Toyo issues safety recall in the US

A safety recall covering a number of Toyo and Nitto brand products has been announced by Toyo Tire Holdings of Americas Inc. The tyre maker says approximately 4,891 tyres are subject to this recall, of which approximately 588 were produced using a rubber chemical mixture that does not meet the company's specification. “As a consequence, sections of the tread may become detached, potentially causing loss of vehicle control and a crash, which could result in death or injury,” Toyo states in a press release.

Included in the recall are the Toyo Versado CUV, Versado LX II, Open Country A/T, Tourevo LS II and the Nitto Terra Grappler. The tyres in question were manufactured at Toyo’s factory in Sendai, Japan during a two-week period in September of 2010.  They can be identified by the “Made in Japan” stamp and the numbers “3810” or “3910” at the end of the Department of Transportation (DOT) serial number, both located on the sidewall.  Tyres manufactured before and after this period are not involved. Tyres bearing a “Made in U.S.A” stamp on the sidewall are not subject to recall.

Consumers who have purchases any of these tyres since September 2010 are encouraged to inspect their tyres. Anyone unable to determine if they have a recalled tyre can receive a free tyre inspection from an authorised Toyo Tires or Nitto dealer. Toyo states that all recalled tyres will be replaced at no charge, and the company has dedicated pages at both the www.toyotires.com and www.nittotire.com websites to providing information on this safety recall campaign including photos to assist in identifying recalled tyres and instructions on how to return them.