WASHINGTON—The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has granted the petition of Pirelli Tire L.L.C. for inconsequential noncompliance over 30,881 Pirelli tires that lacked complete or partial tire identification numbers on their inner sidewalls.
NHTSA's grant of Pirelli's March 2010 petition means the Milan-based tire maker will not be forced to conduct a public recall of the tires.
The tires in question were Pirelli Pzero Nero M+S and Scorpion Zero Asimmetrico replacement tires manufactured between Sept. 2, 2008 and Dec. 12, 2009, Pirelli told NHTSA.
The tires have asymmetric tread patterns that can only be installed correctly with the outer sidewall facing the outside of the vehicle, making the lack of a TIN on the inner sidewall inconsequential, Pirelli said. Also, these asymmetrical-tread tires make up a very small percentage of the market, the tire maker said.
NHTSA's notice granting Pirelli's petition appeared in the May 10, 2013 Federal Register.