Better late than never...or is it? - Goodyear Finally Recalled 'The Worst Tire Made In History. 275/70R22.5 G159

[f.f.jones]

Goodyear Finally Recalled 'The Worst Tire Made In History' 

© Photo: AP (AP)Photo: AP (AP)

1st Gear: Goodyear G159

Years ago now, we ran some blogs about what one lawyer contended was “the worst tire made in history,” the Goodyear G159, which has been linked to multiple deaths and has been at the center of dozens of lawsuits. The G159 was originally intended for delivery vehicles but ended up on lots of motorhomes, on which they sometimes failed and led to crashes.

Goodyear has known that the tire could be bad for decades, according to court documents, and yet it was never recalled by Goodyear. Until this month, that is, when Goodyear said it would be recalling 173,273 G159s, almost two decades after the last one was made. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration had been investigating the tires since 2017.

- NHTSA opened a preliminary evaluation (PE17-009) on December 28, 2017 to review and analyze allegations brought forward by a private litigant that the 275/70R22.5 G159 tire contained safety related defects that had caused motorhome crashes resulting in deaths and injuries to occupants of these vehicles.

- As part of PE17-009, NHTSA sent an information request to Goodyear on April 3, 2018. Goodyear submitted a response to that information request in May 2018.

- After a series of conversations and meetings between Goodyear and NHTSA, by letter of February 22, 2022, NHTSA requested that Goodyear conduct a safety recall of the 275/70R22.5 G159 tire (the “Subject Tires”). Goodyear filed its response to that letter on March 8, 2022, declining the request.

- To address concerns that some of these tires may still be in the marketplace or in use, Goodyear has agreed to undertake this recall.

- Any person that presents a recreational vehicle containing a Subject Tire will receive a 275/70R22.5 Goodyear G670 tire free of charge. Goodyear will cover the cost of dismounting and disposing of the Subject Tire and mounting and balancing the new G670 tire. Additionally, any person presenting a Subject Tire on a recreational vehicle will be provided a voucher in the amount of $60 to cover the cost of having the vehicle professionally weighed.

- Any person who owns a Subject Tire not installed on a recreational vehicle can exchange it for $500.

- Instructions to dealers will specify that any tire removed under this recall is to be rendered unsuitable for resale for installation on motor vehicles prior to returning to Goodyear for credit. All removed tires returned to Goodyear will be used by our recycler for various recycling purposes.

- Since the motorhome manufacturers that specified the Subject Tires no longer are in business, and Goodyear does not have, or have access to, any registration data for the Subject Tires, Goodyear will issue an information bulletin describing this campaign. The bulletin will be published on certain Goodyear websites and issued to Tire Service Centers and Tire Dealers. Goodyear also will make contact with leading trade associations and interest groups representing recreational vehicle manufacturers, suppliers and owners, and willrequest that the bulletin be made available to their membership, including through publication on those organizations’ websites and/or in their monthly publications.

If you own a motorhome, I’d recommend checking out what kind of shoes your baby is wearing. I’d also be remiss not to shout out Jalopnik alum Ryan Felton, whose work on this story has been indefatigable. In the end, it is always a cost-benefit analysis for big companies like Goodyear when it comes to things like this, no matter what actually happens. It only took all this time and many lives.

[Ford Fan]

Probably the "least cost to the manufacturer" rebate in history,too.

 

How many "decades-old" tires could  still be out there eligible for a refund?

 

Edited June 7, 2022 by Ford Fan (see edit history)

[3macboys]

So Goodyear is on the hook for a third party motorhome manufacture's specification?  And said manufacture is no longer in business not to mention if the tires haven't been made for over 20 years there's a clear lack of maintenance on the owner's part - even pushing the limits those tires should have all been replaced 10-15 years ago.  I'm sorry but Goodyear is being sold down the river on this one.

[Frank DuVal]

16 hours ago, 3macboys said:

I'm sorry but Goodyear is being sold down the river on this one.

If Goodyear sold the tires to the motor home manufacturers, they knew what was being done with them after the first deaths. They could have stopped providing them to those manufacturers.

 

Just how many tires do you think are still out there for this recall to replace? It should be a very low cost recall at this point.

[hook]

The best way to avoid this problem is to just not buy Goodyear tires. I've learned my lesson on several!

[rocketraider]

5 hours ago, hook said:

The best way to avoid this problem is to just not buy Goodyear tires. I've learned my lesson on several!

As did I. Over 50 years of driving and buying my own tires, GY were by far the most troublesome. Especially considering what they cost.

 

Me Uncle Gene got in on the Firestone 500 radial fiasco. He put a set on a 72 Torino Squire in 1973 and never paid for a tire from time the recalls started until Firestone had developed a more reliable radial, around 1990.

 

###

 

The aforementioned Squire wagon was promised to me since I had done the mechanical and appearance maintenance on it the last 30 years of his life. His niece (and my cousin) was executor of his estate and claimed to not be able to find the document.

 

She sold that wagon to some sad sack she knew for ONE DOLLAR- just enough to satisfy DMV. Within a year that once-gorgeous Squire was ruined- the guy actually lived in it for several months. I have never completely forgiven her for that stunt.

[NailheadBob]

As @rocketraiderstated :

 

Me Uncle Gene got in on the Firestone 500 radial fiasco. He put a set on a 72 Torino Squire in 1973 and never paid for a tire from time the recalls started until Firestone had developed a more reliable radial, around 1990.

 

I worked at a Firestone tire dealer at the time, and it was mess to deal with the tire problems Firestone had at that time, then I went to General tire dealer and they had similar issues with there tires, the standing joke with co-workers we called them " gumbo thumpers" because the would thump so bad driving down the road when the tire had issues.

 

Glenn, such a sad state of affairs with your cousin selling the car to someone else not a family member for a $1.00 , I would bet you would have given her $1.00, especially after you put you heart and soul into it for your uncle and you know he appreciated what you did, but your cousin did not, but I  hear that same situation from time to time with family members. Just some of my thoughts.

 

Bob