Tire Recall Lawsuit Information

When is a tire recall necessary?

If the tire does not comply with a Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard or there is a safety-related defect present in the tire than a tire recall like Continental's recent tire recall. There are minimum performance levels for tires that have been set by the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards to protect drivers and passengers from death or serious injury.

Tread Separation

A report that was released in October 2001 from the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration said that the tread separations studied in the Bridgestone and Firestone accidents reduced the ability of a driver to control the vehicle, especially when the tire failure occurred on a rear tire and at high speeds. There was a much greater likelihood for death, injury, and crashes resulting when the tread separation occurred on an SUV rather than a pickup truck.

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Tire Recall Lawsuit News

Continental Tire Recall Lawsuits

Following the massive Bridgestone and Firestone tire recall and ensuing tire recall lawsuits, there was a huge demand for increased safety features. The car industry tried to capitalize on the new focus in 2001 and spent 70% more on the development, marketing, and sales of car safety than they had over the past seven years. Safety, once a low point for car sales, is now revolutionizing the industry.

The Bridgestone and Firestone recall that occurred last October was linked to 271 U.S. traffic deaths in addition to thousands of accidents. Legal action sought compensation for the death, injury, and destruction that was caused by the recalled tires. The Ford officials claimed they discovered the Continental tire tread separation problems through a process that they had enforced to rapidly identify tire defects following their Firestone battle. The early warning systems were developed as a result of the TREAD Act that Congress passed in fall 2000 after the 6.5 million tires recalled used mainly on Ford Explorers.

The officials at Continental said in April they noticed property damage and personal injury claims against their tires had significantly increased. Continental told the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration it has 18 property damage and personal injury claims related to the recalled tires so far. Ford officials also noticed the reports and the two companies discussed the problem. An accident in May soon followed, killing six people in a Ford Expedition with Continental tires that appeared to have suffered a tread separation resulting in the SUV rollover.

Continental began an investigation July 12 on their tires and announced on August 19 that they were initiating a tire recall of 595,000 of its Continental P275/60R17 ContiTrac AW and General Grabber AW P275/60R17 tires. These Continental tires were mostly sold as original equipment on 106,701 two-wheel drive Expedition and Navigator SUVs from the 2000 and 2001 model years. Continental's vice president stated at the time of their tire recall announcement that "Continental is focused on automotive safety and we want to be certain that only the highest quality products are on the road."

Continental did not say how many tread separations had occurred after their investigation but estimated the tire recall would cost them an estimated $19 million. In addition, Ford said they had incorrectly labeled the tire pressure for the rear wheels on 81,774 two-wheel drive Expedition and Navigator SUVs from the 2000 model year, some of them included in the Continental tire recall. Ford had recommended pressure for the rear tires at 30 psi, but should have pressure of 33 psi. Low tire pressure contributes to tire blowouts that can cause drivers to lose control of their vehicle or an SUV rollover.

If you experienced a tread separation because of a Continental recalled tire, please contact us to learn more about your rights.