Texans Urged To Check For Potentially Dangerous Tires
EL PASO, TX. – Texas drivers are being urged by the Office of the Attorney General to inspect their vehicles for potentially dangerous tires that could be in danger of having treads separate from tires.
The tires in question were made by Hangzhou Zhongce Rubber Co. Ltd. in China and sold in the United States from 2002 to 2006. Tires were distributed under several names including Westlake, YKS and Compass. Specifically, the tires sold for light trucks, sport utility vehicles and vans were potentially malconstructed having insufficient or missing “gum strips,” a safety feature on certain tires that helps prevent tread separation.
According to Foreign Tire Sales, Inc., the U.S. distributor, at least 270,000 tires may be affected by the misconstruction and of these, more than 50,000 are believed to have been sold in Texas. The Office of the Attorney General is recommending to consumers who purchased these tires not todrive for long distances on hot roads and drivers should avoid overloading their vehicles.
Consumers can check the sidewalls of their tires for the brand name, size, model, and U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) number. If the DOT number contains ‘FTS’ as part of the number, the tire may be subject to a recall in the future. If there is any concern about a tire, the Attorney General recommends immediately contacting the dealer where the tire was purchased; if the dealer is more than 50 miles away, the closest tire shop or mechanic can inspect the tires in question. In the interest of public safety, the Office of the Attorney General is asking dealers not to charge for such an inspection.
At this time, the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration has not ordered a formal recall of any of these tires and no replacement program has been instituted, but consumers should regularly checkthe NHTSA, FTS and Attorney General’s Web sites for updates.
