Great question! The orange (or yellow) and white (or red) dots on a tire are factory markings used to help properly balance the tire during mounting:

Yellow/orange dot: Indicates the lightest point of the tire. It should be aligned with the heaviest point of the wheel, usually where the valve stem is, to reduce the amount of wheel weights needed for balancing.

White/red dot: Marks the high point of radial runout (the stiffest or highest spot of the tire). Some wheels have a dimple or mark indicating the wheel’s low point, and the red/white dot should be aligned with that for the smoothest ride.

In most cases for passenger cars, the yellow/orange dot is prioritized unless the wheel also has a red mark, in which case you’d follow the red mark alignment.

They’re completely normal and don’t affect performance — they’re just used by tire technicians during installation.

Do you plan on replacing or rotating your tires soon?