Another example:

The Tire Identification Code on a tire that was produced before 2000 was based on the idea that a tire would not be in service for more than a total of ten years.  However these days, that can be un-realistic especially with collector cars and recreational use vehicles.  Yet even under that idea manufacturers were required to provided this same information, with the week and year that the tires were manufactured within those last three digits.  In this case though 2 digits used to identify the particular week a tire was made immediately followed by a single digit that identified the year.

For example, if the Tire Identification Code on a tire reads:

With the earlier format  of the serial number, you could identify that a tire was manufactured in the 8th year of a decade, however there was way to tell which decade.  An exception to this is that a tire that was produced during the 1990s decade might have a small triangle after the Tire Identification Code.  However the Tire Identification Code format that has been in use since the year 2000 will accurately confirm the year of a tires manufactured on date.

Determining the age of a tire can be useful for Manufacturer Warranty Claims.  The key is to save your from tire purchase sales receipts.  In most cases the manufacturer's warranty will cover the tire for four years beyond the purchase date or five years from the date (week) that the tires were manufactured.  This means that if you had purchased a set of new tires that had a manufactured on date two years prior to the purchase date, that means the tires will be covered for six years total (four years beyond the purchase date) assuming you have the purchase receipt. 

Toyota FJ Cruiser