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!
Full List of Tire Brands Made in the USA
Cooper Tires was founded in Akron, Ohio in 1914 and continues to make many of their tires across a few different plants in the states. They produce 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 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.
Dick Cepek is another subsidiary of Cooper Tires, also specializing in off-road truck tires. They were founded in 1958 by Dick Cepek himself, a huge off-road enthusiast who came up with the idea to make his own tires when he couldn’t find any reliable ones to perform well in extreme environments. Their approach is simple – they only produce three types of tires, but they make them well and have various sizes and adaptations to each style to fit your car or truck.
Goodyear is an American staple, 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. Their Wrangler TrailRunner All-Terrain Tire is a very popular model. It’s extremely versatile and can get you through a variety of conditions, whether you’re in the city or the country.
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
Carlisle primarily makes tires for agriculture, farming, and outdoor communities – and they are very good at it. Their trailer tire offers 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 American made tires! If you want to look up any other plant codes, Tire Safety Group 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, comparatively, the USA doesn’t produce as much rubber as some of these 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 will include carbon black. Carbon black helps to increase the tire’s lifespan by keeping the 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.
YouTube Video: How to Find Tires Made in the USA
Foreign Tire Brands with U.S. Facilities
Michelin
Michelin is a French company that is making tires worldwide and started doing so in the U.S. in 1950. They have a particularly big 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
Some of the subsidiaries that they have acquired over the years include companies like: BFGoodrich, Kleber, Kormoran, Riken, Tigar, and Uniroyal.
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
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 comes from Japan, the largest tire manufacturer in that country. They produce all kinds of tires, everything from motorcycles to commercial trucks and passenger vehicles. They expanded into the U.S. in the late 1960s and have invested heavily in production facilities here.
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
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.
