Where are Goodyear Tires Made? Facts & FAQs
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Shea Cummings
- Last updated:
When it comes to purchasing tires for your vehicle, Goodyear Tire is one of the leading manufacturers of many types of tires. The company first got its start in 1898 by Frank Springfield.
At its heart, Goodyear is an all-American company, but they have manufacturing facilities worldwide. However, the materials, technologies, and chemicals used in production are provided by American manufacturers.
So, even those Goodyear tires you have that are manufactured in China are considered “American-made.”
Identifying American Manufactured Tires
On all Goodyear tires, you’ll find a two-character code that indicates which factory the tire was produced in. This code—also called the Tire Identification Number (TIN)—is found on the tire’s sidewall.
| Akron, Ohio | MB |
| Danville, Virginia | MC |
| Gadsden, Alabama | MD |
| Lawton, Oklahoma | M6 |
| Topeka, Kansas | MJ |
| Fayetteville, North Carolina | PJ |
| Tonawanda, New York | DA |
This code typically follows the DOT on the tire. For example, if you see a tire that says “DOT MC” on the sidewall, that means the tire was manufactured in Danville, Virginia.
Is the Quality Different in Non-American Plants?
Goodyear Tire has been producing tires in other countries for many years. Because all the materials and chemicals come from America and all the same technologies are used in production, there is no difference in quality. Unless you checked the TIN, you’d never know the difference between a China-made, Canada-made, or American-made Goodyear tire.
What Makes Goodyear Tires Good?
One thing that really sets Goodyear tires apart from many other brands is their durability. Goodyear always proves that quality is their foremost concern, right down to their economy lines.
Based on testing of 26 different models of Goodyear tires, consumer reports found that family-care tires will easily last 70,000 miles or more. So, even though they may not all be produced in America, it doesn’t mean the quality suffers in the slightest.
Goodyear Tire Sub-Brands
In addition to its flagship name, Goodyear also produces tires under several other names. These are typically location-specific brands.
| Douglas Tires | American Wal-Marts |
| Dunlop Tires | North America, Australia, New Zealand, and Europe |
| Kelly Springfield Tire Company | American-made |
| Fulda | Germany |
| Sava | Slovenia |
| Debica | Poland |
Is Goodyear the Only American Tire Company?
At one point, there were two all-American tire companies. Goodyear Tire and Cooper Tire and Rubber Company.
Cooper Tires originally began in Akron, Ohio, in 1914. Like Goodyear, they have many production facilities around the world. Their three biggest plants are in America, England, and China.
In 2013, Indian tire company Apollo Tyres made a deal to purchase the company. This would leave Goodyear as the only American tire company. But before it was finalized, the deal fell through, and Cooper Tires maintained its all-American title.
Closing Thoughts
You’ll often hear Goodyear Tire called one of two all-American tire companies. This can be confusing when we know that they are manufactured all over the world. But because everything needed to make the tires comes from the United States, they are considered all-American.
Featured Image Credit: Piqsels
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