Replacement Ecopia Tire 'Better Than OEM?'

I've begun the process of finding new tires for our 2012 Leaf. I have seen allegations that the OEM tires are 'not as good as' replacement Ecopias.

I looked at the 4 tires on our car. Two are OEM tires and two are replacements. All have the a DOT number that starts the same, EL 8K JBC and is followed by a 4-digit number where the first 2 digits are the week in the year (01 through 52) and the last 2 digits are the year, e.g., 16 = 2016.

The EL codes for BRIDGESTONE HIKONE PLANT, HIKONE, SHIGA 522-02 JAPAN
The 8K codes for the tire size. The JBC codes for the tire brand name.

Can any readers of this post provide a link that says with fact based authority that the DOT allows the same number to apply to tires made to significantly different specifications? My first preference would be a statement from the DOT.

It is my understanding that DOT numbers were developed to avoid just such a problem.

May I suggest that anyone comparing tires include the DOT number?

thanks

baumgrenze

My replacement Ecopias from Costco are holding up better than the originals that went at 45k miles, I'd say about 20% better. This is probably within acceptable tolerance.

Check the treadwear, traction and temperature ratings.