Goodyear, Bridgestone seek OK from NHTSA

ERJ Staff Report (LMH)

Washington, DC - Goodyear and Bridgestone Americas have asked the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to not force a recall of tires that had tire mould labelling errors.

The companies asked NHTSA for a finding of inconsequential noncompliance, which absolves them from conducting a recall of tires that don't meet federal safety standards. Both Goodyear and Bridgestone contend the mistakes in the tire mould labels are negligible in their safety implications, particularly since the tires meet or exceed every other requirement under federal truck tire safety rules.

Goodyear manufactured 1692 noncompliant Goodyear Wrangler AT/S tires, size LT 275/65R18, at its Gadsden, Alabama, plant between 8 April and 12 May 2012. The tires are labelled "LR-E/Max Load 3415 lbs. Max Pressure 80 psi" when they should have been labelled "LR-CE/Max Load 2535 lbs. Max Pressure 50 psi," according to the3 Dec notice in the Federal Register.

Bridgestone, in a notice posted in the Federal Register, said it made 1102 Firestone Firehawk Wide Oval AS tires, size 245/40R19 and 245/35R20, between 19 June 2011 and 17 March 2012, that have incorrect labels.

Only 97 of those tires were sold, meaning they are the only ones covered under the petition, Bridgestone said.

--

The full version of this story appears on our sister publication Rubber & Plastics News