The Tire Industry Association (TIA) announced at the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show in Las Vegas a new section to its website that includes the technical bulletins for tire service.
TIA requested the information from vehicle manufacturers, tire manufacturers and the Rubber Manufacturers Association (RMA), who assisted in the project by gathering policies from their members and other tire companies.
"The subject of tire service life continues to be debated in the industry,” said TIA President Ken Brown.
“We understand the tire companies and the vehicle manufacturers may not agree, but we also believe our members, the industry and consumers need to know where everyone stands. By providing the tire service life statements as a resource for consumers, TIA is helping consumers make educated decisions on when their tires may need to be inspected and/or replaced."
TIA has received technical bulletins from the following tire manufacturers: Kumho Tire U.S.A. Inc., Hankook Tire America Corp., Yokohama Tire Corp., Michelin North America Inc., Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., Cooper Tire & Rubber Co., Continental Tire The Americas LLC, Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations LLC, Apollo Vredestein B.V., Pirelli Tire North America and Falken Tire Corp.
General Motors also sent in a statement covering the Chevrolet, GMC, Buick and Cadillac brands. Chrysler responded that they were unable to provide the requested information. TIA is continuing to reach out to the manufacturers who have not yet responded.
Ultimately, TIA will be adding an entirely new consumer education section to its new website, which will be launched in 2014. In the meantime, the policies can be found on the home page of the current TIA website, www.tireindustry.org.
