Goodyear will recall RV tires 19 years after they were last made

Goodyear is recalling 173,000 tires for recreational vehicles — certain model G159 tires that it manufactured between 1996 and 2003. The risk? Goodyear says the tread may separate from the tire, which can lead to loss of vehicle control.

This is the end of a fairly long review process that involved a lawsuit, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) investigation and Goodyear initially declining to recall the tires. The initial lawsuit resulted in the NHTSA opening a preliminary investigation in 2017 to review allegations that some tires had defects causing motorhome crashes resulting in deaths and injuries. Ultimately, the U.S. government said these tires can fail and have killed or injured 95 people since 1998.

In February this year, NHTSA asked Goodyear to recall the tires, which Goodyear declined to do. Finally, though, Goodyear is agreeing to recall the tires now. It said that it’s “to address concerns that some of these tires may still be in the marketplace or in use.” That said, Goodyear still has its objections.

In a statement Tuesday, Goodyear argued “there is no safety defect” in the recalled tires, and said few if any remain on the road. Goodyear said it would recall the tires, which were last produced in 2003, “to address risks shown to occur when the tire is used in an underinflated or overloaded condition” on motorhomes.

Goodyear continued: “This tire hasn’t been made since 2003, it consistently met Goodyear’s demanding safety standards, and we have not received an injury claim related to the tire’s use on a Class A motorhome in more than 14 years,”

For those who still have these tires on their vehicle or lying around, NHTSA says to not use them. To execute the recall, Goodyear says that anybody who presents one of the tires will receive a Goodyear G670 tire free of charge. Goodyear will also pay for the dismounting of the old tire along with the mounting and balancing of the new tire. You’ll also be given a $60 voucher to cover the cost of having the recreational vehicle professionally weighed.

If you have one of the recalled tires not installed on a vehicle, Goodyear says you can exchange it for $500. At this point, Goodyear doesn’t have access to registration data for the recalled tires, so it’s going to mount an informational campaign to recall the tires. Information on the recall will be posted on Goodyear’s websites, at tire service centers and tire dealers. Additionally, they’ll get the word out through trade associations and interest groups that represent recreational vehicle manufacturers, suppliers and owners.

Information from AP was used in this report.

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