Cooper tire

[tufftom4]

I was told bye my local tire dealer who dropped Cooper tires that he did so because they moved the manufacturing of the tires to India and China and if this is the case will never buy them again. I have them on my Motor home.

[playboy]

They have had plants in china for years. There was a recent buyout or attempt to sale to a unknown India company last year I believe. That company name may be out now not sure. As far as I know the deal fell threw at least with the Texarkana plant. I worked there from 1982 till 1994 and used there tires because of employee pricing. Never had very good service out of them and haven't bought them since. Be aware though Cooper Tire produces the same tire under several different brand names so just because it doesn't say Cooper doesn't mean they didn't produce it. The Texarkana AR plant and the Findley OH plants are the only union plants left the Tupelo MS plant workers rejected the unions several times years ago. Cooper has been trying to break the union here in Texarkana for years and I feel this deal with a India co. was just another ploy. Before that it was scheduled to be closed but tax benefits and the employees giving up benefits saved it. Glad I got out when I did.

[GAWildKat]

When Mike and I bought the caprice in 2002 My FIL gifted us a set of cooper tires. They were rated for 60k and high mph. I don't think they made it half the life they were meant to last and Cooper wouldn't honor the warranty. I had always been told use Goodyear and Michelín tires and we've had better luck on those. My FIL to this day still disagrees. It worse than what oil to use in the bikes here on the forums lol. After that I will never put coopers on another car of mine.

[Prairiehammer]

One can determine country of origin for any tire made by deciphering the DOT code molded into the sidewall:

http://www.someotherplace.com/info/tiredotcode.jpg

 

Armed with the first two digits/characters of the DOT code, go to this NHTSA table and enter those digits in the box "DOT ID". The manufacturing plant location will result.

 

Alternately, go here and look up the manufacturer code.

[RedRider]

Armed with the first two digits/characters of the DOT code, go to this NHTSA table and enter those digits in the box "DOT ID". The manufacturing plant location will result.

 

Alternately, go here and look up the manufacturer code.

 

Thank you for this. I learned something today.

 

RR