Accountability, and Documentation Act), 49 U.S.C. § 30118.