21T012 Bridgestone & Firestone Pinhole Leak In Sidewall

August 18, 2021 NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 21T012000

Pinhole Leak In Sidewall / FMVSS 139

Tires containing a pinhole may slowly leak air, and the continued loss of air may increase the risk of a vehicle crash.

 

NHTSA Campaign Number: 21T012

Manufacturer Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations

Components TIRES

Potential Number of Units Affected 21,513

 

Summary

Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations (Bridgestone) is recalling certain Bridgestone Dueler H/L 422 Ecopia P245/60R18, Dueler H/L Alenza 275/55R20, Ecopia H/L 422 Plus 235/55R20, Turanza EL440 235/60R18, and Firestone Destination LE3 225/65R17 tires with DOT code 2821. These tires may have been manufactured with a pinhole in the outboard side of the tire. As such, these tires fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 139, “New Pneumatic Radial Tires for Light Vehicles.”

 

Remedy

Bridgestone will notify owners and replace affected tires with a comparable Bridgestone or Firestone brand tire, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed September 17, 2021. Owners may contact BATO customer service at 1-800-847-3272.

 

Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov.

 

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Bridgestone Issues Voluntary Recall to Recover

Eight Affected Passenger Tires 

 

• Bridgestone has issued a voluntary recall to recover eight passenger tires that may have sustained a small pinhole in the outward-facing sidewall during manufacturing.
• The affected tires were manufactured at the company’s passenger tire plant in Aiken, South Carolina between July 11, 2021 and July 17, 2021.
• All known customers, distributors and dealers will receive notification of the recall with instructions from Bridgestone allowing them to determine if they have one of the eight (8) affected tires with the pinhole condition.

 

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (August 23, 2021) – Bridgestone Americas and Bridgestone Canada (Bridgestone) are collectively issuing a voluntary recall to recover eight (8) passenger tires that may have sustained a small pinhole in the outward-facing sidewall during manufacturing. The impacted tires were manufactured at the company’s passenger tire plant in Aiken, South Carolina between July 11, 2021 and July 17, 2021 and include the following tire products/brands:

 

• Firestone Destination LE3 tires in size 225/65R17 with DOT Tire Identification Number (TIN) Code 17X 2Y LE32 2821;
• Bridgestone Dueler H/L 422 Ecopia tires in size P245/60R18 with DOT TIN Code 7X VD 423 2821;
• Bridgestone Dueler H/L Alenza tires in size 275/55R20 with DOT TIN Code 7X Y1 DH7 2821;
• Bridgestone Turanza EL440 tires in size 235/60R18 with DOT TIN Code 7X 45 JB2 2821; and
• Bridgestone Ecopia H/L 422 Plus tires in size 235/55R20 with DOT TIN Code 7X 8A EC1 2821.

 

There are no known accidents or injuries involving tires subject to this recall. However, tires included in this recall may not comply with U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) and/or Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (CMVSS) performance requirements.

 

The pinhole in affected tires is visible in the tire’s outward-facing sidewall near the first digit of the TIN Date Code. Should the pinhole penetrate the tire’s inner liner, a slow air loss may occur.

 

If left unaddressed, this slow leak could affect tire performance and, depending upon the particular vehicle and other circumstances, increase the risk of a crash.

 

Bridgestone has determined only eight (8) affected tires remain in the market. However, the Company has extended the scope of this voluntary recall to include 21,513 tires manufactured on impacted equipment at the company’s Aiken passenger tire plant within the compromised DOT Date Code week. Bridgestone is casting a wide net to find the eight affected tires that remain in the market. This approach is consistent with Bridgestone’s longstanding commitment to quality, safety and customer satisfaction.

 

Tires included in this recall were sold to Bridgestone’s company-owned retail stores in the U.S., as well as to original equipment manufacturers, tire retailers, dealers and distributors in the U.S. and Canada. Bridgestone has notified regulatory agencies in the U.S. and Canada in accordance with applicable laws.

 

All known customers, distributors and dealers will receive notification of the recall. Owners may take their vehicle to a Bridgestone company–owned retail store or a Bridgestone/Firestone authorized retail location for inspection to determine whether a pinhole is present in the outward-facing sidewall near the first digit of the TIN Date Code. Bridgestone will replace affected tires with a comparable Bridgestone or Firestone brand tire or other suitable replacement at no charge to customers.

 

About Bridgestone Americas, Inc.:

Nashville, Tennessee-based Bridgestone Americas, Inc. is a subsidiary of Bridgestone Corporation, a global leader providing sustainable mobility and advanced solutions. Bridgestone Americas develops, manufactures and markets a diverse portfolio of original equipment and replacement tires, tire-centric solutions, mobility solutions, and other rubber-associated and diversified products that deliver social value and customer value. Guided by its global corporate social responsibility commitment, Our Way to Serve, Bridgestone is dedicated to shaping a sustainable future of mobility and improving the way people move, live, work and play.

 

About Bridgestone Canada, Inc.:

Bridgestone Canada Inc. (BSCA) is a member of Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations (BATO) and a direct subsidiary of Bridgestone Americas, Inc. (BSAM), whose parent company, Bridgestone Corporation, is a global leader providing sustainable mobility and advanced solutions. BSCA and BATO develop, manufacture and market Bridgestone, Firestone and associate brand tires. They are focused on retail, wholesale and original equipment markets, supplying passenger, light truck, commercial vehicle, off road, agricultural and other tires to their customers in Canada and the United States, respectively.

 

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Chronology – Other Recall Related Document

 

Manufacturer: Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations, LLC

Submitted: August 18, 2021

Transaction ID: 21-00201-26509-10

 

 

Chronology:

July 11, 2021: Aiken technicians received notice that TLMS Robot #5 was not responding and failing to etch tire sidewalls. Trouble shooting was begun.

 

July 12, 2021: Aiken technicians determined that a chaffed wire led to the malfunction of TLMS Robot #5. Technicians replaced the wiring and tested the robot. The robot was then returned to service. One tire was found with a pinhole and was removed from production.

 

August 2, 2021: Honda advised BATO that it found 5 tires with pinholes in the TIN above the first digit in the date code. BATO reviewed photos and determined that all 5 tires were processed through Aiken TLMS Robot #5.

 

August 3, 2021: BATO reviewed data for tires processed through TLMS Robot #5.  BATO identified 137 tires in 25 different SKUs that may have been affected.  Affected tires were identified by their unique barcode sticker. BATO froze tires in the 25 affected SKUs still contained at the plant.  BATO also froze tires in the 25 affected SKUs that were shipped to its distribution centers.

 

August 3 – August 9, 2021: BATO began an investigation to evaluate this condition, confirm the list of affected SKUs, and determine whether any of the affected tires were shipped beyond its control. BATO distribution centers searched inventory by barcode for the affected tires. BATO asked company-owned stores, OEM customers, and distributors to search their inventories for affected tires. BATO reviewed data from TLMS Robot #5 and visually verified the condition of contained affected tires. BATO narrowed the population of tires affected from 137 to 56. During this process, 48 of the 56 tires were contained; 8 tires from five different SKUs remain unaccounted.

 

August 11, 2021: BATO’s technical investigation concluded, and it was determined that the subject tires may not comply with the requirements of S6 of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 139.

 

There have been no reports of accidents, injuries, or consumer complaints related to this condition.

 

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5 Affected Products

Tires

BRAND	TIRE LINE/SIZE	PRODUCTION DATES
BRIDGESTONE	DUELER H/L 422 ECOPIA/P245/60R18
BRIDGESTONE	DUELER H/L ALENZA/275/55R20
BRIDGESTONE	ECOPIA H/L 422 PLUS/235/55R20
BRIDGESTONE	TURANZA EL440/235/60R18
FIRESTONE	DESTINATION LE3/225/65R17

 

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6 Associated Documents

Chronology

RMISC-21T012-8265.pdf 121.822KB

 

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Recall 573 Report – Amendment 1

RCLRPT-21T012-1017.PDF 219.387KB

 

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Noncompliance Notice 573 Report

RCLRPT-21T012-5169.PDF 219.728KB

 

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Recall Acknowledgement

RCAK-21T012-2845.pdf 651.526KB

 

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Recall 573 Report – Amendment 1

RCLRPT-21T012-2556.PDF 219.387KB

 

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Bridgestone Issues Voluntary Safety Recall for Eight Passenger Tires Press Release

RMISC-21T012-9114.pdf 168.22KB

 

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Latest Recalls Documents

https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/acms/cs/documentList.xhtml?docId=21T012&docType=RCL

 

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