Chinese Manufacturer Denies that Recalled Tires Are Defective

Sandy Grinnell

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Tires manufactured in China and imported by a New Jersey firm, Foreign Tire Sales, Incorporated, may be defective. Although the manufacturer, Hangzhou Zhongce, denies exporting a defective product, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has issued a recall.

The NHTSA recall includes tires sold under the brands Westlake, Compass, Telluride and YKS. It appears the tires may have been manufactured without a "gum strip" which could allow the tire's tread to separate from the tire, creating a safety hazard. Concerned consumers should call NHTSA's vehicle safety hotline 1-888-327-4236.

The New York Times has reported another instance involving Hangzhou Zhongce:

This is not the first recall involving Hangzhou Zhongce. In August 2005, Cooper Tire recalled more than 49,000 tires made under contract by the company because of problems with loss of air pressure.

For more information on this subject, please refer to our section on Defective and Dangerous Products.