Foreign Tire Sales Inc. (FTS) has started recalling about 250,000 Chinese-made light truck tires sold from early 2004 to mid-2006 under the brand names Westlake, Compass and YKS.
The tires were manufactured by Hangzhou Zhongce Rubber Co. Ltd.
In a statement released earlier today, FTS officials claim "the tires were defective because they lacked a safety feature called a gum strip or contained gum strips that were not large enough."
"Consumers should know that the affected tires meet all federal motor vehicle safety standards," says FTS owner Richard Kuskin. "But we went the extra mile by testing them and determining that they did not meet our standards, which are more rigorous.
"Nothing is more important to us than the safety of consumers who use our tires."
FTS recommends that consumers check the sidewall of their tire(s) for the brand, size, model and Department of Transportation (DOT) number.
The recall applies to Westlake, Compass and YKS brand tires with the following on their sidewalls:
* LT235/75R-15 (models CR861 and CR857, with partial DOT number 7DT5FTS);
* LT235/85R-16 (models CR860, CR861, and CR857, with partial DOT number 7DT2FTS);
* LT245/75R-16 (models CR860, CR861 and CR857, with partial DOT number 7DT3FTS);
* LT265/75R-16 (models CR860, CR861 and CR857, with partial DOT number 7DT4FTS);
* LT31X10.5 R-15 (models CR857 and CR861, with partial DOT number 7DT6FTS).
"No other tires are involved in the recall. Consumers whose tires are in the categories above and who bought the tires from early 2004 through mid-2006 should call the toll free number (888) 899-9293 or go online at www.foreigntire.com for further instructions."
