Bridgestone Recalls 21,000 Tires to Find 8 With a Possible Defect
It’s no secret that tires are essential to the safe and reliable performance of all cars. Besides being round and full of air, a tire literally connects your vehicle to the road. If you have recently purchased Bridgestone tires, or own a vehicle that has them, there’s some urgent news you should know about below.
Recall affecting Bridgestone Dueler, Ecopia, Alenza, Turanza, and Destination tires
Bridgestone has issued a voluntary recall for the following models and sizes:
- Dueler H/L 422 Ecopia in size P245/60R18 with DOT Tire Identification Number (TIN) Code 7X VD 423 2821
- Dueler H/L Alenza in size 275/55R20 with DOT TIN Code 7X Y1 DH7 2821
- Turanza EL440 in size 235/60R18 with DOT TIN Code 7X 45 JB2 2821
- Ecopia H/L 422 Plus in size 235/55R20 with DOT TIN Code 7X 8A EC1 2821
- Destination LE3 in size 225/65R17 with DOT TIN 17X 2Y LE32 2821
The company states that eight tires manufactured in the period from July 11-17, 2021, could have a small hole in the outside sidewall. The defects are reportedly visible near the tire’s outward-facing sidewall close to the TIN Date Code’s first digit. If it’s deep enough, the puncture could compromise the inner liner of the tire.
The resulting a slow leak could increase the risk of a crash, if not addressed. If you have any of the tires and sizes listed above, it’s best to have them inspected by your local Bridgestone / Firestone dealer, just to be safe. It’s worth noting that Destination LE3 and Ecopia H/L tires have been recalled before for a similar defect in 2020.
What is a Tire Idenfification Number (TIN)?
According to TireIndustry.org, on the sidewall of each tire is a code, appearing after the letters DOT. The first four letters are the unique ID mark of your tire manufacturer. The second group of two characters can be used to reference the tire size, possibly using internal nomenclature.
The third group represents the type of tire, and the last group the date they were built. The first two numbers in the last group indicate the specific week, and the last two the year of manufacture. For example, a tire with the date stamp 3521 was made in the 35th week of the year 2021.
Better safe than sorry
Bridgstone estimates that only eight defective tires made it to market, and there haven’t been any known injuries or accidents so far. That said, the firm says the tires might not meet Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) or similar standards in Canada (CMVSS). For that reason, if you have any of the tires listed above, it’s best to have them professionally inspected for your own safety.
Final thoughts
Purchasers of the affected tires should also be informed by Bridgestone soon, if not already. But regardless of the tires on your car, it’s smart to be vigilant and inspect them for punctures and wear as often as possible.
