The looming Chinese Tire Recall has finally gone into effect as Foreign Tire Sales has agreed to recall 255,000 defective tires. From USA Today:

Although Foreign Tire Sales did not make the tires, it is responsible for the recall, under U.S. law.

NHTSA ordered the recall after Foreign Tire Sales told the agency that some of Hangzhou Zhongce’s tires were made without a safety feature, called a gum strip, that helps bind the belts of a tire to each other. Some of the tires had a gum strip about half the width of the 0.6 millimeter gum strip Foreign Tire Sales expected, the importer said.

It said it contracted for Hangzhou Zhongce to provide gum strips, but the manufacturer changed the design without informing Foreign Tire Sales.

Hangzhou Zhongce has denied that, asserting that the design did not include a gum strip. It also called the basis for the defect determination by Foreign Tire Sales “highly questionable.”

For help identifying the tires being recalled, check out Foreign Tire’s You Tube video. We applaud the use of You Tube. Here’s a list of the recalled tires:

The recall applies to Westlake, Compass and YKS brand tires in these sizes and models:

Size LT235/75R-15, models CR861 and CR857, with a DOT number beginning 7DT5FTS.
Size LT235/85R-16, models CR860, CR861 and CR857, with a DOT number beginning 7DT2FTS.
Size LT245/75R-16, models CR860, CR861 and CR857, with a DOT number beginning 7DT3FTS.
Size LT265/75R-16, models CR860, CR861 and CR857, with a DOT number beginning 7DT4FTS.
Size LT31X10.5 R-15, models CR857 and CR861, with a DOT number beginning 7DT6FTS.

Importer recalls 255,000 Chinese-made tires [USAToday via Kicking Tires]
Recall Information [Foreign Tire Sales]

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