Our practice > Tire and Rollover Recalls

Safety defects can be very dangerous to consumers and their families. That is why the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) imposes requirements upon car companies and other product manufacturers to reveal at least some defects, and to recall and repair the affected vehicles. However, it is important to note that many defects are never subject to a recall, requiring the consumer to fight for justice in a court of law. Whether your vehicle was recalled or not, please feel free to contact us if you have a question about a defect in your car, van, SUV or truck.

Below is a brief summary of selected recalls relating to tires, vehicle rollovers, and handling and stability defects:

Southeast Toyota is recalling certain model year 2006-2009 Toyota Sienna passenger vehicles for failing to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 110, "Tire Selection and Rims." These vehicles were sold between September 1, 2005 and June 2, 2008 without the requisite load carrying capacity modification labels. The manufacturer has not yet provided a consequence for this campaign. 10V-036.

Gulf States Toyota is recalling certain model year 2006-2009 Toyota Sienna passenger vehicles for failing to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 110, "Tire Selection and Rims." These vehicles were sold between September 1, 2005 and June 2, 2008 without the requisite load carrying capacity modification labels. 10V-035.

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling 243 model year 2010 Ford Mustang Shelby GT 500 vehicles manufactured between October 28, 2009 and December 3, 2009 for failing to conform to the tire loading and information requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 110, "Tire Selection and Rims." The rear tire size information is incorrect. Inflating tires to a pressure other than specified on the original labels may have an adverse effect on vehicle braking, and handling, and stability in an emergency maneuver, increasing the risk of a crash. The safety campaign is expected to begin during February 2010. 10V-030.

Cooper Tire is recalling 7,769 Discoverer H/T and Discoverer LSX tires, size 245/70R17, produced between November 15, 2009 and December 12, 2009. These tires fail to conform to the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 139, "New Pneumatic Radial Tires for Light Vehicles." At various mileages, the subject tires may develop and exhibit tread chunking or cracking in the tread shoulder area. Tread chunks may separate from the tire casing, resulting in body damage to the vehicle or the driver may lose control resulting in a crash. The safety recall is expected to begin during March 2010. 10T-003.

Toyo Tire Holdings of Americas, Inc. is recalling 2,183 Nitto Terra Grappler all terrain, size 305/50R20, 120S, Toyo Open Country A/T and Toyo Proxes ST II, size 305/50R20. Some of the subject tires may have been produced with a wrinkle in the upper sidewall area of the tires. Under certain circumstances, this wrinkle may eventually lead to a crack in the sidewall. If a crack develops and is left undetected, the tire may fail, potentially causing a crash, possibly resulting in injury or death. The safety recall is expected to begin on or about February 22, 2010. 10T-002.

Nissan is recalling 143,223 model year 2008 Nissan Rogue, 2008-2010 Infiniti M35 and Infiniti M45, and 2009 Nissan Cube and Nissan Murano vehicles originally sold in or currently registered in the states of Connecticut, Delaware, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington D.C., West Virginia and Wisconsin. The material in the nut used to secure the sensor-transmitter of the Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) may corrode and potentially crack in areas with heavy concentrations of road salt. If this occurs, the nut may come out of the sensor-transmitter and the TPMS lamp will illuminate. If the TPMS lamp is disregarded and the vehicle continues to be driven in this condition, the tire will quickly lose air pressure at a consistent rate resulting in a flat tire increasing the risk of a crash. The recall is expected to begin on or before November 9, 2009. 09V-393. 

BMW is recalling model year 2009 BMW X5 and BMW X6 vehicles. The rear brake discs may not have been manufactured according to specifications. As a result, a reduction in braking performance at the affected rear wheel could occur. In an extreme case, the affected rear brake disc could break resulting in a loss of braking at that wheel increasing stopping distances and the risk of a crash. 09V-255.

Kia Motors Corporation (KMC) is recalling 36,538 model year 2001-2004 Kia Optima vehicles originally sold in or currently registered in the states of Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia. Road salt applied in these states during the winter months may result in progressive, internal corrosion of the front subframe. Over time, such subframe corrosion near the connection to the lower control arm can lead to wheel misalignment and/or other noticeable stress in steering, or accelerated abnormal tire wear. The safety recall is expected to begin during June 2009. 09V-183 and EA08-016.

Tesla Motors, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling 345 model year 2008 Tesla Roadster vehicles manufactured between March 2008 and April 22, 2009. The rear hub flange bolts on some of these vehicles may be under-torqued and may become loose. A loose hub could lead to degradation in vehicle handling, and a rubbing noise from the rear of the vehicle. If the problem is not addressed promptly, the driver could lose control of the vehicle, which could lead to a crash. The safety recall is expected to begin during May/June 2009. 09V-178.

Jaguar is recalling 112 model year 2007-2009 Jaguar XK vehicles fitted with run flat tires for failing to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No.138, "Tire Pressure Monitoring System, (TPMS)." The TPMS warnings were turned off. If the TPMS electronic control unit were to send a signal to the instrument cluster to display a TPMS warning telltale, the light would not illuminate nor would the supplementary warning text on the instrument cluster message center be displayed. Failure to warn of tire deflations is a non-compliance with FMVSS 138 and could lead to tire failure and a crash. The recall is expected to begin on or before June 8, 2009. 09V-161.

Hyundai is recalling 170,610 model year 2001-2003 Hyundai Elantra and model year 2003 Hyundai Tiburon vehicles originally sold in or currently registered in the states of Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and the District Of Columbia. During winter months, large quantities of salt are used to de-ice roads in the salt belt states. Road salt may result in internal corrosion and thinning of the steel in the front lower control arms. The corrosion may progress to the point where the lower control arm's upper and lower panels become perforated. A perforated front lower control arm may fracture between its ball joint attachment and the forward and rearward pivot attachments to the chassis. This could affect your control over the tire and wheel assembly. Reduced control of the front wheel direction may increase the risk of a crash. The recall is expected to begin during April 2009. 09V-125. Prior to the recall, the government's Office of Defects Investigation received 30 complaints alleging failures of front lower control arms (left and/or right) in model year 2001 through 2003 Hyundai Elantra vehicles. Twenty-four of the complaints identified corrosion as a contributing factor in the failures.  PE 09-011.

Hyundai is recalling 85,036 model year 2001-2003 Hyundai Santa Fe vehicles originally sold in or currently registered in the states of Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and the District Of Columbia. During winter month, large quantities of salt are used to de-ice roads in the salt belt states. Road salt may result in internal corrosion of the rear trailing arms, which could lead to thinning or perforation of the rear trailing arm steel. The corrosion is progressive and occurs over time. You may see or feel slight to moderate changes in vehicle operation which will increase if the vehicle is not repaired. These changes include a lowering of vehicle height that can lead to tire misalignment and steering pull. You may also notice a creaking sound. If the corrosion is allowed to progress, the rear trailing arm may fracture while driving. The deformation and loss of structural rigidity of the rear trailing arm may increase the risk of a vehicle crash. The recall is expected to begin during April 2009. 09V-123. Prior to the recall, Hyundai provided the government's Office of Defect Investigations (ODI) with 15 allegations of corrosion failure of the left- and/or right-rear suspension trailing arm. Three of the 15 consumers alleged a loss of vehicle control as a result of a rear trailing arm corrosion failure. Similarly, ODI received 11 additional complaints of rear trailing arm failure. At the time the government upgraded its defect investigation to an Engineering Analysis, it was aware of 26 consumer allegations of rear trailing arm corrosion failures and 7 allegations that the failures affected vehicle control. It should be noted that Hyundai implemented a design change in the model year 2003 production to address the corrosion issue.  EA 08-023.

Chrysler is recalling 42,469 model year 2002-2003 Jeep Liberty vehicles originally sold in or currently registered in salt belt states of Connecticut, Delaware, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia , Wisconsin and the District of Columbia. The front suspension upper control arm ball joint may experience a loss of lubrication which could lead to corrosion, accelerated wear, and possible separation while driving.  Failure of the ball joint could result in a loss of steering capability, increasing the risk of a crash. NHTSA's Office of Defect Investigation has received 22 complaints of upper ball joint separation, which can result in the affected front wheel collapsing, resulting in vehicle disablement and a loss of vehicle control. The Office of Defect Investigations has identified 5 incidents that are alleged to have occurred at speeds of 40 mph or greater, including one at 75 mph. In addition, 7 separations occurred while the driver was pulling into the flow of traffic and 2 others occurred when the driver was attempting to make a left turn across the flow of oncoming traffic. One of these complainants alleged almost being hit by an oncoming truck as a result of the vehicle suddenly being disabled in the flow of crossing traffic. Another reported the collapse of the front right wheel when making a turn caused the vehicle to swerve to the right into a ditch, narrowly missing a telephone pole. 09V-119. Chrysler did not issue the recall until after the government upgraded its investigation to an Engineering Analysis. EA08-008.

Subaru is recalling 5,130 model year 2008-2009 Subaru Tribeca passenger vehicles. The Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC) g-sensor was improperly installed. This sensor is designed to be mounted in a forward facing direction by may have been installed backwards during production. If the sensor was improperly installed, vehicle handling characteristics during hard braking, sudden turns or other quick maneuvers could cause the vehicle to react in an unexpected manner or result in unstable handling. Under extreme conditions, the driver could lose control of the vehicle and a crash could occur. The recall is expected to begin on or before December 19, 2008. 08V-645. 

Chrysler is recalling 176 model year 2009 Dodge Charger, Dodge Challenger, and Chrysler 300 vehicles. The Tire Pressure Monitor (TPM) sensors may not transmit the actual tire pressure. This could result in the driver not being aware of low tire pressure. Operation of the vehicle with low tire pressure could result in tire damage and cause a crash without warning. The recall is expected to begin during December 2008. 08V-642.

SKF is recalling 2,805 hub units, part no. BR930361, sold as a service part for 1997-2004 Dodge Dakota vehicles and 1999-2003 Dodge Durango vehicles equipped with 2-wheel drive & rear axle ABS. Due to a specification error, the rotor pilot for the hub unit may be too long. This results in the wheel not being seated fully against the hub flange face during mounting. Improper seating of the wheel can result in excessive vibration, brake rotor noise, difficulty removing the wheel after installation and operation of the vehicle, and possibly wheel-end separation during vehicle operation. Should wheel-end separation occur, the driver could lose control of the vehicle, possibly resulting in a crash. The recall is expected to begin during October or November 2008. 08E-064.

Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company (Goodyear) is recalling 5,300 Dunlop Winter Sport 3D tires, size 225/50R17 (DOT code DM40 2TTR), and Dunlop Winter Sport M3 tires, size 275/35R18 (DOT code DMBL 2J8R), manufactured from September 4, 2005, through May 17, 2008. These tires fail to conform to the tire strength requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 109, "New Pneumatic Tires." Tires not meeting the tire strength test requirement could be more susceptible to failure following impact with road hazards. Tire failure following road hazards can result in a vehicle crash. Goodyear will notify owners and replace the noncompliant tires free of charge. Owners will be notified no later than August 1, 2008 and replacement tires will be available by August 30, 2008. 08T-020.

Pro Competition Tire Company (Pro Comp) is recalling 1,206 Pro-Comp All Terrain load range E tires, size LT265/75R16, produced between December 2, 2007 and January 12, 2008. These tires fail to conform to the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 139, "New Pneumatic Radial Tires For Light Vehicles." After testing, a bulge can occur in the lower sidewall on the white sidewall side which indicates the existence of a separation between two lower sidewall components. This condition could result in a vehicle crash. The recall is expected to begin during April 2008. 08T-013.

Hercules Tire and Rubber Company (Hercules Tire) is recalling 2,005 Hercules Terra Trac A/T load range E tires, size LT265/75R16, produced between December 2, 2007 and January 12, 2008. These tires fail to conform to the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 139,"New Pneumatic Radial Tires For Light Vehicles." After testing, a bulge can occur in the lower sidewall on the white sidewall side which indicates the existence of a separation between two lower sidewall components. This condition could result in a vehicle crash. The recall is expected to begin during April 2008. 08T-012.

BMW of North America (BMW) is recalling 55 model year 2008 BMW X5 sport utility vehicles for problems with the rear axle stabilizer (anti-sway bar). These vehicles were equipped with a sports-suspension stabilizer rather than a standard suspension stabilizer on the rear axle. In certain driving conditions, such as fast lane changes at high speed, the vehicle could experience an 'over-steer' behavior affecting vehicle handling and control, which could increase the risk of a crash. The recall is expected to begin during April 2008. 08V-170.

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling 158 model year 2008 Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator vehicles equipped with a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) and the limo builders package for failing to conform to the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 138, "Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems." The tire pressure was increased from 35 PSI to 40 PSI without a commensurate update to the TPMS calibrations. The TPMS indicator light will not illuminate when a tire pressure 25% below the 40 PSI value stated on the tire placard label occurs. The recall is expected to begin on or about April 21, 2008. 08V-166.

Pirelli Tire LLC (Pirelli Tire) is recalling 8,273 tires, size LT 235/80 R 17 load range E, produced from July 11, 2005 to October 30, 2007. Tread chunking, tread chunkout, partial tread separation and/or belt edge separation can occur. Any of these conditions can result in a vehicle crash. Pirelli Tire will notify owners and replace the affected tires free of charge. The recall is expected to begin during April 2008. 08T-014.

General Motors Corporation (GM) is recalling 4586 model year 2008 Cadillac STS and STS-V passenger vehicles for failing to conform to the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 138, 'Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems' (TPMS). The standard requires an indication to the driver for certain TPMS malfunctions. When the system detects a malfunction, the low tire warning light should flash for about one minute and then stay on the remainder of the ignition cycle. A driver information center message will also be displayed on the instrument panel. These indications of a system malfunction do not work. Premature tire failure could result in a loss of control of the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash. The recall is expected to begin on March 18, 2008. 08V-108.

Toyota Motor North America, Inc. is recalling 9,434 model year 2007 Toyota FJ Cruiser. On certain passenger vehicles equipped with either Bridgestone Dueler or Dunlop Grandtrek tires, there is a possibility that the inner bead of the tire may have been damaged. If the bead is damaged, a bulge may develop on the sidewall of the tire and air may leak from the area of the damaged bead. If the tire loses air pressure it may lead to a loss of vehicle control and increase the possibility of a crash. The recall began on July 5, 2006. 06V-235.

Ford Motor Company is recalling 13.3 million Firestone Wilderness AT, 1991-1994 Ford Bronco, 1999-2001 Ford Expedition, 1991-2001 Ford Explorer, 2001-2002 Ford Explorer Sport, 2001-2002 Ford Explorer Sport Trac, 1991-1994, 1997 Ford F150, F250, F350 and F450, 1997-2002 Mercury Mountaineer and 1991-2001 Ford Ranger vehicles and tires. This is not a safety recall in accordance with the Safety Act. However, it is deemed a safety improvement campaign by the agency. Equipment description: Ford is replacing all Firestone Wilderness AT 15, 16, and 17 inch tires mounted on Ford trucks and SUVs. Ford reports tread separation can occur due to a combination of the sensitivity of the tire design to stress, aging, and manufacturing differences between plants. Ford is replacing these tires to prevent possible premature tire failure. The vehicles listed may have been originally equipped with Firestone Wilderness AT tires or may have had Wilderness AT tires installed during the Firestone recall launched in August 2000. Note: both original equipment and replacement tires are affected. Should the tread separate at highway speeds, a vehicle crash could occur, possibly resulting in personal injury or death. The replacement/reimbursement program for this campaign expired on March 31, 2002. However, customers can contact Ford at 1-877-917-3673 or go on-line to www.ford.com for possible assistance. 01X001000.

Bridgestone / Firestone is recalling 2.8 million Firestone Wilderness AT tires, sizes P235/75R15 and P255/70R16, produced from July 1994 through April 1998. These tires pose an increased risk of tread separation. If the tread separates from the tire, the driver can lose control of the vehicle, possibly resulting in a crash causing injury or death. The replacement/reimburshment program for this campaign expired on January 31, 2002. However, customers should contact Firestone at 1-800-465-1904 or 1-888-276-2120 in Puerto Rico for possible assistance.

Bridgestone / Firestone is recalling 14.4 million Firestone ATX tires, Firestone ATX II tires, Firestone Wilderness AT tires, and 1991-2000 Ford Explorer, 1991-1994 Ford F150, 1991-2000 Ford Ranger, 1994-2000 Mazda B Series, 1991-1994 Mazda Navajo and 1996-2000 Mercury Mountaineer vehicles. Tire description: Firestone Wilderness AT, size P235/75R15, produced at the Decatur, Illinois tire plant and all Firestone radial ATX and radial ATX II tires, size P235/75R15. Operation of these tires at low inflation pressures, high speed, and in hot weather, can contribute to separation of the tire tread. If the tread separates from the tire, the driver can lose control of the vehicle, possibly resulting in a crash causing injury or death. The replacement/reimbursement program for this campaign expired on August 29, 2001. However, customers should contact Firestone customer service at 1-800-465-1904 for possible assistance. 00T005.