WASHINGTON — Cooper Tire & Rubber Co. is recalling 24,459 touring tires, size 235/65R18, sold under various Cooper, Mastercraft, Big O and Dean Tire brand names, because of a potential manufacturing "distortion"
The tires, built in Cooper's Findlay, Ohio, plant in July through October 2018, may have been manufactured with a ply-cord distortion, Cooper said, that can result in a "flex-related anomaly" in the lower sidewall bead area.
The distortion may cause parting of the lower sidewall compounds extending to the cord material, increasing the risk of tire failure and a crash, Cooper said.
The tires being recalled are the:
- Big O Big Foot A/S, manufactured between July 22 and Sept. 8;
- Cooper Adventurer H/T CUV, manufactured between July 29 and Oct. 20, 2018.
- Cooper Discoverer SRX, manufactured between Sept. 23 and Oct. 20;
- Cooper Discoverer HTF, manufactured between Aug. 19 and Oct. 20, 2018;
- Cooper Evolution R/T, manufactured between July 22 and Oct. 20;
- Dean Tires Back Country QS3 Touring HT, manufactured between Sept. 16 and Oct. 20; and
- Mastercraft Courser HSX Tour, manufactured between July 22 and Sept. 8.
The tires' DOT sidewall ID sequence begins with UPLM1D3 and ends with a date code indicating which week in 2018 they were manufactured.
Cooper said it has notified owners, and dealers will replace the tires, free of charge. The recall began June 14. Owners may contact Cooper Tire customer service at 800-854-6288; the number for this recall is 172.
In addition to Cooper dealers and Big O franchisees, Les Schwab Tire Centers and Icahn Automotive's Pep Boys – Manny, Moe & Jack unit are listed as part of the recall process, covering the Back Country QS3 Touring HT and Adventurer H/T CUV line, respectively.
Les Schwab owns the Dean Tire brand name, and the Cooper Adventurer H/T is sold exclusively through Pep Boys.