Goodyear has voluntarily recalled more than 170,000 tires, prompting defective tire lawsuits claiming they had caused crashes that killed or injured people.
Several serious accidents prompted the Goodyear tire tread separation recall. According to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the tires, which were last produced in 2003 and were sold for use on trucks and recreational vehicles, “experienced a high rate of failure on recreational vehicles or RVs when compared to similar tires.”
Goodyear Tire Tread Separation Recall: Dangers
The recall report states that when installed on some motor homes, the tires were prone to tread separations and other failures. Tread separations can lead to loss of vehicle control resulting in an increased risk of a crash.
The safety agency said that because the tires were discontinued nearly two decades ago, it is unknown how many remained in circulation.
But it warned that some RV owners might still have the tires on their vehicle or set aside as spares. NHTSA urges anyone who owns, rents, or uses an RV or truck with 22.5-inch rims to ensure that these tires are not used on their vehicle. Goodyear said in a statement on its website that there was “no safety defect” in the tire.
The recall followed years of legal battles against the tire company, with many documents from those cases sealed. But, in 2017, NHTSA opened an investigation into the failures of the tire based on information obtained from that litigation, which claimed that the tires, when installed on some motor homes, had failed, causing deaths or personal injuries.
Between 1998 and 2015, 95 people were either killed or injured in crashes resulting from these faulty tires, according to claims reviewed by NHTSA.
The specific size of the G159 tire was intended for use on inner-city delivery trucks. However, they had instead been sold and installed on large RVs, which travel for longer periods, and highways at much higher speeds. NHTSA found that the products experienced catastrophic tire tread separations and blowouts in this application.
The agency also stated that Goodyear knew that the tires could not tolerate this type of use. On Feb. 22, NHTSA sent a letter to Goodyear requesting it recalls the tire. While the company declined that request on March 8, it has since conducted the recall.
Holding the Manufacturer Accountable
Auto safety advocates say the recall is an important first step in holding Goodyear accountable. Suppose you or a loved one has been injured or lost a loved one due to a defective Goodyear tire. In that case, it is important that you seek the counsel of an experienced tire defect lawyer to obtain more information about pursuing your legal rights.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/07/business/goodyear-tire-recall.html
