Goodyear is recalling nearly 175,000 tires that could suffer from tread separation. The tires in question were made between 1996 to 2003 and their production ended almost 20 years ago.
An investigation started by National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) back in 2017 found that these tires experience a higher failure rate on motorhomes when compared to other tires. The exact tire model affected is the G159 model tire sized 275/70R22.5. Following the investigation, NHTSA urges owners with 22.5-inch rims on their RVs to inspect the tires, but the agency goes further in asking anyone who rents or uses a motorhome with 22.5-inch tires to ensure the vehicle is not using the recalled tire. Additionally, owners might have these tires lying around as a spare, and they should check those as well. The agency warn that customers should be vigilant since these tires can be found for purchase online even though it is illegal to sell recalled tires.
Tread separation can lead to the driver losing control of the vehicle which could potentially lead to a crash. At highway speeds, a tire failure could be deadly, especially in something as large as a motorhome, which is not always as robust as passenger cars when involved in an accident.
In response to this recall, Goodyear dealers will replace the tires installed on recreational vehicles for free. The tire company is also providing a $60 voucher to owners for weighing their vehicles. Customers with tires not installed on a recreation vehicle will receive $500,however, the company has not issued a timeline for the recall notification.