An investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reviewed claims that when installed on some R.V.s, the tires failed, leading to crashes that killed or injured people.
Goodyear has voluntarily recalled more than 170,000 out-of-production tires that prompted lawsuits claiming that they had caused crashes that killed or injured people, federal transportation officials said on Tuesday. 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 R.V.s when compared to similar tires,” the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said in a statement on Tuesday, following the recall of the tires last week. When installed on some motor homes, they were prone to “tread separations and other failures,” according to the recall report. “Tread separations can lead to loss of vehicle control, resulting in increased risk of crash.”
Because the tires were discontinued nearly two decades ago, the safety agency said it did not know how many remained in circulation, but warned that some R.V. owners may still have the tires on their vehicle, or set aside as spares. In Tuesday’s statement, the safety agency urged “anyone who owns, rents, or uses an R.V. or truck with 22.5-inch rims to ensure these tires are not in use on their vehicle.” The recall, it added, applies specifically to G159 tires size 275/70R22.
