Bridgestone Firestone Tire Recall
In 2001, Ford Motor Company announced that it would replace 13 million Wilderness AT tires on its sports utility and pick-ups as a result safety concerns. The U.S. Department of Transportation National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration ("NHTSA") eventually ordered Bridgestone/Firestone to recall 6.5 million Firestone ATX and Wilderness tires following the death of 271 people and more than 700 injuries attributed to the defective tires.
NHTSA found that Firestone’s ATX and Wilderness tires, which were predominately used as original equipment on Ford Explorer SUVs, had inferior belt wedge thickness, poor shoulder design and inadequate belt adhesion levels. Further analysis by outside experts found that the rubber used to manufacture the tires may have been contaminated and/or substandard.
There are still considerable numbers of Firestone tires on the road which could suffer a tread separation. Tires age and degrade overtime. Older tires that are still out there are especially dangerous though they may appear to be in perfect condition.
These affected tires include the P235/75R15 Radial ATX and certain P235/75R15 and P255/70R 16 Wilderness AT models manufactured prior to May 1998. Though 95% of the tires recalled in 2000-01 have been collected, over 200,000 affected tires still remain on the road on vehicles and pose a serious threat.
Recalled Bridgestone | Firestone Tires:
1. ATX
2. ATX 23 DEGREE
3. BRIDGESTONE
4. FIREHAWK ATX
5. FIRESTONE
6. WIDETRACK RADIAL BAJA A/S 32X1150R15LT
7. WILDERNESS AT
8. WILDERNESS HT P22570R15
Goodyear Tire Recall
Goodyear recalled and replaced 200,000 Load Range E and Wrangler LT tires in 2001. This following a 14-month investigation by NHTSA into 86 accidents, 158 injuries and 18 fatalities. Still on the road today are an estimated 20 million tires under the names Load Range E and Wrangler LT.
Goodyear has chosen only to replace those Load Range E and Wrangler LT tires installed on 15-passenger vans and ambulances, but not to replace identical tires installed on other vehicles.
General Tire Recall
General Tire Company has issued past recalls of certain models of tires, as a result of either manufacturing or design defects. These defects could also lead to tire tread separation and tire failure.
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