Posted on 08/03/2007 11:48:52 AM PDT by djf
Another day and another alert of potentially unsafe products imported from China.
Foreign Tire Sales Inc., a New Jersey tire importer, has notified the government that a batch of Chinese-made tires may experience tread separation that can cause an accident.
The tire importer asked the help of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to recall 450,000 defective tires made by the Hangzhou Zhongce Rubber Co.
A target date for the recall is tentatively set for next week, a company spokesman said.
The tires, sold as replacement parts on pickup trucks, sport utility vehicles and vans lack a key component. They were built without — or with inadequate — gum strips, used to prevent tread separation.
Kansas Attorney General Paul Morrison also issued a warning that the tires were sold nationwide under the names Westlake, Compass and YKS. They were sold between 2002 and 2006.
“To protect yourself and your family, I urge consumers to check their vehicles’ tires to determine if there are any signs of tread separation,” he said.
Morrison said a multi-state working group of attorneys general are currently investigating concerns in order to gain more consumer information. Consumers are being told to check their tires.
If the DOT number on the tire contains “FTS” and the tire size starts with “LT”, the tire may be subject to a future recall. Tires in question contain DOT numbers starting with “7D” and ending in either “02”, “03”, “04”, or “05”. More information about the tires can be found at www.foreigntire.com .
As of now, the government has not called for a recall of any of these tires. But a company spokesman said a target date is planned for next week.
“The company did what it was supposed to do and went the extra mile once its own testing revealed empirical evidence of a safety defect,” said Dan F. Leshler, a spokesman for Foreign Tire Sales.
He said tests began in May and the company notified the government in June. He said the company subsequently conducted more tests and “determined they were just not up to our standards.”
Then you end up gettin what you paid for...
Tires are one of the few things for which I like paying top dollar. Just as with a brain surgeon, who I’d want to be comfortably well off and not worrying about anything when he does his thing on me, I don’t want the company who manufactures my tires to be towing too close to the bottom line. I want them to be making good money.
Tires, brakes, brain surgeons.... don’t skimp on them.
“Tread Hangzoff Hangzhou Tires”
In theory the chicoms can make stuff just fine (with our technology, of course). But since they are lying commies, they’ll cheat and cut corners every chance they get if they think they can get away with it.
And since they are commies, I buy nothing from them.
Me too. I even prefer to buy from the (shudder) French in that case (Michelin).
Between faulty tires, lead in our children’s toy’s, and poison in our dogfood, why on earth do we do so much business with them?
Insane.
Me too. I even prefer to buy from the (shudder) French in that case (Michelin).
Same here. I've been riding on Michelin LTX/MS's for about a decade now. (3rd set)
They’re the best in the world. I put 105,000 on a set back in the 1990s. They still had tread when I got rid of them.
You summed up my response exactly!!!
I just bought four “Shredmaster 500”s which were really cheap!
Wow, that's a lot of miles. I must drive like a maniac! Actually, I do drive fairly fast and spend lots of time on winding mountains roads. And my 3/4 ton Suburban is pretty heavy I guess. My only complaint about Michelin LTX-MS/265-75-LRE's had always been that I had to replace them after 50k miles. Granted there was a little tread left, but the wear bars were starting to come out, which isolates the center tread and gives water no place to pump out towards the sides.
But it's a great tire and has served my family well. No complaints that would make me change tires, though I have had a couple of people give me recommendations for alternatives that I've been considering.
The 105 K was on a 1990 Chevy Caprice. Last of the square big Chevys and a comforable car for long distances. It was a little questionable in Minnesota snow and ice, tho...
ping
I’m a Michelin man myself.
I’ve been avoiding French products and definitely Chinese when possible.
But.. When I have to buy replacement for the Goodyears on my newest car, I’ll likely put on Michelins.
Back at ya! Freeper safety bump.
Maybe it’s time Jim set up a new category, “Things from China you DON’T want”
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