Justice Department investigating Goodyear tire recall

Goodyear tire recall probe overview: 

• Who: The U.S. Department of Justice is investigating Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co.’s handling of a recall it initiated for a tire that was linked to eight deaths and dozens of injuries. 
• Why: Goodyear has maintained that the recalled tire was not defective and that the tire had, in fact, “consistently met” the company’s “demanding safety standards.” 
• Where: Goodyear tires are used by consumers nationwide. 

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) is investigating Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. over the way it handled the recall for one of its tires that has been linked to dozens of injuries and a total of eight deaths. 

Federal prosecutors, as reported by the Wall Street Journal, are attempting to access company records and depositions currently in the possession of an attorney representing a plaintiff from Arizona who filed yearsold civil claims against Goodyear, Reuters reported. 

Goodyear reportedly told Reuters it “cooperated fully” with a review of the recalled tire conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA); it said that review was completed in June 2022. 

The DOJ, meanwhile, reportedly did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters, while Goodyear’s stock price shrunk 2% Jan. 25 in premarket trading, reports Reuters. 

Goodyear reportedly announced in June 2022 it was recalling 173,000 of its G159 tires over concerns the tires — used for recreational vehicles — could potentially suffer from catastrophic tread separations. 

Goodyear announces voluntary recall after U.S. regulators requested company replace allegedly defective tires

The tire manufacturer announced the recall after U.S. auto regulators requested that Goodyear replace the tires, however the company later said it did not believe that the recalled tires were defective, reports Reuters. 

In its investigation the NHTSA determined the recalled Goodyear tires could become defective under certain conditions, at which point the tires’ tread could separate, the Akron Beacon Journal reported (ABJ). 

In a statement to the ABJ, Goodyear said the recalled tire has not been in production since 2003. It added it met the company’s “demanding safety standards” and has not received an injury claim connected to the tire in more than 14 years. 

An unrelated class action lawsuit was filed against Goodyear last year by a consumer arguing the company violated the law by allegedly intercepting electronic communications made by its website visitors without having consent to do so. 

Do you own a vehicle equipped with Goodyear tires? Let us know in the comments.

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