That alphabet soup on your tire's sidewall — P215/55R17 94V — is actually a spec sheet. Sixty seconds from now, you'll read it fluently and never buy the wrong tire again.
The size: P215/55R17
- P — passenger vehicle (LT means light truck).
- 215 — width in millimeters.
- 55 — sidewall height as a percentage of width.
- R17 — radial construction, 17-inch wheel.
The capability: 94V
94 is the load index — how much weight each tire carries (94 ≈ 1,477 lbs). V is the speed rating — the sustained speed the tire is certified for. Never fit a lower load index or speed rating than the factory spec.
The birthday: the DOT code
Find "DOT" followed by characters ending in four digits — week and year of manufacture. "3521" means the 35th week of 2021. Past six years, rubber hardens and cracks regardless of tread: budget for replacement.
The extras worth knowing
M+S means mud-and-snow rated (not a true winter tire — look for the 3-peak mountain snowflake for that). XL means extra load. Treadwear numbers compare within a brand only, not across brands.
Still unsure?
Text us a photo of your sidewall and we'll confirm the right replacement — free, and with zero obligation to buy from us.
