No matter if someone is driving a passenger vehicle or commercial truck, the tires being used must perform and function as expected. Defective tires can mean the difference between a safe drive and an unexpected accident. A tire can be recalled for a multitude of reasons, including defects in design and manufacturing. Tire manufacturers must appropriately inform and educate consumers about the latest large scale tire recalls so that drivers can ensure their vehicle’s tires are safe to drive on. If you were involved in an accident that was caused by a defective tire, you may be eligible for financial compensation. Contact our local and experienced Houston car accident lawyers today.
In 1966, the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act was enacted to give the Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) the authority to issue vehicle safety standards and require manufacturers to recall vehicles with safety-related defects or that do not meet federal safety standards. Since then, over 46 million tires, 66 million pieces of motor vehicle equipment, and 42 million child safety seats have been recalled in order to correct various defects.
If a safety defect is discovered, the manufacturer must notify NHTSA, as well as the vehicle or equipment owners, dealers, and distributors. The manufacturer is then required to remedy the problem at no charge to the owner. Unfortunately, this doesn’t always happen, leading to many unsuspecting drivers riding around on defective tires.
Both commercial and passenger tires have recently come under fire for various defects that have led to these massive recalls. Notable recent tire recalls include:
Yokohama Tire recently recalled more than 4,000 commercial tires in 19 different sizes due to a safety defect caused by a manufacturing anomaly. The anomaly can cause tire damage due to material detachment inside the tire, which could lead to a tire disablement and an increased risk of loss of vehicle control. The tires were manufactured between January and February of this year.
Cooper Tire and Rubber Company recently recalled over 2,000 tires due to the tires being manufactured with an improper sidewall component, which could result in tire deflation and tread separation, both of which increase the risk of a crash. The recall includes the Cooper Evolution Tour, Mastercraft SRT Touring, Hercules Roadtour 455 Sport, Starfire Solarus AS and Mastercraft Stratus AS tires, all in size 225/50R17 and those with the DOT date code of 3019.
Goodyear recently recalled more than 3,700 of its Fortera HL P255/65R18 tires because of a dangerous condition that can cause the belts to separate. According to the recall, the tires may suffer from problems caused by a tire building machine malfunction that affected the width of the belts. If the belts separate while driving, it can cause the loss of vehicle control.
Alliance Tire Americas issued a recall of 1,178 of its Galaxy DH241-G 16H commercial truck tires. The tires were produced between June and November of 2019. The recall was issued due to a potential manufacturing anomaly, which could result in a tread separation.
Sentury Tire Thailand has recalled over 6,000 of its light truck tires due to a change in the manufacturing process which could lead to weakened sidewalls. The recalled tires include various sizes of the Delinte DX11, Lionhart Lionclaw HT, Lexani LXHT206, Patriot HT, Landsail CLX11, Wild Spirit Wild Spirit HST, and Pantera Supertrac HT.
Tornel has recalled over 800 of its light truck tires following concerns the tire sidewalls may separate from the ply cords. The affected tires include the Tornel A/T-09 tires in the size T265/75R16, load range C.
Every year, improperly or poorly made tires cause injuries and deaths for drivers and passengers across the country. While tire manufacturers can recall defective tires, it does not always happen quickly enough to avoid serious tire defect accidents. At Ramsey Law Group, we assist clients injured by defective tires. Our Houston personal injury lawyers have successfully taken on some of the world’s largest tire companies and held them accountable for their actions. If you or someone you know has been injured by a defective tire, contact Ramsey Law Group today for a free consultation.