Michelin recalling 1.3 million tyres in US

Michelin North America will soon begin recalling around 1.3 million light commercial vehicle tyres. The tyre maker says the recall of certain Michelin LTX M/S fitments was decided upon as due to the increasing number of tread loss and/or rapid air loss incidents reports it has received. The recall is expected to begin on 6 January 2014.

Tyres included in the recall are size LT225/75R16 115/112R LRE fitments that were manufactured from 10 January 2010 through to 23 June 2012 and supplied as original equipment on certain Ford vehicles and as replacement equipment on various brand commercial light trucks, full-sized heavy duty vans, small RVs and some large pickup trucks. The tyres’ DOT sequence is B3JH AKEX and the DOT production periods are 0210 to 2512, inclusive. Michelin says the US customer returns for these conditions are currently 0.015 per cent of the total population, or less than 200 tyres. No returns for tyres with these conditions have been reported outside the US, although they were also sold in other markets, primarily Canada and Mexico. Michelin North American (Canada) has also announced a recall of the tyre; some 76,000 tyres are affected.

No deaths or injuries have been reported in connection with the recalled tyres. In a statement, Michelin said it “regrets the inconvenience to its customers and dealers” and advised owners of the affected tyres to visit an authorised Michelin retail location as soon as possible to have the tyres replaced at no charge.