Sumitomo Rubber recalls nearly 7,000 TBR tires

WASHINGTON—Sumitomo Rubber Industries Ltd. is recalling close to 7,000 Sumitomo- and Falken-brand medium truck/bus tires sold in the U.S. since early to mid-2020 because of a manufacturing anomaly that could lead to a tread separation.

The range of tires being recalled covers 10 Sumitomo- and four Falken-brand tire lines in 26 separate SKUs manufactured throughout the first six months of 2020 at Sumitomo factories in Shirakawa and Miyazaki, Japan.

Sumitomo Rubber North America Inc. distributes Falken-brand tires in North America, while TBC Corp. has the distribution rights to the Sumitomo brand in the U.S.

According to information from SRI supplied to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), subject tires are susceptible to developing a visible deformation in a single, small area of the bead, near the upper edge of a rim flange.

The manufacturing anomaly is tied to the possible misplacement of a joint-tape rubber that's used to join the ends of the tire's innerliner. Additionally, due to a change in the joint-tape composition, the rubber's adhesiveness was altered, SRI said, resulting in the joint-tape rubber's protruding beyond the designated area for the joint-tape rubber.

The potential risk was discovered by SRI during endurance testing on an indoor wheel. SRI told NHTSA there have been no accidents, injuries or deaths reported to date as a result of this condition.

The factors leading to the construction anomaly ended at the Shirakawa plant on June 2, 2020, and at the Miyazaki plant on June 9, 2020, SRI said.

Sumitomo had applied to NHTSA in December 2020 for ruling of "inconsequential noncompliance" for these tires, but the U.S. agency denied SRI's petition on April 18, 2022.

Sumitomo told NHTSA it will notify owners and replace the affected tires, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed May 20, Owners may contact Sumitomo customer service at 800-845-8378 or the NHTSA's Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236.

The affected products will have tire identification codes beginning either with U2 or V4 (the DOT ID codes for the two plants) and manufacturing date codes covering a range of 0420 through 2220. The products cover a range of sizes as well, including 11R22.5; 11R24.5; 285/75R24.5;

The products being recalled are:

Falken:

• GI338 — 11R24.5 149/146K
• RI130EC — sizes 285/75R24.5 147/144L; 11R24.5 149/146L; 11R22.5 146/143L;
• RI150EC — 11R22.5 146/143L; and
• RI151S — 315/80R22.5 156/150L

Sumitomo:

• ST528 — in sizes 11R24.5 16PR and 11R22.5 16PR;
• ST709SE — in sizes 285/75R24.5 144/141L; and 11R24.5 149/146L;
• ST710SE — in sizes 11R22.5 144/142L; 11R24.5 146/143L; and 285/75R24.5 144/141L;
• ST719SE — in sizes 11R22.5 146/143L; 285/75R24.5 147/144L; and 11R24.5 149/146L;
• ST778+SE — in sizes 11R24.5 149/146L; 285/75R24.5 144/141L;
• ST788SE — in sizes 11R24.5 149/146L; 285/75R24.5 147/144L; and 11R22.5 146/143L;
• ST900 — 11R24.5 16PR;
• ST908N — 11R22.5 146/144L;
• ST938 — 11R24.5 149/146L; and
• ST948SE — 11R24.5 149/146L; and 285/75R24.5 144/141L.