Goodyear tires or the Goodyear Tire Rubber Company has been around for about 123 years. A Goodyear is a well-known American brand that supplies tires and rubber products to customers and corporations across the world.
The Goodyear name has stuck around, but the corporation has been sold off. So are your tires still American-made? That depends on a few things, read on to find out where your tires are being manufactured.
Where Are Goodyear Tires Made?
Goodyear manufactures tires in facilities all across the world, including the United States, Venezuela, India, Turkey, and Malaysia. They are an original American-made brand, and the manufacturing process still uses American-made chemicals and products. But like other American-made brands, Goodyear finds success in having multi-locations for multiple reasons – financial, distribution, technology, economics all play a part in the need for multiple international locations.
Goodyear tires are an international brand and can be made in multiple locations around the world, but how do you tell which models were manufactured where? Read on to find out more about Goodyear tires!
How Can I Tell If My Goodyear Tires Were Manufactured Here In The USA?
There are seven plants in the USA. Each plant imprints a letter/number code on the sidewall of the tire to indicate which plant it came from.
Here is a list of US plants and the codes they correspond to:
- MB – Akron, Ohio
- MC – Danville, Virginia
- MD – Gadsden, Alabama
- M6 – Lawton, Oklahoma
- MJ –Topeka, Kansas
- PJ – Fayetteville. North Carolina
- DA – Tonawanda, New York
There are other manufacturing plants around the United States that handle other types of Goodyear business like road testing, new technologies, research, development, innovation, and more.
Do I Get A Different Product If My Goodyear Tire Comes From A Different Plant?
Goodyear tires are put together the same way all across the world. So no matter what plant the tire has come from, it should be of the same quality.
And yes, Goodyear products have changed over the years, but that is not because of new ownership or what country they are made in, but because of technology advancements.
When My Goodyear Tire Indicates It’s “Made In USA,” Does That Mean It Is?
Technically, every Goodyear tire should say “Made In USA.” That is for the importance of economic support within our country.
That can sound misleading, but the truth is the technology of how the tire is made and what it’s made of comes from American engineering.
Also, the procedures the tires go through before, during, and after the final product is shipped to the consumer are all American-based practices.
American products built in other countries and being called American-made should come as no surprise as many domestic vehicles are built outside of the US, but still use American-made technology and are considered American-made
Can I Order A Specially Made Goodyear Tire From An American Based Factory?
You can always try and see how far up the Goodyear chain you can get. But the chances of any company stopping production plans for a small order are pretty little.
For Goodyear to do something like this, you would have to have a lot of connections in the automotive world or maybe have a substantial ongoing arrangement for Goodyear to consider for them to make such accommodations.
Which Kind Of Tires Come Out Of The American Based Factories?
Tires that are manufactured in US Goodyear factories are as followed:
- Air Craft Tires
- Commercial Tires
- OTR Tires
- Consumer Tire
- Passenger car tires
- Motorcycle Tires
- Truck Tires
It is very possible that you could get a set of tires not listed above manufactured here in the US, but those are the basic tires that the United States factories stick to making.
Which Tires Are Considered US Tire Brands?
The most common brands that are considered American-made are Goodyear, BFGoodrich, Firestone, Copper, and Kelly Springfield, which is owned by Goodyear.
It is however important to note that these brands are also international, and have many facilities all over the world.
Which Popular Brands Are Manufactured Here In The US But Are Foreign?
The top five brands that have factories in the US but are considered to be foreign brands are:
- Michelin
- Pirelli
- Continental
- Bridgestone
- Yokohama
Which Other Brand Of Tire Does Goodyear Own?
Goodyear is a huge corporation that has sub-brands. Those sub-brands include:
- The Kelly Springfield Tire Company
- Dunlop Tyres
- Douglas Tires
- Debica
- Fulda
- Sava
To learn more, you can also read our posts on how long do Goodyear tires last, how long do Michelin tires last, and how long do Toyo tires last.
Conclusion
“Made in America” doesn’t always mean that something was manufactured here in the US. The saying usually means the idea and the design were made in America, and the headquarters is probably located in America as well.
But does that mean you are getting any less of a product? No! Like Goodyear tires, most products that were born here and designed here are made with the same type of materials and technology.
If anyone has proved that to be true, it’s Goodyear. They started making products outside the US in 1910, at a factory in Ontario, Canada, and it still operates today.