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BFGoodrich Land Terrain Tire Recall: Announced February 4, 2005 BFGoodrich Tires is recalling approximately 20,000 BFGoodrich Land Terrain tires size P235/75R15 after the company discovered through its quality inspection process that affected tires were produced without the required tread wear indicators (also known as wear bars). Tread wear indicators permit consumers to tell when their tires need replacement due to wear of the tread. The issue does not affect the performance of the tires. To date, there have been no reported issues or complaints. "These tires meet all performance criteria, but the decision was made that we must recall the affected tires because they were produced without the required tread wear indicators," said Michel Default, quality director for BFGoodrich Tire Manufacturing. "The affected tires were produced at our Opelika, Ala. facility from February 29th to August 19th of 2004. The issue has been corrected and consumers who purchased the affected tires will receive free of charge new tires that have the required tread wear indicators." BFGoodrich Tires informed the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on Feb. 3, 2005 of its U.S. recall campaign and has already begun communication with dealers. The company will contact consumers who may have purchased affected tires via first class mail in the coming weeks. All recalled tires will be replaced free of charge and returned to BFGoodrich Tires in a comprehensive commitment to retrieve from the market any tire that does not meet the NHTSA requirements. The recalled tires have Department of Transportation tire identification numbers that begin with DOT AN HL B411 and end with the last four digits 0904 through 3304 and mold numbers: 40381 and 40382. The DOT code is found on the inner sidewall of the tire just above the wheel rim and is printed in small type (less than half an inch tall). Tires manufactured outside of these DOT weeks for the specific tire and size are not affected. The five-digit mold number is located on the inner sidewall of the tire just above the wheel rim. All of the recalled tires were produced during weeks 9 through 33 of 2004 (February 29 - August 19, 2004) at the Opelika, Ala. facility. The following specific tire brand, make and size is affected:
About Tread Wear Indicators (Wear Bars) Tread wear indicators (wear bars) are required to be on tires to help consumers determine when their tires need to be replaced due to wear of the tread. Tread wear indicators are narrow raised bands (approximately 2/32-inch tall) that appear in the grooves across the tread of the tire. Tread wear indicators do not impact tire performance. When the tread wear indicators are even with the tread depth, only 2/32-inch (1.6 mm) of tread remains and it is time to replace the tire. A common test is to insert the head of a penny with Abraham Lincoln's head facing down. If the top of Lincoln's head is above the tread, it is time to replace the tire(s). BFGoodrich Tire Recall: Announced September 29, 2004 BFGoodrich Tire Manufacturing is recalling 46,000 passenger and light truck tires after its quality system alerted the company to an issue that could eventually result in a tread/belt detachment potentially leading to a loss of control and potential vehicle crash. In an affected tire, the condition is ordinarily noticeable as an unusual noise or vibration, and may also be visible as a bulge in the shoulder/tread edge area. Investigation has shown that this ride quality issue is related to a tire condition which could possibly result in a tread/belt detachment in up to 3,500 of the 46,000 tires being recalled. BFGoodrich Tires is recalling the larger number of tires to best assure that the up to 3,500 tires potentially affected will successfully be retrieved. To date, there have been no accidents reported and no property damage claims filed. All of the recalled tires were produced in week 15 and 16 this year (April 11-24, 2004) at the Ft. Wayne facility and include BFGoodrich, Uniroyal, Liberator, Medalist, Phantom and Prospector brands in the following dimensions:
ORWL: Outlined Raised White Letter The recalled tires have DOT codes which begin with DOT BF and end with the last four digits 1504 and 1604. The DOT codes are found on the inner or outer sidewall of the tire just above the wheel rim and are printed in small type less than half an inch tall (5/16 inches). There are no issues with tires outside of these DOT weeks. Any consumer who believes they are affected by the recall should not wait to receive notification but should call BFGoodrich Tires at 1-877-788-8899 or return to their point of purchase for a free inspection and possible replacement. Read the press release |
