Tire Recall: are you driving on dangerous treads?

If you drive an SUV, pickup or van, check your tires. An estimated 270,000 tires brought into the U.S. from China may be potentially unsafe. The tires were imported by Foreign Tire Sales, of New Jersey, and manufactured from 2004 to 2006 by Hangzhou Zhongce Rubber Company Ltd. They were sold under the brand names Westlake, Compass and YKS. The state Attorney General’s Office believes that 1,640 of these tires were sold in Eastern Washington.

Foreign Tire Sales filed a “Defect and Non-compliance Report” with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on July 2, 2007, saying the tires may not meet the minimum specifications provided to the tire manufacturer. Affected tires lack “gum strips,” an important part of a tire related to the prevention of thread separation. Tire treads could separate, creating a potential safety hazard on the road. At least one serious accident has been caused by such an occurrence with these tires.

Read our news release and check Foreign Tire Company's Web site for information on how to identify whether you have any of these recalled tires and what to do next.