The error in brief
The most common error with the tyre passport is that the QR code is linked to the wrong level of information. Companies often link the code to data about the product model, whereas the code on the tyre itself refers to one specific batch or, in some cases, to an individual tyre. The result: anyone who scans the code sees general information that does not apply to the item in front of them, or misses precisely the data that differs per batch, such as production date or factory location.
This error usually does not arise from carelessness, but from convenience. A product datasheet from the manufacturer typically describes the model as a whole. That data is complete, clear and easy to supply. Converting it to batch level takes extra work: someone has to figure out which data differs per production batch and adjust it. Under time pressure, that step is skipped, and the QR code continues to refer to the model data.
Why this goes wrong more often than you would think
Software that compiles the passport typically works at model level by default, because that is the level at which manufacturers supply their basic data. When an importer or wholesaler passes on that data directly without batch supplements, a passport is created that seems technically complete, but in substance does not match the physical tyre on which the code is applied. This is especially the case with companies that sell tyres from multiple manufacturers or from different production series under a single article number.
A second cause is that responsibility for updating batch data is not clearly assigned within the company. One colleague thinks the software supplier handles this automatically, another assumes the importer has already supplied the correct batch data. The update falls through between those two assumptions.
What the regulation says about this, and what remains uncertain
In the draft texts of the regulation a distinction is made between data that applies to an entire product model and data that may differ per item or batch. The precise elaboration of this distinction follows from the delegated act which for tyres has not yet been published; the ESPR work plan mentions 2027 as the expected date for it. As long as that text is not available, you cannot yet state with certainty at which level each individual piece of data must be kept going forward. What you can do now is arrange your own process in such a way that you can demonstrate per batch which data apply — that saves a lot of work later.
How you recognize this error in your own process
A simple check: scan a number of QR codes from tyres from different production batches and compare the displayed data with the physical tyre or the accompanying documentation. Does the production date differ, or is data missing that appears on the packaging? Then the link has probably been made at the wrong level. Also ask within your organization or from your software supplier who updates the batch data, and at what point in the process from purchase to sale that happens.
how we collect the data per batch gives a good picture of how that process looks in practice, and why the level of linkage determines the reliability of the passport.
How to prevent this
The core of the solution is not technical, but organizational: establish who is responsible for keeping the data up to date per batch, and at what point in your purchasing process that update takes place. Discuss explicitly with your software supplier at what level the coupling is set up as standard, and ask whether it can be adjusted per product line. For companies working with multiple manufacturers, it is worthwhile to document this per supplier, so that a change of manufacturer does not automatically result in an incorrect coupling.
Would you like to know if this risk also applies to your own situation? With a few questions you will get an indication of your situation, entirely without obligation and free of charge. For a broader overview of similar bottlenecks, you can also consult the knowledge base with topics per situation or view the answers to frequently asked questions via the most frequently asked questions about the tyre passport. For your own situation and the precise obligations that apply to it, it remains advisable to consult a lawyer or the competent supervisory authority.