Goodyear recalls 41k Wrangler tires for tread separation

This new Goodyear Wrangler Silent Armor recall pertains to the following sizes of light truck, sport utility and van tires with a build date that falls between March 1st 2009 and May 30th 2009.
LT285/70R17 LRD
LT245/75R17 LRE
LT275/70R18 LRE
LT265/70R17 LRE
LT325/60R18 LRE
LT235/80R17 LRE

These Goodyear tires could have the tread separate which, in the best case scenario could cause body damage to the vehicle when the separating tread swings out and slaps against the outside of the vehicle. As the problem progresses, the tread separation will cause the vehicle to become more difficult to control as the tires deteriorate (especially when it is a front tire coming apart) and in the worst case scenario – rapid failure of the tire at speed could cause the tire to deflate suddenly (“blow out”). Between the concern of the vehicle becoming hard to control and the possibilities of a sudden tire failure is more than enough for the NHTSA and the Goodyear execs to go ahead and issue a recall of these tires.

Unfortunately, this recall comes a bit too late for two people in Texas who were driving in a Ford F150 equipped with the Goodyear Wrangler Silent Armor tires. College students Matthew Smith, 21, and Kerrybeth Hall, 18, both of Port Lavaca Texas, lost their lives when the tread of the Goodyear Wrangler Silent Armor tire mounted on the right front of Matthew’s F150 separated. This caused the vehicle to begin to slide and as Matthew lost control, the truck went into a roll that killed both the Matthew and Kerrybeth.

Goodyear first acknowledged that there could be a problem with these tires in 2010 when the company saw an increase in warranty claims but waited until just recently to officially recall the tires. Needless to say, this hasn’t made the lawyers representing the families of Matthew Smith and Kerrybeth Hall as over a year went by before a recall was issued. Had Goodyear issued this recall sooner, the lives of those two could have been saved but that is all legal speculation.

Goodyear has explained that under extreme circumstances, the tread could separate from the body of the Wrangler Silent Armor tires and in the event of Matthew Smith’s right front tire – the tire had been involved in some sort of extreme exterior impact prior to the accident. The company believes that of the 41,000+ tires affected by this recall; the company believes that roughly 27,000 are still in service but only a few of those tires may actual experience the tread separation issue.

This recall will officially begin on or around March 22nd 2012 at which point the owners will be instructed to return to their point of purchase to have the tires replaced free of charge. For more information, those who have a vehicle equipped with these tires can contact Goodyear at 1-800-592-3267.