NHTSA opens investigation into General Ameri*550 radial

WASHINGTON (July 24)—The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has opened a preliminary evaluation of possible defects in the General Ameri*550 radial tire, size P235/70R16. One of the tires chosen by Ford Motor Co. to help replace 13 million recalled Firestone Wilderness AT tires last May, the Ameri*550 was one of 11 of those tire models identified by the House Energy and Commerce Committee as having a higher tread separation claims rate than Ford´s benchmark figure of five per million. The Ameri*550, at 124 per million, had the highest claims rate of any. Officials of Continental Tire North America couldn´t immediately be reached for comment.