Foreign Tire Sales Ordered to Recall Chinese Tyres
(Akron/Tire Review) The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has sent Foreign Tire Sales (FTS) Inc. in Union, N.J., a letter stating that it is legally responsible for the recall of nearly 450,000 tyres imported from China and threatened penalties of up to $6,000 per violation, with a maximum of nearly $16.4 million. The affected tyres were sold under the Westlake, Compass, Telluride and YKS brand names in the following sizes: LT235/75R-15; LT225/75R-16; LT235/85R-16; LT245/75R-16; LT265/75R-16; and LT3X10.5-15.
NHTSA has given the company until Monday to respond. An attorney for FTS claimed the company could only afford about 10% of the approximately $80 million in costs associated with a recall. FTS said it does not have the financial resources for a full recall and would be forced to file for bankruptcy if required to conduct one. The company sent NHTSA a letter earlier this month that said up to 450,000 light truck tyres imported from China-based Hangzhou Zhongce Rubber Co. could suffer tread separation because they were missing a safety feature.