What treadwear numbers mean
Source: NHTSA UTQG tire ratings, last updated November 9, 2026 (UTC).
NHTSA lists a treadwear number on each UTQG source row in the committed file. This page counts those numbers. A row does not mean the tire is on sale. How the file is read.
What the grade compares
NHTSA's July 2024 Consumer Guide to Uniform Tire Quality Grading, report DOT HS 813 585, states the treadwear comparison:
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.
A tire graded 150 would last one and a half times the distance on the government test course under specified test conditions as one 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.
Source: Consumer Guide to Uniform Tire Quality Grading, DOT HS 813 585 (July 2024). The buyer text in 49 CFR 575.104 is quoted on what UTQG grades mean.
NHTSA's TireWise page describes that comparison as a control tire graded 100:
A control tire is assigned a grade of 100.
Other tires are compared to the control tire.
For example, a tire grade of 200 should wear twice as long as the control tire.
Source: NHTSA TireWise.
Why a treadwear number is not a mileage promise
The consumer guide says the relative performance of tires depends on the conditions of use, and may depart from the course test because of driving habits, service practices, roads, and climate. The course comparison is not a mileage promise.
The committed ratings fields do not include a mileage or a warranty.
This site does not convert a treadwear grade into miles. The committed file has no figure that turns a grade into a road distance.
Where a tire maker publishes a treadwear warranty, that warranty is the maker's own figure. It is not a UTQG treadwear number. What to use instead of a missing grade. This page does not list warranty miles. The committed file has none to cite.
The same line can list more than one treadwear number across the size rows NHTSA published. Why treadwear can differ by size. The grade molded on the sidewall of the tire you buy is the grade for that tire.
Where the numbers sit
The ratings table drops exact duplicate grade rows. It lists 7,622 grade rows from these 7,628 source rows, so a band link can show fewer rows than the source count.
The 0–99 band includes 2 source rows with treadwear 0. The ratings table marks treadwear 0 as outside the usual grades. Those rows stay in this count because NHTSA published 0.
1 source row has no treadwear number. A value NHTSA stored in another field stays in that field. Those rows are not in a band. Values outside the usual grades.
Each band link opens that range in the ratings table. Shares use the 7,627 numeric grades. A blank treadwear stays out of the bands.
| Treadwear | Source rows | Share of numeric grades | Rows in the ratings table | Ratings table |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–99 | 53 | 0.7% | 53 | Open 0–99 |
| 100–199 | 290 | 3.8% | 290 | Open 100–199 |
| 200–299 | 1,140 | 14.9% | 1,139 | Open 200–299 |
| 300–399 | 1,648 | 21.6% | 1,648 | Open 300–399 |
| 400–499 | 1,879 | 24.6% | 1,877 | Open 400–499 |
| 500–599 | 1,718 | 22.5% | 1,718 | Open 500–599 |
| 600–699 | 554 | 7.3% | 551 | Open 600–699 |
| 700–799 | 288 | 3.8% | 288 | Open 700–799 |
| 800–899 | 56 | 0.7% | 56 | Open 800–899 |
| 900–999 | 1 | 0.0% | 1 | Open 900–999 |
| No treadwear number | 1 | Not in the share | 1 | Kept on the tire-line page |
All UTQG grades · Open treadwear 500–599 in the table · Highest treadwear grades NHTSA lists · Treadwear of 700 or above with traction A or AA and temperature A · Compare tire lines · What UTQG grades mean · Why treadwear can differ by size · Why a tire may have no UTQG rating · Data sources
Selected grades
The grades in this table are 60, 300, 500, 600, and 700. Each count is source rows in the committed file. Numeric grades below a number are the numeric grades in this file that are lower.
| Treadwear | Source rows | Numeric grades below it | Share below it | Ratings table |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 60 | 23 | 12 | 0.2% | Open 60 |
| 300 | 524 | 1,483 | 19.4% | Open 300 |
| 500 | 1,030 | 5,010 | 65.7% | Open 500 |
| 600 | 238 | 6,728 | 88.2% | Open 600 |
| 700 | 231 | 7,282 | 95.5% | Open 700 |
Questions
Where does treadwear 500 sit in NHTSA's list?
NHTSA lists 1,030 source rows at treadwear 500. 5,010 of 7,627 numeric grades are lower (65.7%). The 500–599 band is 1,718 source rows. The grade is a course comparison, not a mileage promise.
How does treadwear 300 compare with treadwear 600 in NHTSA's list?
NHTSA lists 524 source rows at treadwear 300 and 238 source rows at treadwear 600. The 300–399 band is 1,648 source rows, and the 600–699 band is 554 source rows. Both numbers are course grades. NHTSA's file does not state a road distance for either grade.
How many miles does a treadwear grade of 700 stand for?
NHTSA's file does not give a mileage figure for treadwear 700 or for any other grade. NHTSA lists 231 source rows at 700, in the 700–799 band of 288 source rows. A treadwear warranty, where a tire maker publishes one, is that maker's own figure and is not this grade.
What does a treadwear grade of 60 mean?
NHTSA lists 23 source rows with treadwear 60. Those rows sit in the 0–99 band, which has 53 numeric grades. The 2024 consumer guide's example compares a grade of 150 with a grade of 100 on the government test course. A published 60 is a lower number on that scale. NHTSA's file does not convert 60 into a road distance.