A new Consumer Reports article has alerted motorhome drivers to allegedly dangerous Goodyear G159 tires that have been linked to many deaths and injuries — but have not yet been recalled.
The G159 tires have been linked to hundreds of RV crashes over the last 25 years, resulting in at least 95 deaths and injuries. The G159 was allegedly not designed for highway driving for extended periods because it could become unusually hot, experience tread separation, and blow out.
Faulty Tires Still on the Road
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which regulates vehicle and tire safety in the United States, launched an investigation into reported safety problems associated with the G159 in December 2017. However, by that time, more than a decade had passed since the tire went out of production.
An attorney for Goodyear attested in court as recently as three years ago that the G159 tires are still on the road. Online sale listings for spare tires and RVs reviewed by Consumer Reports suggest the tires are still on RVs that are on the road.
Attorneys and consumer advocates say NHTSA’s delay in investigating these tires stemmed at least in part from Goodyear’s use of confidential settlements reached in lawsuit over crashes linked to the G159 tires.
Those settlements essentially prevented others, including NHTSA, from learning about the reported problems sooner. Consumer Reports looked at court records, which show Goodyear has settled at least 41 lawsuits stemming from G159-related crashes.
NHTSA says its probe of the tire began in December 2017 only because an attorney in one of those cases got a court order that allowed him to submit complaints and crash reports to the agency. Despite the number of accidents and fatalities, neither the government nor Goodyear have yet to recall the G159. NHTSA’s investigation still hasn’t been completed.
Dangerous and Defective Tires
It is important to note that these alleged tire defects have been linked to at least 10 deaths and 90 injuries. The tires in question were manufactured between 1996 and 2003 and about 40,000 ended up on RVs. According to court records, these tires failed in one of 10 motorhomes. Jalopnik says this is a failure rate that surpasses the Firestone tires of the 1990s.
If you or a loved one has been injured or lost a loved one due to these Goodyear G159 RV tires, it is important that you reach out to an experienced auto defect attorney who has successfully handled tire defect cases. You may be able to hold the manufacturer and other potential parties for your injuries, damages, and losses.
Source: https://www.consumerreports.org/product-safety/goodyear-rv-tire-linked-to-multiple-deaths-is-still-on-motorhomes/
