Continental Tire the Americas LLC is recalling certain tires produced from May 6, 2007, through Sept. 20, 2008, in the company's San Luis Potosi plant in Mexico. The potential number of units affected is 390,657.
The tires being voluntarily recalled are:
1. ContiTrac TR tires, size LT275/70R18 125/122S, outline white letters and black sidewall; and
2. ContiTrac tires, size LT275/70R18 125/122S, black sidewall.
Most of the affected tires were installed as original equipment on certain 2008 and 2009 model year Ford F-250 and F-350 trucks. Approximately 60,000 of the 390,657 tires were sold in the replacement market.
"Some of these tires may experience uneven wear, vibration, or, particularly under conditions of overloading or under inflation in high ambient temperature usage, separation between the belt edges," said the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), through its Office of Defects Investigation, in a recall notice (NHTSA Campaign ID number 11T002).
"Separation of the belt edges could lead to tread belt separation, increasing the risk of a crash."
According to Continental, the tires met all federal safety standards. However, they did not meet Continental's performance expectations in the field.
"We closely monitor how our tires perform in the field," said Bill Caldwell, Continental's vice president of sales and marketing. He added that the company notified NHTSA as soon as it became aware of the potential problem.
Continental will notify owners and replace the affected tires free of charge.
The safety recall is expected to begin this month. Owners may contact the Continental customer service department toll-free at (888) 799-2168, or visit the company's Web site at www.continentaltire.com.
For additional information on this recall, click 11T002.
