Goodyear Recalls Tires That Federal Government Says Had High Failure Rate

Federal transportation officials said on Tuesday that a voluntary recall of more than 170,000 out-of-production tires was prompted by lawsuits.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said in a statement that the tires had a high rate of failure when compared to other tires.

They were prone to read separations and other failures when installed on some motor homes. Loss of vehicle control can be caused by read separations.

The safety agency warned that some R.V. owners may still have spare tires on their vehicles because the tires were discontinued nearly two decades ago.

The safety agency urged anyone who owns, rents, or uses an R.V. or truck with 22.5-inch wheels to make sure the tires are not used on their vehicle. It added that the recall applies to G 159 tires that are commonly found on R.Vs.

The company maintained that there was no safety defect in the tire.

The voluntary recall was initiated to address the risks shown to occur when the tire was used in an under inflated or overloading condition. The R.V. manufacturers were responsible for communicating load standards to drivers.

In the past 14 years, there have been no injury claims related to the tire's use on a Class A motorhome.

Only a few of the tires remained on the road.

Many of the documents from the legal battles between the tire company and the court were sealed.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened an investigation into the failures of the tire based on information obtained from that litigation, which claimed that the tires had failed, causing deaths or personal injuries.

95 people were killed or injured in crashes due to the faulty tires, according to claims reviewed by the safety agency.

The specific size of the tire was intended for use on inner-city delivery trucks, but had instead been sold and installed on large R.V.s, which travel for longer periods.

The safety agency found that the tire experienced catastrophic tread separations.

The safety agency said that the tires could not handle this type of use.

The company requested that the tire be recalled. The agency said that on March 8 the company declined the request. The company has conducted a recall.

The agency urged drivers to get a free replacement for their tires. The company is offering $500 for impacted tires that have not been fitted on an R.V.

The Center for Auto Safety's acting executive director said that the recall was an important first step towards holding the company accountable.

The government and legal system had failed to protect the American public from the safety risks posed by the tires and that he hoped the recall would spur further civil and criminal penalties.

He said that they have denied responsibility for a long time. It's taken so long that we can't find the parts.