Hercules Tire & Rubber Company will call back seven sizes of certain All Trac A/T SUV tires in the US for manufacturing glitches at tread separation.
The initiative comes seven months after Michael Cowen of The Cowen Law Group urged the US safety agency, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), for probe into defective Chinese-made tires distributed by the firm.
The NHTSA said in a statement: "Hercules Tire & Rubber Company (Hercules) is recalling certain All Trac A/T tires, sizes 235/70R16 106T, 235/75R15 109T XL, 245/70R16 107T, 255/70R16 111T, 265/70R16 112T, 265/75R16 116T and 275/70R16 114T. The affected tires may experience a tread separation.
"A tire tread separation may result in sudden air loss, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash."
Hercules said in its recall announcement to NHTSA that it had not found a rise in warranty adjustments for its SUV tires, but the tire model and sizes Cowen identified resembled those made by the Shandong Yongsheng Rubber Group, recalled by a different US distributor in October.
"We are extremely pleased NHTSA acted on our request expeditiously and Hercules has recalled these dangerous tires... This is a victory for consumers, and regardless of Hercules' warranty claim rates, we know taking these tires off the road will prevent crashes and save lives," Cowen said.
Hercules, which is a marketer of replacement tires and a partner of the Cooper Rubber & Tire Company, said the tires are being called back 'out of an abundance of caution'.
Though NHTSA has put the potential count number of affected units at 90,000, the company is yet to identify any number as regards recall population. The tire company, headquartered in Findlay, Ohio, said the callback covers All Trac SUV tires manufactured between July 2008 and May 2010.
"This milestone is important to our office and Krystal," said attorney Michael Cowen. "We have worked hard to see these tires recalled, so today is a great success in our continued efforts to seek justice and protect the public."
