Bridgestone Firestone Announces Safety Campaign
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Aug. 26,
2004) – Bridgestone Firestone North American
Tire, LLC (BFNT) today announced that it is initiating
a voluntary safety campaign in the United States to
replace approximately 25,600 Bridgestone Dueler A/T
tires in size LT285/75R16 LR D (Load Range D). The subject
tires were manufactured in Japan by Bridgestone Corporation
and imported into the United States by BFNT for sale
in the replacement tire market primarily by its channel
of independent dealers as well as the retail stores
operated by its affiliated company, BFS Retail &
Commercial Operations, LLC (BFRC). In a related action,
Bridgestone Firestone Canada Inc. (BFCA) intends to
replace approximately 1,400 of these tires in the Canadian
replacement market that were sold through BFCA’s
network of independent dealers.
Consumers in the United States can
receive free replacement tires through any BFRC company-owned
stores: Firestone Tire & Service Centers, ExpertTire,
TiresPlus, Hibdon TiresPlus, Wheel Works, GCR, or Firestone
Commercial & Farm. Canadian consumers should contact
an authorized participating Bridgestone retailer for
replacement.
Recent data reviewed as part of the
company’s early warning system suggests that a
small percentage of these tires may experience belt
detachment, especially if they have been operated below
recommended inflation pressures for the load carried
by the tire or above recommended loads. A belt detachment
of this kind can, in rare instances, lead to a loss
of control of a vehicle and a possible crash. In order
to avoid any future problems, BFNT and BFCA will replace
these tires to enhance safety and to ensure customer
satisfaction. The performance of these tires differs
from other Dueler tires, including those of the same
size and type which were manufactured after July 31,
2002, which continue to perform well in the field.
“Safety is the first priority
in our company, and to that end we actively monitor
our tires’ performance in the field with an advanced
early warning system,” according to Mike Kane,
vice president quality assurance, BFNT. “We noticed
that this specific size and type of tire was not performing
up to our company’s expectations, so we decided
to remove the remaining tires from service to avoid
the potential of any future problems.”
The tires were manufactured in Tosu,
Japan, beginning in July 1, 1998 through July 31, 2002.
BFNT will replace these tires at no charge to consumers
with Bridgestone or other brands of tires manufactured
by BFNT or its affiliated companies such as Firestone,
Dayton and Widetrack. Replacement tires may include
(at the consumer’s option) tires of the same size
as those which were fitted as original equipment on
the consumer’s vehicle.
- Notification letter: Every effort
will be made to identify customers who have purchased
tires covered by this program in order to advise them
of the campaign by mail. However, consumers need not
wait to receive a letter in order to have the tires
inspected, and if they are a part of this action,
replaced. Consumers in the United States can visit
any BFRC company-owned location to determine if the
tires are subject to the campaign. Authorized replacement
tire locations are Firestone Tire & Service Centers,
ExpertTire, TiresPlus, Hibdon TiresPlus, Wheel Works,
GCR, or Firestone Commercial & Farm. Canadian
consumers should contact an authorized participating
Bridgestone retailer.
- Web site: Information about how
to identify and replace the tires covered by this
campaign as well as frequently asked questions can
be found at www.bridgestonetire.com.
Nashville-based Bridgestone Firestone
North American Tire, LLC is a subsidiary of Bridgestone
Americas Holding, Inc., whose parent company, Bridgestone
Corporation, is the world’s largest tire and rubber
company. BFNT develops, manufactures and markets Bridgestone,
Firestone, Dayton and associate and private brand tires.
The company is focused on wholesale and original equipment
markets, supplying passenger, light truck, commercial
vehicle, off-road, agricultural and other tires to its
customers in North America.
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