Finding the right tire for your car can be tough, and even tougher to know where it’s coming from. We did the research to help ease that research and decision-making process, finding the tire manufacturers who are making tires right here in the USA. Below are our findings, along with information on how to know where a tire is from, deeper details on each brand, and some information on foreign tire makers that have U.S. facilities. Happy hunting for tires made in America!
Complete List of Tire Brands Made in the USA
Goodyear is an American staple, they’re one of the biggest American made tire brands. Founded in 1898 by Franklin Springfield. It’s the official tire of NASCAR and one of the most recognizable brand names in tires. They make tires for a huge variety of passenger, commercial, and competition vehicles.
They also have several subsidiary tire brands that make some tires in the USA, like Cooper, Mickey Thompson, Mastercraft, and Kelly Tires.
So, where are Goodyear tires made? Here are the DOT codes to identify if your Goodyear tires are made in America:
M6 – Lawton, Oklahoma
MB – Akron, Ohio
MC – Danville, Virginia
MD – Gadsden, Alabama
MJ – Topeka, Kansas
MK – Union City, Tennessee
MM, PJ – Fayetteville, North Carolina
MN – Freeport, Illinois
MP, PL – Tyler, Texas
Cooper Tires was founded in Akron, Ohio, in 1914 and continues to make many of its tires across several different plants in the states. As of 2021, it is owned by Goodyear. Cooper Tires produces tires for a wide variety of (mostly) passenger vehicles, including a series that they call “Discoverer” for SUVs and pickups.
DOT codes for Cooper’s American plants:
3D – Albany, Georgia
U9 – Tupelo, Mississippi
UP – Findlay, Ohio
UT – Texarkana, Arkansas
Mickey Thompson is a subsidiary of Cooper Tires (now owned by Goodyear) that specializes in high-performance tires for street racing and off-road use. They’ve always been about catering their products to automotive enthusiasts, and the quality of their tires and attention to detail really show it. The off-road truck tires that they call their “Baja” series are very popular.
Mastercraft is another subsidiary of Cooper Tires and has a great lineup of tires for passenger vehicles, trucks, SUVs, and bigger commercial rigs. A lot of their tires are made in the USA, but just like almost everyone else we encountered in our research, they also make some tires internationally. Check the DOT code on the tires you’re looking at to confirm.
Titan Tires is the only major farm tire manufacturer based in the US. They are headquartered in Illinois and have been there since 1890, employing over 2,000 American workers. Titan also manufactures Goodyear Farm Tires, so if you see that brand, just know it’s manufactured by Titan.
Carlisle primarily makes tires for agriculture, farming, and outdoor communities—and it is very good at it. Its trailer tires offer very good protection and durability if you’re hauling something heavy. Carlisle has recently opened up non-US manufacturing facilities, so make sure to check the DOT code on the tire before purchasing.
How to Spot Tires Made in the USA
Luckily, identifying whether a tire is made in the USA or not is relatively easy to spot – designating the place of manufacturing on the tire itself is required! You can identify where a tire is manufactured by looking at the DOT (Department of Transportation) code on the side of the tire. After the letters “DOT”, you’ll see the Tire Identification Number (TIN), which has a few components in it (see the graphic). The first ID number after the letters “DOT” identifies the manufacturing plant that the tire came from. We’ve listed those IDs for the American facilities of various tire manufacturers above, so you know how to spot USA-made tires! If you want to look up any other plant codes, Tire Business has a comprehensive list with all codes listed, so you can check that out. The rest of the DOT string identifies tire size, manufacturer, and production date.
Materials
Here is some background on the common materials used in tires and whether or not it’s common to find U.S. suppliers for each.
Rubber
Rubber is the main component of any tire. Most tires are made of a combination of natural and synthetic rubber. So, let’s dive in and learn more about rubber production worldwide and in the United States.
The United States produces around 35 million tons of rubber each year. Although that may seem like a lot, the United States is actually not even one of the top ten rubber producers. Instead, countries like Thailand and Indonesia top the charts – most of the world’s rubber comes from these two countries.
Since the USA doesn’t produce as much rubber as some other countries, like Thailand, it can be harder to find US-made rubber. However, this doesn’t mean that it’s impossible. There are plenty of rubber-producing companies based in the United States that solely deal with American-made rubber, both natural and synthetic.
Steel
Steel is used in tire belts and beads to reinforce the tread and withstand wear.
China is currently the largest steel-producing country, producing just over half of the world’s steel. So, most steel you see on the market will likely come from China. The United States doesn’t fall too far behind in terms of steel production, coming in fourth. Tire companies that care more about the quality of their tires will be more likely to use American steel than Chinese steel, as American steel is three times stronger. So, if you’re looking for a good quality tire, American-made is the way to go. Overall, it shouldn’t be too difficult to find American-made steel as it is superior to Chinese-made steel.
Carbon Black
Most tire rubber compounds include carbon black. Carbon black helps increase the tire’s lifespan by keeping heat away from the tread and belts. This material also protects the tire from harmful UV rays.
As with most other materials, carbon black is mostly produced in China. However, the United States is the second-largest producer of this material. So, US-made carbon black is not too difficult to find.
Silica
Silica is another compound used in rubber. It is used in tires to help against wet road conditions. Silica also has an incredibly high tear strength.
China produces an estimated 64% of the world’s silica. Other top countries for silica production include Germany and the United States. Although the USA certainly doesn’t produce as much silicon dioxide as China, it is still possible to find American-made silica for tires made in the USA.
Mike’s YouTube Video on American Made Tires
Foreign Tire Brands with U.S. Facilities
Michelin
Michelin is a French company that manufactures tires worldwide. It started in the U.S. in 1950 and has a particularly large production presence in South Carolina.
Here are their U.S. DOT codes to look out for:
- 4M, M3 – Greenville, South Carolina
- B6 – Spartanburg, South Carolina
- B7 – Dothan, Alabama
- B9 – Lexington, South Carolina
They have acquired several other tire companies over the years, including BFGoodrich, Kleber, Kormoran, Riken, Tigar, and Uniroyal.
The BFGoodrich brand still has some US-made tires, so look out for them.
Continental
Continental hails from Germany and got started all the way back in 1871. They didn’t start exploring the U.S. until more than 100 years later when they bought General Tire & Rubber Company in 1987. Since then, they have put down some roots in the U.S.
Here are the Continental U.S. DOT codes that you can look for:
- 6B, A3 – Vernon, Illinois
- A9 – Bryan, Ohio
- AC – Charlotte, North Carolina
- AD – Mayfield, Kentucky
- VY – South Sumter, South Carolina
They also still sell some American made tires under the General Tire brand.
Pirelli
Pirelli is a double whammy – they are an Italian manufacturer and are owned by a Chinese company called ChemChina. They have a huge footprint across the globe (facilities in 13 countries) and also maintain a few production facilities in the U.S.
Here are the Pirelli U.S. DOT codes to look for on their tires:
- CH – Hanford, California
- CK – Madison, Tennessee
- JR – Rome, Georgia
Dunlop Tires
Dunlop was founded in England in the late 1800s and is owned by Goodyear. They primarily focus on selling their tires in North America, Australia/New Zealand, and Europe.
Bridgestone
Bridgestone is the largest tire manufacturer in Japan. It produces tires for everything from motorcycles to commercial trucks and passenger vehicles. In the late 1960s, it expanded into the U.S. and invested heavily in production facilities there.
U.S. DOT codes for Bridgestone tires:
- 0B, W2, Y2 – Wilson, North Carolina
- 1C, HY – Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
- 2C, 4D, 5D – Morrison, Tennessee
- 2M, 3M – Bloomington, Illinois
- 7X, 8X, 9X – Graniteville, South Carolina
- 8B, VE, YE, YU – Des Moines, Iowa
- D2, E3, W1, Y7 – Lavergne, Tennessee
- YD – Decatur, Illinois
Bridgestone also owns Firestone (an American born brand) and makes some of those tires in the US.
Yokohama
Yokohama is another Japan-based tire manufacturer that is a little less present in the U.S., with only one known manufacturing facility in Salem, Virginia (DOT code is CC). Similar to Bridgestone, they expanded to America in the late 1960s.
Hankook
Hankook is a South Korean company that has a small amount of manufacturing in the US. They only operate out of one US plant (code 00T) in Clarksville, TN. Most of their manufacturing is concentrated in South Korea and China.
Kumho
Kumho is another company from South Korea with only one US plant located in Macon, Georgia (plant code is 000). Everything else is produced in China, South Korea, and Vietnam.
Toyo
Toyo is a Japanese company that also owns Nitto tires. They have some US operations – their only plant is in White, Georgia (code 173). Most of their manufacturing happens in Japan, China, and Malaysia.
