Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. will voluntarily replace up to 200,000 size LT245/75R16 tires on passenger vans and ambulances starting in March as a preliminary investigation of the tires by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) concludes.
NHTSA believes tread separations in the four-ply tires may have led to 11 fatal accidents and numerous injuries.
The program involves 16-inch Load Range E tires made between 1996 and 2000 and encompasses 51 different lines.
Goodyear says the tires are not defective.
NHTSA began investigating Load Range E tires in November 2000.
Goodyear is contacting registered tire owners through direct mail and other methods.
It will replace the tires with same size, six-ply units.
"This is a proactive tire replacement program," say Goodyear officials.
