Ford Escape: Wheel and Tire Information / Tire Replacement Requirements

Your vehicle is equipped with tires designed to provide a safe ride and handling capability.

WARNING: Only use replacement tires and wheels that are the same size, load index, speed rating and type (such as P-metric versus LT-metric or all-season versus all-terrain) as those originally provided by Ford. The recommended tire and wheel size may be found on either the Safety Compliance Certification Label (affixed to either the door hinge pillar, door-latch post, or the door edge that meets the door-latch post, next to the driver's seating position), or the Tire Label which is located on the B-Pillar or edge of the driver's door. If this information is not found on these labels, then you should contact your authorized dealer as soon as possible. Use of any tire or wheel not recommended by Ford can affect the safety and performance of your vehicle, which could result in an increased risk of loss of vehicle control, vehicle rollover, personal injury and death.

WARNING: To reduce the risk of serious injury, when mounting replacement tires and wheels, you should not exceed the maximum pressure indicated on the sidewall of the tire to set the beads without additional precautions listed below. If the beads do not seat at the maximum pressure indicated, re-lubricate and try again.

WARNING: For a mounting pressure more than 20 psi (1.38 bar) greater than the maximum pressure, a Ford dealer or other tire service professional should do the mounting.

WARNING: Always inflate steel carcass tires with a remote air fill with the person inflating standing at a minimum of 12 ft (3.66 m) away from the wheel and tire assembly.

WARNING: When inflating the tire for mounting pressures up to 20 psi (1.38 bar) greater than the maximum pressure on the tire sidewall, the following precautions must be taken to protect the person mounting the tire:

• Make sure that you have the correct tire and wheel size.
• Lubricate the tire bead and wheel bead seat area again.
• Stand at a minimum of 12 ft (3.66 m) away from the wheel and tire assembly.
• Use both eye and ear protection.

Important: Remember to replace the wheel valve stems when the road tires are replaced on your vehicle.

It is recommended that the two front tires or two rear tires generally be replaced as a pair if the worn tires still have usable depth.

To avoid potential All-Wheel Drive (AWD) malfunction or (AWD) system damage, it is recommended to replace all four tires rather than mixing significantly worn tires with new tires.

The tire pressure sensors mounted in the wheels (originally installed on your vehicle) are not designed to be used in aftermarket wheels.

The use of wheels or tires not recommended may affect the operation of your tire pressure monitoring system.

If the tire pressure monitoring system indicator is flashing, your system is malfunctioning. Your replacement tire might be incompatible with your tire pressure monitoring system, or some component of the system may be damaged.

Age

WARNING: Tires degrade over time depending on many factors such as weather, storage conditions, and conditions of use (load, speed, inflation pressure) the tires experience throughout their lives.

In general, tires should be replaced after six years regardless of tread wear. However, heat caused by hot climates or frequent high loading conditions can accelerate the aging process and may require tires to be replaced more frequently.

You should replace your spare tire when you replace the road tires or after six years due to aging even if it has not been used.

U.S. DOT Tire Identification Number

Both United States and Canada Federal regulations require tire manufacturers to place standardized information on the sidewall of all tires. This information identifies and describes the fundamental characteristics of the tire and also provides a U.S. DOT Tire Identification Number for safety standard certification and in case of a recall.

This begins with the letters DOT and indicates that the tire meets all federal standards. The next two numbers or letters are the plant code designating where it was manufactured, the next two are the tire size code and the last four numbers represent the week and year the tire was built. For example, the numbers 317 mean the 31st week of 1997. After 2000, the numbers go to four digits. For example, 2501 means the 25th week of 2001. The numbers in between are identification codes used for traceability. This information is used to contact customers if a tire defect requires a recall.