Goodyear will recall RV tires 19 years after they were last made

Goodyear is recalling 173,000 tires — certain model G159 tires — for recreational vehicles that it manufactured between 1996 and 2003. The risk? Goodyear says the tread may separate from the tire, which can lead to loss of vehicle control.

This is the end of a fairly long review process that involved a lawsuit, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) investigation and Goodyear initially declining to recall the tires. The initial lawsuit resulted in the NHTSA opening a preliminary investigation in 2017 to review allegations that some tires had defects causing motorhome crashes resulting in deaths and injuries. Ultimately, the U.S. government said these tires can fail and have killed or injured 95 people since 1998.

In February this year, NHTSA asked Goodyear to recall the tires, which Goodyear declined to do. Finally, though, Goodyear is agreeing to recall the tires now. It said that it’s “to address concerns that some of these tires may still be in the marketplace or in use.” That said, Goodyear still has its objections.

In a statement Tuesday, Goodyear argued "there is no safety defect" in the recalled tires, and said few if any remain on the road. Goodyear said it would recall the tires, which were last produced in 2003, "to address risks shown to occur when the tire is used in an underinflated or overloaded condition" on motorhomes.

Goodyear continued: “This tire hasn’t been made since 2003, it consistently met Goodyear’s demanding safety standards, and we have not received an injury claim related to the tire’s use on a Class A motorhome in more than 14 years,”