The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is investigating complaints that Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. G159 tires failed while in service on Class A motor homes.
NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation says the investigation includes an estimated 40,000 tires produced between 1996 and 2003. Claims and complaints, unsealed and released to NHTSA as a result of a court order, allege the Goodyear G159 tires “failed in service, causing deaths or personal injuries” and that “the number of these claims suggests that the failures may stem from a safety-related defect.”
Two of the 10 complaints submitted to the Office of Defects Investigation allege a crash occurred as a result of the tire failures. Goodyear separately reported nine claims, alleging one death and 13 injuries.
Among the complaints is that the Goodyear G159 tires “were allegedly not designed for extended use at highway speeds as would be experienced during motor home operation.” Some owners reported blow outs on multiple tires, including a Wisconsin owner who had two incidents while driving the motor home, and said a tire blew up while the tire was leaning against a wall inside a repair shop.
