What Does UTQG Tire Rating Mean? Guide to Grading Tires

This tire ratings guide explains what UTQG means on tires and answers these questions:

• What's UTQG on tires?
• What three things about a tire does UTQG measure?
• Who grades tires with UTQG ratings?
• What is the best UTQG rating? (What's a good tire tread rating?)

What Does UTQG Mean?

UTQG stands for Uniform Tire Quality Grading. It is a system developed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to help consumers compare the quality of tires. The UTQG rating provides information on a tire's treadwear, traction, and temperature resistance. Understanding the UTQG rating meaning can help you make informed decisions when selecting tires.

UTQG measures three things: tread wear, traction and temperature.

Who Determines Auto Tire Ratings? Manufacturers.

The NHTSA does not conduct the tests and assign ratings; manufacturers test and assign their own UTQG ratings. The NHTSA does perform spot checks and compliance testing, but not systematic review of every tire's tests and ratings.

UTQG ratings don't always match up with reality because of how tests are performed. What does this mean?

1. Manufacturers test tires on tracks and standard courses under a standard convoy environment, which doesn't align with real road, weather and driving conditions in the rest of the country.
2. They test against a control tire graded 100.
3. Manufacturers self-test, and self-report. 
4. UTQG ratings don't (and can't, really) reflect individual driving habits and vehicle types, nor do they reflect how well a driver will care for their tires. 

Why Do UTQG Ratings Matter, Then?

At best, UTQG ratings tell you how well a tire is expected to last under standard driving conditions and with proper care. Should you use UTQG to make a buying decision? It can be a factor, along with manufacturer warranty, price, consumer reviews and other factors, but it probably shouldn't be the only deciding factor. 

What you need to know as a consumer: Treadwear does not guarantee mileage. Nor does it tell you whether it is a high-quality tire.

So, when a customer asks, "How many miles is a 500 treadwear or 600 treadwear rating going to last?" The answer is ... it depends on where you live, how aggressively you drive, how aggressively you brake, whether you rotate your tires, and the type of terrain you drive on. It tells you that a 600 tire lasted six times longer and a 500 tire lasted five times longer when tested against a 100 control tire.

To evaluate the quality of a tire, look at the warranty and consumers’ reviews. If a manufacturer offers an 80,000-mile warranty, that’s a signal that they are confident in their tire’s quality, but it is not proof of quality. (Remember, tire warranties are prorated based on mileage and conditions). 

A few things to note about tire warranties: If you file a claim with a tire maker, you might be asked to prove you’ve taken good care of your tires, such as keeping them properly inflated and rotated regularly. Learn more about how tire warranties work.

Are All Tires UTQG Rated?

UTQG tire ratings are only required in the United States for passenger car tires, but they are not required for all tires used on passenger vehicles, including snow/winter, light truck tires with deep treads intended for off-road use, and some run-flats as well as certain other tires. And, of course, your trailer tires and some other utility tires are not required to be UTQG rated.

How Are Tires Tested for Treadwear?

Tire tests are conducted in West Texas on a 400-mile public highway test loop. Tires are mounted on a special convoy of vehicles, where the manufacturers' tires are tested against a control group of tires. They’re driven 7,200 miles -- with scheduled rotations and tire pressure checks -- and then compared against the control group. The control tire is usually assigned a grade of 100. So, if a tire is rated 400, it is expected to wear four times longer than the control tire.

The testing process gets a little murky. Manufacturers are allowed to choose their own base tires that meet DOT standards and are approved for the testing protocol. So Company A’s control tire might differ from Company Z’s control tire, even though they’re both testing all-season SUV tires, for example. And, of course, the composition of their own brands of tires differ as well. So you could say it is not necessarily an apples-to-apples (or rubber to rubber) comparison from brand to brand.

We crunched the numbers from the NHTSA's database of manufacturers and found that across all brands, the average UTQG wear varies based on the intended use of the tire.

Tire Agent's UTQG Chart

What is a Good UTQG Treadwear Rating?

According to our analysis of NHTSA data, only 15% of UTQG-rated tires are rated below 200. A tire that is rated that low may be intended to be used for racing or a very specific and limited application, such as ultra-high performance summer tires.

• 25% of tires are rated 201 to 300
• 32% are rated 301 to 400
• 20% are rated 401 to 500
• 6% are rated 501 to 600
• 2% are rated above 600

Is a higher UTQG rating better? In a world where “the higher the rating the better” tends to be the rule, we’re going to say, “Yes … but with a big HOWEVER …”

The UTQG includes three separate grades: treadwear (numeric), temperature (A/B/C), and traction(AA/A/B/C). HOWEVER, a low tire rating doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a bad tire. It means the tire’s treadwear rating reflects how quickly it wore compared to a standardized control tire under government-specified test conditions, while its traction and temperature grades indicate how it performed in separate wet-braking and heat-resistance tests.

If you don’t put a lot of hard miles on your vehicle — say you’re retired, it’s a second car, or you work from home — then a mid-priced tire with a lower UTQG treadwear rating might be right for you.

If you spend a good part of your day commuting to and from work, you travel a lot, or you are just a fan of weekend road trips, then you’re going to look for a tire that tends to handle well and reduces road noise, in addition to having higher expected treadwear.

If you drive a sports car or a high-performance vehicle, then you’ll want to find tires that match your driving style, even if it is a little on the aggressive side. Maybe you live near the Pacific Coast Highway or Appalachian Mountains with lots of winding roads and turns, and you need something that handles well. In this case, you may choose a tire with a lower treadwear rating in exchange for the softer rubber compounds that typically provide better grip and more responsive handling.

What UTQG Temperature Ratings Mean

Tires are graded A, B, or C for resistance to heat buildup at sustained high speeds. According to NHTSA data, most passenger tires are rated A. In our review of the data, about 62% of UTQG-rated tires carry a temperature grade of A.

This matters because a higher temperature grade indicates a greater ability to withstand heat under controlled high-speed testing conditions. It does not replace the tire’s speed rating, but it does reflect how well the tire resists heat buildup during laboratory testing.

• Temperature grade A = withstands speeds over 115 mph
• Grade B = 100 to 115 mph
• Grade C = 85 to 100 mph

Passenger tires sold in the U.S. must meet at least a C temperature standard. Learn more about tire temperature ratings.

What UTQG Traction Ratings Mean

UTQG traction grades measure a tire’s straight-line wet braking performance under controlled testing. Higher grades indicate better performance in standardized wet tests on asphalt and concrete.

Ratings are AA, A, B, and C.

NHTSA data shows about 15% of UTQG-rated tires are AA, 75% are A, and roughly 7% are B. Only a small number are rated C, the minimum allowed for passenger tires sold in the U.S.

A lower grade doesn’t automatically make a tire unsafe, but it does indicate lower wet-braking performance in the standardized test. Learn more about tire traction ratings.

Learn more about tire traction ratings.

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