Look closely at the tyres on a new Audi, BMW or Porsche and you’ll often see a small extra code near the size: AO, a star, N0, MO. It’s easy to take it for a batch number. It isn’t. It means the car maker worked with the tyre maker on that tyre, tested it on their cars, and signed it off.
01What “OE” really means
OE stands for original equipment, the tyres a car is fitted with at the factory. Before a tyre gets that status, the car maker’s engineers spend months testing it: how it handles, how it brakes, how much noise it makes, how much it costs in fuel or range, and how it works with the car’s stability control.
A tyre that passes gets the maker’s mark moulded into the sidewall. Sometimes the marked version has a different rubber compound or construction from the regular one sold under the same name. Sometimes the differences are small. Either way, it’s the version the car was set up and tested on.
02The common codes
- ★ (star): BMW, and MINI.
- MO, MO1, MOE, MO-S: Mercedes-Benz. MO1 is used for many AMG models, MOE for run-flats, and MO-S for tyres with a sound-absorbing foam layer inside.
- AO, AO1, RO1, RO2: Audi. The RO codes are mostly for Audi Sport and RS models.
- N0, N1, N2 and so on: Porsche. The number goes up with each newer approved version. Newer codes like NA0, NE0 and NF0 cover recent models.
- T0, T1, T2: Tesla.
- J for Jaguar and LR for Land Rover.
- VOL: Volvo. MGT: Maserati. AR: Alfa Romeo.
- K1, K2: Ferrari. On Pirelli tyres, L is Lamborghini and B is Bentley.
A tyre can carry more than one. You’ll find tyres marked MOE ★, approved for both Mercedes-Benz and BMW, usually as run-flats.
Not every car maker uses a code. Japanese and Korean brands, for example, usually fit tyres that are made to their spec without a separate mark on the sidewall, so don’t worry if your Land Cruiser or Sonata tyres don’t have one.
03Do you have to buy the marked version?
Legally, no. A tyre without the mark in the same size, load index and speed rating will fit and is perfectly roadworthy. Whether it’s worth paying for the marked one depends on the car.
For a ten-year-old family saloon, it makes little difference. For a Porsche Cayenne, an AMG, an Audi RS or a Tesla, we’d stick with the mark. Those cars are tuned closely around their tyres, and fitting something different can make them feel less settled at speed or under hard braking. If the car is leased, check your contract, because some leasing companies expect approved tyres when the car goes back.
One rule applies to everyone: don’t mix marked and unmarked tyres on the same axle. Same model, same marking, left and right.
Bear in mind that approvals are tied to sizes. A tyre approved for the Cayenne in one size may not exist with the mark in another, so the marked option in your exact size is the one to look for.
04Check what’s on your car now
Before you buy, look at what’s fitted today. The marking sits on the sidewall close to the size, sometimes on the opposite side of the tyre from the brand name. One clear photo of the sidewall text gives you everything you need: size, load and speed rating, marking and date. Send it to us and we’ll match it exactly.
05How to find them on our site
Tyres with a car-maker approval now show that car brand’s small logo next to the tyre brand on our listings, and the product page spells it out, for example “Audi OE (AO)”. The marking is also part of the tyre’s name, so a search for your size will show the approved versions alongside the rest.
The easiest place to start is your car. Our tyres by car pages list factory sizes for each model and generation, for example the Porsche Cayenne, Audi Q7, BMW X5 and Tesla Model Y. From there, open your size and look for your car maker’s logo on the cards.
If the approved version isn’t in stock in your size, send us a message on WhatsApp. We can often source it within a few days.
Related reading: run-flat tyres explained, and why electric cars wear tyres faster.