Uniform Tire Quality Grading 
Quality  grades  can be found where applicable on the 
tire  sidewall between tread shoulder and maximum 
section  width.  For  example: 
Treadwear 
200 
Traction 
AA 
Temperature 
A 
The  following  information relates to the system 
developed  by the United States National Highway 
Traffic  Safety  Administration,  which grades tires by 
treadwear, traction and temperature performance. 
(This  applies  only  to vehicles sold in the United States.) 
The  grades  are  molded  on the sidewalls of  most 
passenger  car  tires.  The  Uniform Tire Quality Grading 
system  does  not  apply  to  deep tread, winter-type 
snow  tires,  space-saver  or temporary use spare tires, 
tires  with  nominal  rim  diameters of  10 to 
12 
inches 
(25 
to 
30 
cm),  or  to  some  limited-production tires. 
While  the  tires  available  on General Motors passenger 
cars  and  light trucks may vary with  respect to these 
grades,  they  must  also  conform to federal safety 
Performance Criteria (TPC) standards. 
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Treadwear 
The treadwear grade is a comparative rating based on 
the wear rate of the tire when tested under controlled 
conditions on a specified government test course. 
For example, a tire graded 150 would wear one and 
a  half (1 
5) 
times as well on the government course as 
a tire graded 100. The relative performance of tires 
depends upon the actual conditions of their use, 
however, and may depart significantly from the norm 
due to variations in driving habits, service practices 
and differences in road characteristics and climate. 
Traction 
- 
AA, 
A, 
9, 
C 
The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are 
AA, 
A, 
B, 
and 
C. 
Those grades represent the tire’s ability 
to 
stop on wet pavement as measured under controlled 
conditions on specified government test surfaces of 
asphalt and concrete. A  tire  marked C may have poor 
traction performance. Warning:  The  traction grade 
assigned to this tire is based on straight-ahead braking 
traction tests, and does  not  include acceleration, 
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