Goodyear announced yesterday that it was recalling nearly 175,000 tires used on certain types of trucks and RVs amid concerns of a high failure rate.
The tires in question may be more likely to suffer catastrophic tread separations when installed on RVs than similar products. According to media reports, such incidents have been linked to at least 95 injuries and deaths since 1998.
Goodyear Tire Recall Involves G159 Tires Size 275/70R22.5
The Goodyear tire recall specifically applies to G159 tires size 275/70R22.5. While the tires were manufactured between 1996 and 2003, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is concerned that some RV owners might still have the tires on their vehicles or set aside as spares. The agency urges anyone who owns, rents, or uses an RV or truck with 22.5-inch rims to ensure these tires are not on their vehicle.
While they were discontinued 17 years ago, it’s also possible that recalled tires remain available for purchase on online marketplaces. It is illegal under federal law to sell recalled tires or other motor vehicle equipment.
Drivers with recalled tires can obtain a free placement from a Goodyear Commercial Tire and Service Network location or an authorized Goodyear commercial truck tire dealer immediately. Goodyear is also offering $500 in exchange for impacted tires that have not been fitted on an RV.
NHTSA Began Investigating Goodyear Tire Failures in 2017
The NHTSA actually began investigating accidents involving these tires in 2017. The probe followed the filing of Goodyear tire lawsuits alleging they had failed when installed on some motorhomes, resulting in personal injury and death. According to the agency, accidents involving such failures killed eight people and injured 69 others from 1998 through 2009. In one case, a front tire failed on an RV as a family was returning from a vacation. The driver heard a loud pop and lost control of the vehicle, which crossed the median and hit an embankment. The driver was paralyzed, and three other passengers suffered broken spine and pelvic bones,
Because Goodyear routinely settled lawsuits and convinced judges to seal the associated court documents, federal regulators were not made aware of the tires’ “extraordinary failure rate” until 2017, when records were released in an Arizona case.
Although G159 tires size 275/70R22.5 was designed for use on inner-city trucks, they had been sold and installed on large Class 2 RVs, which travel for longer periods, and on highways at much higher speeds. When used in this way, they were prone to catastrophic tread separations and blowouts.
Goodyear Initially Refused NHTSA Tire Recall Request
The NHTSA actually asked Goodyear to recall the G159 tires in February, but the company initially declined the request. The agency ultimately threatened Goodyear with a public hearing and court action if the tires weren’t recalled. Nevertheless, the company continues to deny that the tires are in any way defective and claims that it only issued the recall to “address risks shown to occur when the tire was used in an underinflated or overloaded condition” on specific motor homes. The company further asserts that RV manufacturers were responsible for communicating appropriate load standards to drivers.
Michael Brooks, the acting executive director of the Center for Auto Safety, told The New York Times that the recall was a good first step toward holding the company accountable but expressed hope that Goodyear will face further civil and criminal penalties.
“This was essentially a successful cover-up until now,” he said. “They have continually denied responsibility. It’s taken so long that we can no longer locate the defective parts.”
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