The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) asked Bridgestone/Firestone Inc. (BFS) to recall more tires. BFS said no. Now NHTSA hopes to force BFS to comply with its wishes.
The U.S. Department of Transportation issued the following statement regarding developments in the investigation of Firestone tires.
"The primary mission of NHTSA is to ensure public safety, based on carefully conducted investigations. The agency has completed its defect investigation into the tires in question, and Firestone has been apprised of the results.
"Firestone was asked to recall some of the tires and they refused to do so. Therefore, NHTSA will issue an initial defect decision, the next step toward a forced recall.
"It is premature to discuss the initial decision in detail. NHTSA's responsibility is the safety of the American people, and we will adhere to a process that will ensure the recall of unsafe tires."
