Bridgestone Firestone Voluntarily Recalls Dueler Tires in U.S. and Canada

Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire (BFNT) announced yesterday that it is initiating a voluntary safety campaign in the U.S. to replace approximately 25,600 Bridgestone Dueler A/T tires in size LT285/75R16 LR D (Load Range D). The tires were manufactured in Japan by Bridgestone Corp. and imported into the U.S. by BFNT for sale in the replacement tire market. Bridgestone Firestone Canada (BFCA) also intends to replace approximately 1,400 of these tires in the Canadian replacement market that were sold through BFCA’s network of independent dealers. The company said recent data reviewed as part of its early warning system showed that a small percentage of these tires may experience belt detachment, particularly when operated above or below recommended inflation pressures.

NASHVILLE, TN — Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire (BFNT) announced yesterday that it is initiating a voluntary safety campaign in the U.S. to replace approximately 25,600 Bridgestone Dueler A/T tires in size LT285/75R16 LR D (Load Range D).

The tires were manufactured in Japan by Bridgestone Corp. and imported into the U.S. by BFNT for sale in the replacement tire market. Bridgestone Firestone Canada (BFCA) also intends to replace approximately 1,400 of these tires in the Canadian replacement market that were sold through BFCA’s network of independent dealers.

The company said recent data reviewed as part of its early warning system showed that a small percentage of these tires may experience belt detachment, particularly when operated above or below recommended inflation pressures.

According to Mike Kane, vice president quality assurance for BFNT, the tires were not performing up to expectations but other Dueler tires, including those of the same size and type that were manufactured after July 31, 2002, continue to perform well in the field.

“Safety is the first priority in our company, and to that end we actively monitor our tires’ performance in the field with an advanced early warning system,” said Kane. “We noticed that this specific size and type of tire was not performing up to our company’s expectations, so we decided to remove the remaining tires from service to avoid the potential of any future problems.”

The tires were manufactured in Tosu, Japan, from July 1, 1998 through July 31, 2002. BFNT will replace these tires at no charge to consumers with Bridgestone or other brands of tires manufactured by BFNT or its affiliated companies such as Firestone, Dayton and Widetrack.

Consumers in the U.S. can receive free replacement tires through any BFRC company-owned stores: Firestone Tire & Service Centers, ExpertTire, TiresPlus, Hibdon TiresPlus, Wheel Works, GCR or Firestone Commercial & Farm. Canadian consumers should contact an authorized participating Bridgestone retailer for replacement.

The company said it will notify customers of the recall via letter. It has also set up a toll-free hotline: 1-800-465-1904.

For more information, visit: www.bridgestonetire.com.

_______________________________________

Click here to view the rest of today’s headlines.