I was a professional auto mechanic for 15 years and never heard of these tires. When you started the story talking about the most dangerous tire ever, I immediately thought of the Firestone / Ford Explorer fiasco.
The part that was never publicized about the "Firestone / Ford Explorer fiasco" was that the failed tires were all being operated at lower than 25 PSI. That is the big reason that all cars now have tire pressure monitoring systems so they are protected from negligent operation.
@@BorkToThe3rd the low PSI was to deal with people trying to drive top heavy vehicles like they had been driving there low to the ground sedans. There were never any issues with the vehicle or the tires just the way they were being operated.
Fun fact, Uhaul won't rent Car Trailers to Ford Explorers model 2010 or older. You need a 2011 or newer because the design language changed and the tires were different
Based on my research, the life expectancy for tires is 6-10 year whether used or never installed. Any vehicle that is using tires as old as the subject tires is already at considerable risk of failure from age related deterioration.
My thoughts exactly. Tires this old should NOT even be on a vehicle. And because the tire was intended for delivery vehicles, WHY were they installed on RVs? What is Goodyear's stand on this. There are warnings on tires regarding improper installation. And any items used in a way not intended should be on the user/purchaser not the manufacture.
@@djburris1961 One of the question is, what is it sold as? If it was designed for and sold as delivery vehicle only, then yeah, the RV manufacture is at fault. But if it's designed for delivery vehicle but sold "generally", then the fault lies with good year.
We owned a class A motorhome when these tires were on the market, and it was well known in the RV community that these tires failed frequently. Goodyear's failure to acknowledge this issue and recall these tires is why I will never buy a Goodyear produce for any vehicle. This type of inaction deserves consequences. The fact that action is finally being taken is an indictment of both the company and NHTSA.
Truth right here, Goodyear and Firestone are both on my "do not buy" list. Goodyear because of this tire (and subsequent attempts by their execs and legal team to cover up the failures) and Firestone for a whole litany of problem tires going back decades.
I am a professional driver with over 3.5 million miles of experience. If people knew black then of the problems with that tire. Then you knew not to buy them. Problem solved. I have driven vehicles equipped with those tires. I did not have any issue with them blowing out. Oh I had a few blowouts with them. As well as with other brands of tires. But I never wrecked any vehicle because of a blowout or any other issue. Knowing how to drive is how you keep from wrecking a vehicle. Unless the wreck is caused by someone else's screw up. I have had wheels break off axles & never wrecked. It is about skill & ability. If you have neither. Stop driving. You do not belong behind the wheel of a vehicle.
My parents experienced one of these tires. Cross-country trip, as in Steve's hypothetical scenario, long stretch of higher speeds and BOOM! Front driver-side tire literally blew up. My father deftly maneuvered the suddenly lurching beast safely to the side but being in the RV? experiencing it?! We were lucky....I don't think nearly a third of those with a high-speed, front-tire, blow-out are ready for the violent upheaval that occurs.
I had a similar experience with a Michelin tire that was a spare kept inside my Suburban, so it was basically like brand new. Just fragmented on me at highway speed
Most people’s response to a blown tire is to hit the breaks hard. Almost always ends in a very bad result. If one tire is flat or pretty much non existing, when you brake you will get one side braking almost normally but the other breaking at about half as much or worse. The vehicle will want to turn wildly when especially if it is a front tire.
My parents bought a 1999 Buick Regal ca. 2005. I moved back to my parents in 2007 to help take care of them as they declined. While there, they would get a post card now and then saying there was a potential fire hazard due to a valve cover seep. I became the owner of the car after they died, and then I moved to a different state. I STILL get these postcards. Twenty three years after production. Not to worry, it's parked forever under the pecan tree.
Bought a convertible that had very low miles for it's age...the tires had a build date of 2010....last fall, my mechanic noticed dry rot and cracking on the tread surfaces.....we placed the car in winter storage and as soon as we bought it out last month, I immediately replaced the tires.....plenty of tread left but I didn't want to risk it.
@@automan1223 6 years in polluted city air ; we get an easy 10+ in my area. Its also possible to extend the life with off season storage in sealed plastic bags, if you bother with winter and summer tires and don't drive enough miles to wear the tread before they die of old age.
We had 3 of those tires bought as replacements because we believed in Goodyear. Within 2 years we had two tread separations and when we tried to get warranty replacements Goodyear said they weren't qualified because the tires were imported from Canada. Luckily for us, the dealer we bought other tires from gave us a huge discount on some Kelly tires to replace the current ones. Those tires never gave us any trouble and lasted until the vehicle was put out to pasture. I won't buy Goodyear again.
my experience is the opposite - I went from Kelly tires wearing out prematurely to cooper tires wearing out prematurely, to running having goodyears last three times as long - but I paid attention to the rating of the tires and got ones that weren't running at the upper limit of their load rating.
@@kenbrown2808 It could be lack of consistency in manufacturing. We were careful to exceed all the requirements for weight even though we weren't driving it that often and only occasionally hauled a load that even approached the weight rating, never over. We looked at buying more than we ever needed as safety insurance. It didn't work out.
@@OneWildTurkey maybe they went through a slump at that time. all I know is that I'm spending a lot less time having new tires put on. I should mention that the goodyears are a higher ply and higher load rating than the previous ones.
I looked up the data on those tires, and they were rated only up to 50 mph. Do the people who sold these tires and RV manufacturers who decided to use them on their vehicles have any culpability for using a tire not suited for that use?
@@defuller1 The Goodyear sales department sold these tires to RV manufacturers knowing full well they weren't being use on low speed delivery vehicles. So yes, they are culpable.
that's probably fine for local delivery like UPS or other fleet use where the vehicle has a governed top speed.... and loading is far from the maximum, which was common 20 years ago.
They are fine if correctly stored to limit contact with air pollution such as ozone and UV light. (Wrapped in a thick black LDPE plastic bag sealed with tape is how the manufacturers store them.) But certainly on the vehicle is not correctly stored even if parked in a garage the whole time.
@@mytech6779 I doubt they would be good after 20 years even when stored properly. 20 years is just too damn long and it makes no sense for any manufacturer to ever store them that long since they have date codes and thus cannot be sold.
@@bobbygetsbanned6049 But customers can store them and most don't care about date codes. But yes 20 years is extremely old if installed(most likely) even in favorable climates.
@@mytech6779 What customers don't care about date codes?? Literally any customer who knows anything about tires cares a LOT about date codes. You can't even get tires serviced at a Discount tire, NTB, Firestone, or any other reputable place if the date code is past 6 years.
I purchased a 2020 Big Tex trailer new in December 2019. It was a 14GN trailer rated for 15,900 Lbs. and I had the GVWR de-rated to 14,799. It has 2 - 7K axles with a combined rating of 14K. The factory supplied tires were 10 ply Good Ride tires, load range "E", with a weight rating per tire of 3520 Lbs. Other similar trailer tires are typically rated around 3450 Lbs. and therefore not suitable for 7K axles. After 30k miles on the tires and with very little tread wear, the tires started separating. After the second failure and some research I elected to replace all my tires plus the spare with 14 ply tires with a far higher load rating. When the tire shop was replacing the tires, they found one that was in the process of separating! All my loads are well within the specifications of the de-rated trailer as I was what they refer as a "non-CDL" hotshot and have to keep the weight below 26,001 Lbs., and also keep my axle weights within manufacturer's limits. I didn't bother with the warranty because I will never use that brand of tires again. During my research, I discovered that the tires have such a bad reputation that they are known as "Blow Ride" tires! So it appears that the manufacturer raised the load rating Lbs. so they could sell cheap tires for the 7K axles, which are very common.
Smart man. Over rate your equipment so it lasts. I watch a LOT of automotive TH-camrs, and trailer blow outs are so common, it's ridiculous. The smartest of them listened to his long haul trucker friends and swapped all of the tires on his totorhome and his stacker trailer to a better quality, higher rated tire and hasn't posted a video of a blown tire since.
@@kstricl I bought my trailer off a dealer lot and was stretched thin because I purchased all the equipment for my business before quitting my previous job. I had every intention on upgrading the tires when they wore out. They just blew out long before they wore out! Since replacing them, I have run nearly 2 years with only 1 tire failure, and that was after hitting a curb with a forklift loaded on the trailer. My fault, not the tire!
I'll never forget renting an Explorer that while on a 1400 drive suffered lower than normal pressures due to a defect. The tire was a Firestone. This was years before the recall of Firestone equipped vehicles. I consider myself lucky as we had wife, newborn, and my parents on board.
RV has been parked in my backyard for 20 years, 4 out of 6 tires are still holding air. Was planning on junking it this summer, need to check the tires first, might get myself some free money!
Tires should be replaced after 7 years regardless of wear. I wonder how many of these failures are related to the tire being beyond time of useful service.
I had a tire shop try and put a set on my truck that were 9 years old, they told me that they had just come from the warehouse and were brand new. I pointed out the date on the tire and they still wanted to install them. I took my business elsewhere after that.
The entire vehicle should be scraped and replaced at the same time tires need to be replaced. Just to be safe. As per recommendation of a new car salesmen. I know this hurts tire sales in the aftermarket but is what is suggested.
@@martyk1156 I had Michelin tire that was a spare kept inside my Suburban, so it was basically like brand new, just an old tire with zero wear, or use. After a flat, I changed to that Michelin. Later, at highways speeds, it fragmented on me.
When I saw the low number of tires being recalled I did a web search and discovered that this recall included only one size - 265R70-22.5. Manufactured 1996-2003. I’m surprised that, given the level of detail you usually give, you didn’t mention that. I have used the 16” version (the smallest made) since the late 1970’s, on a Dodge Maxivan, a F350 dual Lu, and a 36’ fight wheel RV and never experienced a problem. I was always careful to maintain proper air pressures and replace them if they reached 6 years of age. Wore almost like iron and were pnly tires I ever owned that lasted long enough to be replaced based only on age. I enjoy your videos and have learned quite a bit about lemon laws.
By the way it helps companies to wait on recalls like this, it would make sense if a penalty was introduced for every year they waited to recall the tires. Companies might not wait if they were fined the entire cost of the recall for every single year they waited, on top of what the actual costs were.
I wonder how much of this problem is the tyre itself, and how much is age-related or misuse by installing them on RVs - particularly as RV tyres tend to sit in one place for years before taking the occasional cross-country trip. Recalling 20 year old tyres seems somewhat irrelevant, as there likely shouldn't be 20 year old tyres either for sale or on the road.
Both, the tires were supposed to withstand 194F and a speed of 65 mph but at less than 50 mph the temp could get over 200F. So there appears to have been issues with heat dissipation and the materials selected. On top of that the tires were very prone to tread separation due to inflation variability and overload which makes it a terrible RV tire.
Well you see, Goodyear knew the tire was a bad match for RV use but approved them for use with RVs anyway, that's kind of the point of this whole thing. They were designed for P/D trucks (pickup/delivery) operating on surface streets and not constant highway use at interstate speeds. These tires never should have been released for use by the general public. These tires (and how Goodyear handled the fallout from these tires) are why I'll never buy Goodyear tires for me or my loved ones.
Most (and I use the term loosely) RV owners generally replace their tires on a 7 year basis because of the weight of our rigs and what that does to the tires, so Goodyear is pretty safe from any tires still being in use now. Cases like this is where there needs to be some other agency involved that has the authority to take a chunk out of them because of those tires and the damages they inflicted (and yes, I do know some owners on the groups I belong to that had those tires and changed them out many years ago when these issues were first circulated).
These kinds of stories bring me right back to *Fight Club.* _"A new car built by my company leaves somewhere traveling at 60 mph. The rear differential locks up. The car crashes and burns with everyone trapped inside. Now, should we initiate a recall? Take the number of vehicles in the field, A, multiply by the probable rate of failure, B, multiply by the average out-of-court settlement, C. A times B times C equals X. If X is less than the cost of a recall, we don't do one."_ *Woman:* "Are there a lot of these kinds of accidents?" _"You wouldn't believe."_ *Woman:* "Which car company do you work for?" _"A major one._
I was thinking about GM and the infamous ignition switch fiasco. They could have fixed it for about $10K but NOoooo. The executives didn't give a damn about lives only short term gains.
Steve, RV tires don't normally wear out, they age out. Responsible RV owner will replace them normally after 7 or so years. I purchased a 21 rear old RV from an estate sale and could not believe that the original rear dual tires were still on the rig. They were on of the first things changed.
That's more common than you think. A few years ago I bought a 1964 Chevy (Corvair van) and the 20+ year old tires still had some of the mold whiskers, but they were completely dry rotted. It was hard to see, but deep in the tread each tire was splitting right to the cord.
I had to replace the tires on my 2015 Kia a few years ago even though there were only 30k on them due to the sidewalls starting to fail, I highly doubt 19+ year old tires would still be even close to roadworthy. Especially on a large vehicle.
@@GreenAppelPie Yup, usually 5-6 years if the tread isn't gone they need to be replaced anyways. They last longer if they are stored out of sunlight but not 20 years.
Funny the first thing that you mentioned was the shifter. We had a Saturn Relay van that suffered from this. If you didn't quite get it all the way in park forcefully it would land in the area between Park and reverse and it was a crapshoot which way it was going to pop. My wife put it in park and stepped out to reach the mailbox and it popped in reverse and was headed straight for the neighbor's house. Somehow before it ran over her and ran into their house she managed to grab the seat rail pull herself in far enough to push the brake pedal with her hand and stop it. That was quite a learning experience for all of us. Until that happened we had no idea of that flaw.
I have always been under the understanding that tires are only good for 6 years from the date of manufacture, if you run them longer than that you should be checking them regularly for signs of deterioration. 19 year old tires on an RV seems downright irresponsible to me! I understand some of these tires were probably going bad when they were much newer so I’m not saying Goodyear isn’t to blame, but at this point I think it’s on the owners of those RVs who are running 19 year old tires!
Yeah I think 6 years is when tire places will no longer mount or maintenance them anymore. Tires last longer when stored out of sunlight, but not 19 years, putting those on an RV is asking for a blow out.
About 35 years ago I bought four new Goodyear tires for my car about 3 weeks after I bought them the belts separated into the tires never got good year tires ever again
I was a GOODYEAR customer for 25 years..they were great, the shop manager became accustomed to the fact that I DID MOST OF MY OWN REPAIRS.. one year after I replaced shocks, control arms , tie rod ends etc. on my Volvo, I took it in for a state inspection….the new shop manager handed me a repair estimate for $2500 to replace, shocks, control arms etc…I handed the inspection report to the store manager, whom I knew, and explained that I had done this work not more than a year ago….he apologised and said he would speak with the shop guy…..I never went back….
When buying a new battery or tires. Always ask about the date of manufacture. If over a year, pass. Tires rot from sitting, especially when exposed to sun light. I had a tire bow out on a class A RV and it wasn't fun getting it stopped safely.
Doesn't extended periods sitting without moving also hurt tires? I've heard that military bases have to move all their vehicles every 6 months to put weight on a different part of the wheel, and it was suggested that failing to do that was part of why Russia had a lot of flat tires in Ukraine. RVs also tend to sit unused for months at a time.
FYI for anyone who wants to know, if you want to know the weight a car, pickup, proper truck, RV, trailer or ANYTHING else on wheels that you can drive to any truck stop with a CAT scale, big yellow sign, costs less then $20 (was like $12 last i checked) just pull on, press the button, give info they ask for, pull off, go inside and ask for your weigh slip. if you aren't sure just go in and ask the person at the fuel desk.
in many states, when roadside weigh stations are closed, they leave the scale turned on, and anyone can drive onto the scale, and see their vehicle weight. if you're just curious, you don't need an official weigh slip.
Or just go to your local garbage dump or scrapyard, and they can give you the weight as it is there. Many municipal dumpsites can actually issue you with a certificate as well, as often the police there use this to determine if a vehicle is overweight if they do not have their own weighbridge.
@@kenbrown2808 I didn't ever think of that as an option! I see them close gates for those areas often, but at the same time I try to avoid those weigh stations as much as I can.
@@ARockRaider where I am, at smaller weigh stations, they lock the building and pull the shades, but there is an outdoor readout for the scale. of course, at the smallest ones, they put the jump scales back in their trunk and leave with them.
Question, If the tire was not designed for high speed road use, why is it Goodyear's fault that idiot tire dealers, RV sales, etc put unsuitable tires on these vehicles? It is the installers mistake, not Goodyear's. Te tires were fit for purpose, IE Delivery vehicle use. This is so screwed up it is laughable.
It was rated for speeds up to 65 mph but could fail at less than 50. Also, Goodyear marketed the tire to RV manufacturers. It wasn't until 2002 that they changed their stance, at least internally, and then came out with an RV specific tire.
the tires, as Mr Lehto stated, were designed for Delivery vehicles, not trailers or motorhomes. Motorhome dealers and tire sale people selling them as tire for such vehicles makes them, not Goodyear responsible. You are blaming them for something that they had no control over. What part of not designed for that purpose do you not understand. The fact is the tires were fix for the intended purpose.
The “Firestone 500” steel-belted radial tires were a massive recall in the late 1970’s. About 14,000,000 tires were recalled. My car was typical… it had 4 defective 500’s; all 4 were delaminating, and were replaced at Firestone’s expense.
When I bought my Karmann Ghia in July of 2011 it had a two tires from 1979, one from 1980, and another from 1983. The last registration date on the title was in February of 2000, and the last time that I can confirm that it had been on the road was sometime around November 1997 when the previous titled owners son was a grad student at Virginia Tech.
Makes me think of the Firestone tires that they put on light trucks in the 90's. I actually had those tires on my Ford truck and nearly got in a wreck because of the defective tires. The tires had plenty of tread on them but I had them all removed and replaced.
Top of narrow 2 lane bridge.. 3 semi trucks one in front, one behind & one on my left traveling 45mph the tread on passenger front started coming off & took mirror off on the way. It happened in 1976 & my heart races when I think of it. Lucky I survived, with clean drawers!
I've owned Firestone, Goodyear, Michelin, Cooper & Toyo. The best tires I've owned are Cooper and Toyo. Cooper are currently on my Mustang and Toyo are currently on my Ram and the Toyo tires have 72k miles on them.
It’s kinda what Ford is doing with the early Diesel Superduty’s. The emission warranty on my 2013 is extended out to something like 11 years and 120,000 miles. “Customer Satisfaction Program 21M01 Although your vehicle's diesel exhaust fluid system is likely functioning fine, we are pleased to let you know that Ford Motor Company is extending the warranty coverage on the reductant heater and sender assembly. If the reductant heater and sender assembly fails, the "Service Engine Soon" warning indicator will illuminate (shown on the left) and in some cases the engine may go into a reduced power operating mode. This program increases the reductant heater and sender warranty coverage to a total of 11 years or 120,000 miles from the warranty start date, whichever occurs first. If your vehicle has already exceeded either time or mileage limits listed above, this extended warranty coverage will last through July 31, 2022. Coverage is automatically transferred to subsequent owners. If your vehicle's heater and sender assembly requires service, or replacement and your vehicle is within the indicated time/mileage limitations, Ford Motor Company has authorized your dealer to repair or replace the reductant heater and sender assembly free of charge (parts and labor).”
I've seen cracked side walls that had no business being used on an RV. Most people think a good tread pattern is all that needs to be taken into account. I don't replace tires at 3 - 4 years but will inspect them. Many tires rot from inside out and is one of the reasons they should be replaced sooner rather than later. Being in Canada, ultraviolet light isn't nearly as bad as Arizona, Florida, Texas, etc. with 3 - 4 years being more likely to start damaging the tires.
most people with RVs don't drive them enough to wear down the tread. so there are a lot of RVs out there with tires WAY older than they should be. small utility trailers and boat trailers are also likely to have old tires.
RV's that used these tires, generally use commercial tires that are rated to 150k+ miles. RV's generally never see 100k+ miles; high mileage RV's that use the commercial tires are generally on the third or fourth owner, and that owner is on a budget...
Tire sellers are required to register the serial numbers for new tires. They’re called “DOTs” in the industry, and include manufacture date. That’s partially how recalls are issued. Typos/technical issues do happen, so you just double check the dates whenever you see one. Recalls like this aren’t common at all.
I bought a set of studded mud and snow tires. These tires were mounted on spare rims and only used maybe a week a year. When I got home and putting them in the garage. I noticed the date code on the tires. These brand new tires were 8 years old. I took them back. Tire shop tried to tell me that the tires were good. Not a Karen, but talked to the manager, also showed him NTSB shelf life recommendations. Also used to be an ASE Mechanic years ago. Currently an aircraft mechanic. It took several months for them to correct this, but finally got a set of new studded mud and snow tires.
Goodyear still has the same issues I drive a 18 wheeler and had a brand new tire loose its tread driving down the road when the tire tech came to change it he said they had a bad batch recently and it was happening alot
99.9% of these tires are either gone, sit on RV units wasting away in backyards across America or have been turned into pavement tar. I'd be quite surprised if Goodyear hears from anyone who has these tires today.
Jalopnik article suggests the tires fail on RVs when driven at highway speeds, that is, higher than a delivery vehicle's normal operation. The added weight of a RV means more heating and weakening of the bond between the tread and "core". Higher speeds means more centrifugal force trying to throw the tread off (which force increases at the square of the speed). I thought the worst tire ever made was the one that used to cause a certain brand if SUV to rollover/crash?
RV tires, yeah. There's going to be a ton of them out there still. I remember the costs of replacing a fire truck tire, and i can totally see a lot of RVs still having them
Highway rest stops during the summer should have a pool of water several inches deep. Driver over it very slowly to cool off tires. Especially for long haul trucks.
Some may say the RV companies are still around, the issues is they have been most likely sold at least once some twice. Some of these sales were maybe just the name nothing else. I have heard of some people contacting a manufacture for info on their 19 year old RV and were told they have no records from before the time it was sold.
After all these years just now comes out ,wonderful, our motorhome, a 2000 Monaco, replaced all 6 tires at same time 10 years ago, rear inside blew ( tread came off) had fire ,took exhaust off,ripped exhaust out of generator as well could go on but that was a while back now 😳
Famously, Ford Motor Company chose to release the Pinto for sale, knowing that there was a danger of extreme injury and death because of the risk of fuel tank explosions. They callously chose to not fix the problem because the potential costs of litigation and settlement were lower than the small per-unit cost to minimize the danger.
Interesting story. I once bought at 69 Chevy C20 pickup truck that was equipped with 16.5 tires. The tires looked like they had a billion cracks however the tread remaining was massive. I asked the previous owner about the tires and he stated he had owned the truck over 20 years and never replaced them. I tried to buy new tires but was turned down by all the tire retailers and was told that I would have to purchase new tires AND wheels because the were not legally allowed to change the tires on split rims. I gave up and drove the truck for a few years and then drove it 350 miles into southeast ohio to trade it for a car. About 5 years later I spoke with the guy I traded it to and he said he was still driving it with the original tires....Crazy, those tires had to be close to 30 years old AT LEAST.
Soon as Steve mentioned “Engine Fires” I automatically assumed he meant the Kia and Hyundai engine recall of 485 000 vehicles recalled due to possible engine fires and the $37 million they had to pay in fines in 2020. So if you own a Korean car maybe take a look into recalls.
My wife bought a new car in 2012 and then never drove the car much. Last year I took the car to do some servicing of it. The car had 12,000 miles over the ten years we have own it. I am driving on the road and the car vibrated so bad I took it to the tire store and 1st off had the store attempt to balance them it failed so I had all 4 tires replaced, the tire salesman said he did not see anything wrong with the tires but those tires had something happen to them. I asked to see the old tires and once I told the tire store manager what was happening he took a razor knife and sliced the sidewalls to prevent the tires from being resold as used. Those tires were sent to the recycling.
A tire which is 19+ years old would be pretty dangerous by now, so it should have been replaced anyway. If people care about traffic safety, they should have changed tires a few times by now.
I’m almost always in favor of less regulation, but I feel there should be an RV/U-haul endorsement for drivers that do not have a commercial license. These vehicles handle differently and require more frequent inspection than your typical Honda Civic. I think showing a DMV testing official that a driver knows his/her vehicle systems, how to inspect them, and how to safely move the vehicle is a good thing. Until that day arrives, I’d say “personal responsibility” would suggest a visit to the dmv for a CMV licensing study guide. It will have lots useful information for the amateur drivers visiting my place of work. Signed: A Professional Driver
Shit most states don't even require drivers ed to get a basic license. Forget endorsements (mostly used as a tax anyway), just require 100% drivers ed to get a drivers license. And certify instructors similar to the FAA method, where a student needs an instructor's endorsement just to take the driving test, and so they don't endorse any old unqualified student an instructor that has less than 80% first time pass rate will get investigated and some remedial actions.
I'll be the first to admit, driving anything larger than a compact car makes me nervous, so the one time I was forced to drive a small Uhaul rental you better believe I was extremely obsessed with safety. I would prefer to pass a law mandating IQ testing for all drivers. If you see an object the size of a truck, very CLEARLY MARKED "UHAUL", and you are too stupid to give it a wide berth - you shouldn't be driving!
@@cliftonmcnalley8469 The sort of drivers ed I was talking about would filter out people too ignorant or plain stupid to be driving. The part about tracking an instructor's student pass/fail ratio is an essential piece. Instructors spend way more time with a student driver than the short time period of a state examiner, so the instructor can check all the details and make sure results are consistent not a matter of luck. Really (on the FAA pilot side) the state examiner is double checking the judgment and skill of the instructor as much as they are the student. It is expected that the student is essentially a fully qualified pilot once they get the endorsement to take schedule the state exam.
@@mytech6779 Assuming that the 80% pass rate comes from consistency in the driving test. I've heard some crazy stories about the people conducting the driving test. I don't know how they are certified, and how they could be kept to a standard that ensures a fair and objective test. I'm not wanting people failing the test because the person observing the test had a bad hair day or something.
@@exrobowidow1617 I can't comment on current practices, it's been several decades since my driving test and I'm sure it varies by state anyway. I just know the FAA does a pretty good job, and most of the examiners are not even FAA employees they are private individuals selected by the FAA.(a DPE) But there is a lot of support materials, FAA reviews of examiners, a reporting/appeal process for students that think the examiner was grading outside of the written standards. Its a small community so a DPE can get a good or bad reputation with instructors in the region. And a DPE can spend most of a day on one test, the student pays for that time and for any retakes. (On top of paying to rent an airplane. All added up a pilot certificate practical exam is nearly $1000 investment. So in addition to the DPE and CFI having their own certificates on the line if a later accident investigation shows poor training, the students have additional fiscal motive to be at their best. ) And that is for the first tier private pilot certificate. There is a rating for instrument flight rules, a commercial certificate, a bunch of ratings and endorsements for various aircraft and activities, then the airline transport certificate. (Usually airlines will pay for or even administer the ATP test. Its very costly due to the aircraft, copilots, and simulators involved.)
What gets me about the ford recall on the dual clutch transmission was Ford knew the first year there was a problem and they kept building the same transmission.
A question on the manufacturer....aren't most motorhomes using a chassis made by an automotive or truck manufacturer? Say Company A builds the engine, transmission and chassis assembled as a rolling unit and then it's shipped to the RV manufacturer to have the RV body and other accessories installed...wouldn't the Chassis manufacturer have an idea on where the chassis was shipped and who purchased it for driveline warranty issues? Just a thought.
Interesting. 🤔 Last set of GoodYear Tires I had on my car, I put over 100,000 miles on before replacing them with another brand. Not cause they were out of tread, they still had plenty, but because the sidewalls were starting to dry rot.
I've never had a problem with Goodyear, Michelin or BF Goodrich tires. But I'm buying their performance versions mostly. All three have been great tires.
My vote for the most dangerous tire has to go to the old fiberglass belted tires from the '70s. IIRC they were made by Firestone. Even brand new they would loose traction suddenly on wet, or even damp, pavement. High speed or low speed didn't matter. I had a set briefly and replaced then quickly after spinning out 3 different times while going around a corner at below 20mph. I had multiple friends get into wrecks with them and a few ended up in the hospital.
Tires tend to undergo a lot of extra stresses when they don't get used very often, too. You could have a car that drives 1 mile daily, and a car that sits parked for 3 years... the parked car's tires will be trash even though they have more tread life on them.
As I dont drive much, I replace my tires at about 6 years. Because at times I do have to go for a short travel on the freeway. I know this is not about motor homes but still should apply. Same with trailers, folks tend to forget how old their tires are.
My Ford based RV (E350 Chassis) is spec'd for LR "E" 116/112 tires (S-2756/D-2469lbs). My E250 requires LR "E" 120 tires (3086lbs). My Excursion requires LR "E" 123 tires (3417lbs).. The RV being a dually but the front tires are not and has the lowest rating of any of them. Assuming most of the weight is in the back on all three and not going with different front/back ratings this kind of makes sense I guess. I would expect the RV to use larger and higher rated tires though.
When you buy a vehicle, often there is paperwork for the tires and it's up to the consumer to register the serial numbers of the tires for warranty purposes. I imagine the vast majority of people never do...
@@niyablake Yep...I imagine all the tire stores do that for warranty purposes. Many vehicles I have bought over the years I found the tire warranty registration paperwork still in the owner's manual...never sent in.
@@2020HotShotTruckingLLC This also protects the tire shop. I once saw a guy come with dry rot tires and say you guys sold me crap. A quick check of the serial and boom out door
I'm just reminded of the movie with Gene Hackman and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio called _Class Action_ in which an auto manufacturer refused to recall one of its sedans. If you like legal movies, it's worth a view.
an issue with recalls is getting the company to actually HONOR the recall. I drive a 2010 Corolla that I bought in 2018. It has a recall on its airbags. And, almost every month, I get a letter in the mail telling me about the recall and asking me to call a number to get it taken care of. well, I did. I have called the number NUMEROUS times(at least 10 times). sometimes it just goes to a machine and they ask me to leave a phone number for them to call back. When I use the text number, they get my phone and tell me that a dealer will get in contact to arrange the recall. Etc. etc. etc. Not a singe time has the local dealers gotten back in touch. I even called a rep and told them that I was willing to let my airbags be recalled, but I have not heard from the dealer about when to take it up there. they said they would take care of it. Still I have not heard back. At this point, I am just done with it. so I will not be getting the recall done. I guess the postage to say they tried is cheaper for them than the actual repair?
If you're running on 19 year old tires, you're already running a risk of blowout. Doesn't matter who made the tire. They don't last that long.
Yea, I dont get, Why would 19 y/o tires still be on the road
I was a professional auto mechanic for 15 years and never heard of these tires. When you started the story talking about the most dangerous tire ever, I immediately thought of the Firestone / Ford Explorer fiasco.
The part that was never publicized about the "Firestone / Ford Explorer fiasco" was that the failed tires were all being operated at lower than 25 PSI. That is the big reason that all cars now have tire pressure monitoring systems so they are protected from negligent operation.
@@BorkToThe3rd the low PSI was to deal with people trying to drive top heavy vehicles like they had been driving there low to the ground sedans.
There were never any issues with the vehicle or the tires just the way they were being operated.
Fun fact, Uhaul won't rent Car Trailers to Ford Explorers model 2010 or older. You need a 2011 or newer because the design language changed and the tires were different
@@jinga9862 but they will rent them to Expeditions...
It was Ford’s fault
Based on my research, the life expectancy for tires is 6-10 year whether used or never installed. Any vehicle that is using tires as old as the subject tires is already at considerable risk of failure from age related deterioration.
My thoughts exactly. Tires this old should NOT even be on a vehicle. And because the tire was intended for delivery vehicles, WHY were they installed on RVs? What is Goodyear's stand on this. There are warnings on tires regarding improper installation. And any items used in a way not intended should be on the user/purchaser not the manufacture.
That is what i was thinking. Who the heck has tires for 20 years.
You must buy crappy tires, anything with decent grip lasts 2-3 years. Please stop buying chinese rubber death donuts.
Same thought, what's the point of the recall? Too little too late.
@@djburris1961 One of the question is, what is it sold as? If it was designed for and sold as delivery vehicle only, then yeah, the RV manufacture is at fault. But if it's designed for delivery vehicle but sold "generally", then the fault lies with good year.
There may actually be a lot of people with abandoned RVs in their yards about to get some free tires.
LOL, I have a 20 year old gallon of milk that had a recall in 2002 😂
Well, that's one problem fixed.
Load 'em on flatbeds and send them to Goodyear to replace them. Sounds like a fun time.
@@benkrom2737 Hope you kept the receipt.😊
Listen to what he said registered rv's I suspect they did this now because there's not that many of these tires left in on earth
We owned a class A motorhome when these tires were on the market, and it was well known in the RV community that these tires failed frequently. Goodyear's failure to acknowledge this issue and recall these tires is why I will never buy a Goodyear produce for any vehicle. This type of inaction deserves consequences.
The fact that action is finally being taken is an indictment of both the company and NHTSA.
Truth right here, Goodyear and Firestone are both on my "do not buy" list. Goodyear because of this tire (and subsequent attempts by their execs and legal team to cover up the failures) and Firestone for a whole litany of problem tires going back decades.
I am a professional driver with over 3.5 million miles of experience. If people knew black then of the problems with that tire. Then you knew not to buy them. Problem solved. I have driven vehicles equipped with those tires. I did not have any issue with them blowing out. Oh I had a few blowouts with them. As well as with other brands of tires. But I never wrecked any vehicle because of a blowout or any other issue. Knowing how to drive is how you keep from wrecking a vehicle. Unless the wreck is caused by someone else's screw up. I have had wheels break off axles & never wrecked. It is about skill & ability. If you have neither. Stop driving. You do not belong behind the wheel of a vehicle.
why put delivery van tires on a much heavier RV? thats just shooting yourself in the foot. that is no way to save money on your RV.
@@richardisner3671 You sit up at the counter at the truck stop, don't cha?
@@odius94 what the hell is your problem.
My parents experienced one of these tires. Cross-country trip, as in Steve's hypothetical scenario, long stretch of higher speeds and BOOM! Front driver-side tire literally blew up. My father deftly maneuvered the suddenly lurching beast safely to the side but being in the RV? experiencing it?! We were lucky....I don't think nearly a third of those with a high-speed, front-tire, blow-out are ready for the violent upheaval that occurs.
I had a similar experience with a Michelin tire that was a spare kept inside my Suburban, so it was basically like brand new. Just fragmented on me at highway speed
Most those rv / travel trailers I've seen on the road after a wreck .....pile of toothpicks , Popsicle sticks & insulation.
You guys were lucky to have survived!
Most people’s response to a blown tire is to hit the breaks hard. Almost always ends in a very bad result. If one tire is flat or pretty much non existing, when you brake you will get one side braking almost normally but the other breaking at about half as much or worse. The vehicle will want to turn wildly when especially if it is a front tire.
I certainly wouldn't want to in an RV.
My parents bought a 1999 Buick Regal ca. 2005. I moved back to my parents in 2007 to help take care of them as they declined. While there, they would get a post card now and then saying there was a potential fire hazard due to a valve cover seep. I became the owner of the car after they died, and then I moved to a different state. I STILL get these postcards. Twenty three years after production. Not to worry, it's parked forever under the pecan tree.
Bought a convertible that had very low miles for it's age...the tires had a build date of 2010....last fall, my mechanic noticed dry rot and cracking on the tread surfaces.....we placed the car in winter storage and as soon as we bought it out last month, I immediately replaced the tires.....plenty of tread left but I didn't want to risk it.
ANY tire only has a rubber shelf life of 5-6 years. After 6 years they are all dry rotted.
@@automan1223 yeppers, I even replace my old spares every other tire change. No one thinks about it until they need it.
@@automan1223 6 years in polluted city air ; we get an easy 10+ in my area. Its also possible to extend the life with off season storage in sealed plastic bags, if you bother with winter and summer tires and don't drive enough miles to wear the tread before they die of old age.
@@GreenAppelPie most spares are pretty safe since they are in the bottom of the trunk far away from exposure to the sun
@@imchris5000 Yeah the sun does a lot of damage to tires but 19 years is too long regardless of how they are stored.
the killer firestone tire...... My best friend got those as a gift for starting college. RIP Jon still miss you.
We had 3 of those tires bought as replacements because we believed in Goodyear. Within 2 years we had two tread separations and when we tried to get warranty replacements Goodyear said they weren't qualified because the tires were imported from Canada. Luckily for us, the dealer we bought other tires from gave us a huge discount on some Kelly tires to replace the current ones. Those tires never gave us any trouble and lasted until the vehicle was put out to pasture. I won't buy Goodyear again.
my experience is the opposite - I went from Kelly tires wearing out prematurely to cooper tires wearing out prematurely, to running having goodyears last three times as long - but I paid attention to the rating of the tires and got ones that weren't running at the upper limit of their load rating.
Kelly is a Goodyear company. Same company, same tires.
@@kenbrown2808 It could be lack of consistency in manufacturing. We were careful to exceed all the requirements for weight even though we weren't driving it that often and only occasionally hauled a load that even approached the weight rating, never over. We looked at buying more than we ever needed as safety insurance. It didn't work out.
@@OneWildTurkey maybe they went through a slump at that time. all I know is that I'm spending a lot less time having new tires put on. I should mention that the goodyears are a higher ply and higher load rating than the previous ones.
That Is one of the stupidest excuses I’ve ever heard.
"Death Tire Diaries". I'd think tires that old would have already been replaced and relegated to a tire fire somewhere in Springfield.
I looked up the data on those tires, and they were rated only up to 50 mph. Do the people who sold these tires and RV manufacturers who decided to use them on their vehicles have any culpability for using a tire not suited for that use?
Probably not now since they are all are seemingly out of business
That was my thought, too! If Goodyear rated the tire for lower speeds, why would they be liable for others who put the tire on higher speed vehicles?
@@defuller1 The Goodyear sales department sold these tires to RV manufacturers knowing full well they weren't being use on low speed delivery vehicles. So yes, they are culpable.
Unfortunately the RV manufacturers just went along with what GY told them that these tires were capable of 65 mph.
that's probably fine for local delivery like UPS or other fleet use where the vehicle has a governed top speed.... and loading is far from the maximum, which was common 20 years ago.
It would have been very good to mention that even a completely unused tire should NEVER be used when much newer than 20 years old.
They are fine if correctly stored to limit contact with air pollution such as ozone and UV light. (Wrapped in a thick black LDPE plastic bag sealed with tape is how the manufacturers store them.) But certainly on the vehicle is not correctly stored even if parked in a garage the whole time.
@@mytech6779 I doubt they would be good after 20 years even when stored properly. 20 years is just too damn long and it makes no sense for any manufacturer to ever store them that long since they have date codes and thus cannot be sold.
@@bobbygetsbanned6049 But customers can store them and most don't care about date codes. But yes 20 years is extremely old if installed(most likely) even in favorable climates.
@@mytech6779 What customers don't care about date codes?? Literally any customer who knows anything about tires cares a LOT about date codes. You can't even get tires serviced at a Discount tire, NTB, Firestone, or any other reputable place if the date code is past 6 years.
@@bobbygetsbanned6049 Exactly, most customers don't care about the date code. Only businesses and mildly informed owners care.
I purchased a 2020 Big Tex trailer new in December 2019. It was a 14GN trailer rated for 15,900 Lbs. and I had the GVWR de-rated to 14,799. It has 2 - 7K axles with a combined rating of 14K. The factory supplied tires were 10 ply Good Ride tires, load range "E", with a weight rating per tire of 3520 Lbs. Other similar trailer tires are typically rated around 3450 Lbs. and therefore not suitable for 7K axles. After 30k miles on the tires and with very little tread wear, the tires started separating. After the second failure and some research I elected to replace all my tires plus the spare with 14 ply tires with a far higher load rating. When the tire shop was replacing the tires, they found one that was in the process of separating! All my loads are well within the specifications of the de-rated trailer as I was what they refer as a "non-CDL" hotshot and have to keep the weight below 26,001 Lbs., and also keep my axle weights within manufacturer's limits. I didn't bother with the warranty because I will never use that brand of tires again. During my research, I discovered that the tires have such a bad reputation that they are known as "Blow Ride" tires! So it appears that the manufacturer raised the load rating Lbs. so they could sell cheap tires for the 7K axles, which are very common.
Smart man. Over rate your equipment so it lasts. I watch a LOT of automotive TH-camrs, and trailer blow outs are so common, it's ridiculous. The smartest of them listened to his long haul trucker friends and swapped all of the tires on his totorhome and his stacker trailer to a better quality, higher rated tire and hasn't posted a video of a blown tire since.
@@kstricl I bought my trailer off a dealer lot and was stretched thin because I purchased all the equipment for my business before quitting my previous job. I had every intention on upgrading the tires when they wore out. They just blew out long before they wore out! Since replacing them, I have run nearly 2 years with only 1 tire failure, and that was after hitting a curb with a forklift loaded on the trailer. My fault, not the tire!
@@kstricl Tell me you watch Cleetus, without telling me you watch Cleetus LOL. Seriously though he made the right call on switching tires.
@@ZboeC5 knew someone would catch it ;)
I'll never forget renting an Explorer that while on a 1400 drive suffered lower than normal pressures due to a defect. The tire was a Firestone. This was years before the recall of Firestone equipped vehicles. I consider myself lucky as we had wife, newborn, and my parents on board.
yea you werent the first to mention that here. some mechanic posted about that thinking that was the cause of this video before watching.
During the Pandemic a whole lot of people bought those old motorhomes and the dealers were glad to pawn them off real quick.
If you have a 20+ year old tire still in use on a road traveling vehicle, congrats on somehow keeping air in it with all the dry cracks.
Tubes still exist.
RV has been parked in my backyard for 20 years, 4 out of 6 tires are still holding air. Was planning on junking it this summer, need to check the tires first, might get myself some free money!
Tires should be replaced after 7 years regardless of wear. I wonder how many of these failures are related to the tire being beyond time of useful service.
But wouldn't that mean it would be happening to other brands at the same rate?
Exactly
I had a tire shop try and put a set on my truck that were 9 years old, they told me that they had just come from the warehouse and were brand new. I pointed out the date on the tire and they still wanted to install them. I took my business elsewhere after that.
The entire vehicle should be scraped and replaced at the same time tires need to be replaced. Just to be safe. As per recommendation of a new car salesmen. I know this hurts tire sales in the aftermarket but is what is suggested.
@@martyk1156 I had Michelin tire that was a spare kept inside my Suburban, so it was basically like brand new, just an old tire with zero wear, or use. After a flat, I changed to that Michelin. Later, at highways speeds, it fragmented on me.
When I saw the low number of tires being recalled I did a web search and discovered that this recall included only one size - 265R70-22.5. Manufactured 1996-2003. I’m surprised that, given the level of detail you usually give, you didn’t mention that. I have used the 16” version (the smallest made) since the late 1970’s, on a Dodge Maxivan, a F350 dual Lu, and a 36’ fight wheel RV and never experienced a problem. I was always careful to maintain proper air pressures and replace them if they reached 6 years of age. Wore almost like iron and were pnly tires I ever owned that lasted long enough to be replaced based only on age. I enjoy your videos and have learned quite a bit about lemon laws.
By the way it helps companies to wait on recalls like this, it would make sense if a penalty was introduced for every year they waited to recall the tires. Companies might not wait if they were fined the entire cost of the recall for every single year they waited, on top of what the actual costs were.
So now they're having a Badyear
I wonder how much of this problem is the tyre itself, and how much is age-related or misuse by installing them on RVs - particularly as RV tyres tend to sit in one place for years before taking the occasional cross-country trip. Recalling 20 year old tyres seems somewhat irrelevant, as there likely shouldn't be 20 year old tyres either for sale or on the road.
That's exactly why they waited 19 years for a recall, this recall will cost nearly nothing.
Both, the tires were supposed to withstand 194F and a speed of 65 mph but at less than 50 mph the temp could get over 200F. So there appears to have been issues with heat dissipation and the materials selected. On top of that the tires were very prone to tread separation due to inflation variability and overload which makes it a terrible RV tire.
Well you see, Goodyear knew the tire was a bad match for RV use but approved them for use with RVs anyway, that's kind of the point of this whole thing. They were designed for P/D trucks (pickup/delivery) operating on surface streets and not constant highway use at interstate speeds. These tires never should have been released for use by the general public. These tires (and how Goodyear handled the fallout from these tires) are why I'll never buy Goodyear tires for me or my loved ones.
Most (and I use the term loosely) RV owners generally replace their tires on a 7 year basis because of the weight of our rigs and what that does to the tires, so Goodyear is pretty safe from any tires still being in use now. Cases like this is where there needs to be some other agency involved that has the authority to take a chunk out of them because of those tires and the damages they inflicted (and yes, I do know some owners on the groups I belong to that had those tires and changed them out many years ago when these issues were first circulated).
These kinds of stories bring me right back to *Fight Club.*
_"A new car built by my company leaves somewhere traveling at 60 mph. The rear differential locks up. The car crashes and burns with everyone trapped inside. Now, should we initiate a recall? Take the number of vehicles in the field, A, multiply by the probable rate of failure, B, multiply by the average out-of-court settlement, C. A times B times C equals X. If X is less than the cost of a recall, we don't do one."_
*Woman:* "Are there a lot of these kinds of accidents?"
_"You wouldn't believe."_
*Woman:* "Which car company do you work for?"
_"A major one._
I believe that equation was made famous in the mid-70s due to a certain small hatchback that would catch fire.
I was thinking about GM and the infamous ignition switch fiasco. They could have fixed it for about $10K but NOoooo. The executives didn't give a damn about lives only short term gains.
Steve, RV tires don't normally wear out, they age out. Responsible RV owner will replace them normally after 7 or so years. I purchased a 21 rear old RV from an estate sale and could not believe that the original rear dual tires were still on the rig. They were on of the first things changed.
That's more common than you think. A few years ago I bought a 1964 Chevy (Corvair van) and the 20+ year old tires still had some of the mold whiskers, but they were completely dry rotted. It was hard to see, but deep in the tread each tire was splitting right to the cord.
I had to replace the tires on my 2015 Kia a few years ago even though there were only 30k on them due to the sidewalls starting to fail, I highly doubt 19+ year old tires would still be even close to roadworthy. Especially on a large vehicle.
5-6 years are the longest I like to run tires, but that is a weird thing to happen.
@@GreenAppelPie Yup, usually 5-6 years if the tread isn't gone they need to be replaced anyways. They last longer if they are stored out of sunlight but not 20 years.
Funny the first thing that you mentioned was the shifter. We had a Saturn Relay van that suffered from this. If you didn't quite get it all the way in park forcefully it would land in the area between Park and reverse and it was a crapshoot which way it was going to pop. My wife put it in park and stepped out to reach the mailbox and it popped in reverse and was headed straight for the neighbor's house. Somehow before it ran over her and ran into their house she managed to grab the seat rail pull herself in far enough to push the brake pedal with her hand and stop it. That was quite a learning experience for all of us. Until that happened we had no idea of that flaw.
I have always been under the understanding that tires are only good for 6 years from the date of manufacture, if you run them longer than that you should be checking them regularly for signs of deterioration. 19 year old tires on an RV seems downright irresponsible to me! I understand some of these tires were probably going bad when they were much newer so I’m not saying Goodyear isn’t to blame, but at this point I think it’s on the owners of those RVs who are running 19 year old tires!
Yeah I think 6 years is when tire places will no longer mount or maintenance them anymore. Tires last longer when stored out of sunlight, but not 19 years, putting those on an RV is asking for a blow out.
That's why good year waited. Now it won't cost them anything.
They may not sell them after six years. Don’t know. But I can say that in Germany you must replace them after ten years from the date of manufacture.
About 35 years ago I bought four new Goodyear tires for my car about 3 weeks after I bought them the belts separated into the tires never got good year tires ever again
I was a GOODYEAR customer for 25 years..they were great, the shop manager became accustomed to the fact that I DID MOST OF MY OWN REPAIRS.. one year after I replaced shocks, control arms , tie rod ends etc. on my Volvo, I took it in for a state inspection….the new shop manager handed me a repair estimate for $2500 to replace, shocks, control arms etc…I handed the inspection report to the store manager, whom I knew, and explained that I had done this work not more than a year ago….he apologised and said he would speak with the shop guy…..I never went back….
When buying a new battery or tires. Always ask about the date of manufacture. If over a year, pass. Tires rot from sitting, especially when exposed to sun light.
I had a tire bow out on a class A RV and it wasn't fun getting it stopped safely.
Doesn't extended periods sitting without moving also hurt tires? I've heard that military bases have to move all their vehicles every 6 months to put weight on a different part of the wheel, and it was suggested that failing to do that was part of why Russia had a lot of flat tires in Ukraine. RVs also tend to sit unused for months at a time.
FYI for anyone who wants to know, if you want to know the weight a car, pickup, proper truck, RV, trailer or ANYTHING else on wheels that you can drive to any truck stop with a CAT scale, big yellow sign, costs less then $20 (was like $12 last i checked)
just pull on, press the button, give info they ask for, pull off, go inside and ask for your weigh slip. if you aren't sure just go in and ask the person at the fuel desk.
in many states, when roadside weigh stations are closed, they leave the scale turned on, and anyone can drive onto the scale, and see their vehicle weight. if you're just curious, you don't need an official weigh slip.
Or just go to your local garbage dump or scrapyard, and they can give you the weight as it is there. Many municipal dumpsites can actually issue you with a certificate as well, as often the police there use this to determine if a vehicle is overweight if they do not have their own weighbridge.
@@kenbrown2808 I didn't ever think of that as an option! I see them close gates for those areas often, but at the same time I try to avoid those weigh stations as much as I can.
@@ARockRaider where I am, at smaller weigh stations, they lock the building and pull the shades, but there is an outdoor readout for the scale. of course, at the smallest ones, they put the jump scales back in their trunk and leave with them.
Question, If the tire was not designed for high speed road use, why is it Goodyear's fault that idiot tire dealers, RV sales, etc put unsuitable tires on these vehicles?
It is the installers mistake, not Goodyear's. Te tires were fit for purpose, IE Delivery vehicle use. This is so screwed up it is laughable.
It was rated for speeds up to 65 mph but could fail at less than 50. Also, Goodyear marketed the tire to RV manufacturers. It wasn't until 2002 that they changed their stance, at least internally, and then came out with an RV specific tire.
Design doesn't necessarily mean listed rating and usage.
Better question is why'd they make such shity tires knowing that we're going to go on trailers on motorhomes and could kill entire families
the tires, as Mr Lehto stated, were designed for Delivery vehicles, not trailers or motorhomes. Motorhome dealers and tire sale people selling them as tire for such vehicles makes them, not Goodyear responsible. You are blaming them for something that they had no control over. What part of not designed for that purpose do you not understand. The fact is the tires were fix for the intended purpose.
@@biggseye Goodyear themselves marketed the tires to RV manufacturers and said they were safe for that use from 1996 to 2002.
The “Firestone 500” steel-belted radial tires were a massive recall in the late 1970’s. About 14,000,000 tires were recalled. My car was typical… it had 4 defective 500’s; all 4 were delaminating, and were replaced at Firestone’s expense.
When I bought my Karmann Ghia in July of 2011 it had a two tires from 1979, one from 1980, and another from 1983. The last registration date on the title was in February of 2000, and the last time that I can confirm that it had been on the road was sometime around November 1997 when the previous titled owners son was a grad student at Virginia Tech.
Makes me think of the Firestone tires that they put on light trucks in the 90's. I actually had those tires on my Ford truck and nearly got in a wreck because of the defective tires. The tires had plenty of tread on them but I had them all removed and replaced.
I remember getting only about 20K km from my 89 less on the fronts
Top of narrow 2 lane bridge.. 3 semi trucks one in front, one behind & one on my left traveling 45mph the tread on passenger front started coming off & took mirror off on the way. It happened in 1976 & my heart races when I think of it. Lucky I survived, with clean drawers!
You should mention that the recall applies specifically to 2003 G159 275/70R22.5 tires, that are commonly found on RVs.
I've owned Firestone, Goodyear, Michelin, Cooper & Toyo. The best tires I've owned are Cooper and Toyo. Cooper are currently on my Mustang and Toyo are currently on my Ram and the Toyo tires have 72k miles on them.
It’s kinda what Ford is doing with the early Diesel Superduty’s. The emission warranty on my 2013 is extended out to something like 11 years and 120,000 miles.
“Customer Satisfaction Program 21M01
Although your vehicle's diesel exhaust fluid system is likely functioning fine, we are pleased to let you know that Ford Motor Company is extending the warranty coverage on the reductant heater and sender assembly.
If the reductant heater and sender assembly fails, the "Service Engine Soon" warning indicator will illuminate (shown on the left) and in some cases the engine may go into a reduced power operating mode.
This program increases the reductant heater and sender warranty coverage to a total of 11 years or 120,000 miles from the warranty start date, whichever occurs first. If your vehicle has already exceeded either time or mileage limits listed above, this extended warranty coverage will last through July 31, 2022. Coverage is automatically transferred to subsequent owners.
If your vehicle's heater and sender assembly requires service, or replacement and your vehicle is within the indicated time/mileage limitations, Ford Motor Company has authorized your dealer to repair or replace the reductant heater and sender assembly free of charge (parts and labor).”
I think most people replace their tires every 3-4 years. They don’t last that long. A 19 year old tire probably wouldn’t still be around.
I've seen cracked side walls that had no business being used on an RV. Most people think a good tread pattern is all that needs to be taken into account. I don't replace tires at 3 - 4 years but will inspect them. Many tires rot from inside out and is one of the reasons they should be replaced sooner rather than later. Being in Canada, ultraviolet light isn't nearly as bad as Arizona, Florida, Texas, etc. with 3 - 4 years being more likely to start damaging the tires.
@@ScubaSteveCanada
Yep
most people with RVs don't drive them enough to wear down the tread. so there are a lot of RVs out there with tires WAY older than they should be. small utility trailers and boat trailers are also likely to have old tires.
RV's that used these tires, generally use commercial tires that are rated to 150k+ miles. RV's generally never see 100k+ miles; high mileage RV's that use the commercial tires are generally on the third or fourth owner, and that owner is on a budget...
@@kenbrown2808 yeah but they still dry rot.
Tire sellers are required to register the serial numbers for new tires. They’re called “DOTs” in the industry, and include manufacture date. That’s partially how recalls are issued. Typos/technical issues do happen, so you just double check the dates whenever you see one. Recalls like this aren’t common at all.
My old Rover HSE. Got new snow tires 2 years ago. Da rims n the tire each weighed over hundred pounds each. Weight adds up quickly.
I bought a set of studded mud and snow tires. These tires were mounted on spare rims and only used maybe a week a year. When I got home and putting them in the garage. I noticed the date code on the tires. These brand new tires were 8 years old. I took them back. Tire shop tried to tell me that the tires were good. Not a Karen, but talked to the manager, also showed him NTSB shelf life recommendations. Also used to be an ASE Mechanic years ago. Currently an aircraft mechanic. It took several months for them to correct this, but finally got a set of new studded mud and snow tires.
Ben parting the hairy bush atop Steve's head to see the screen...
Send notifications to RV service centers and get their customer lists. That will catch a lot of them.
Goodyear still has the same issues I drive a 18 wheeler and had a brand new tire loose its tread driving down the road when the tire tech came to change it he said they had a bad batch recently and it was happening alot
99.9% of these tires are either gone, sit on RV units wasting away in backyards across America or have been turned into pavement tar. I'd be quite surprised if Goodyear hears from anyone who has these tires today.
I have one. It’s the spare that came with my motorhome.
Isn't 19 years well beyond the age of tires that ought to be on a vehicle anyway? Dry rot and other considerations are also a factor.
I had a tire center refuse 8 year old tires as being too close to the expiration date.
I think I will keep an eye out for these tires at any yard/garage sales I go to this summer.
Anyone that has 19 year old tires on their vehicle is Insane!
Jalopnik article suggests the tires fail on RVs when driven at highway speeds, that is, higher than a delivery vehicle's normal operation. The added weight of a RV means more heating and weakening of the bond between the tread and "core". Higher speeds means more centrifugal force trying to throw the tread off (which force increases at the square of the speed).
I thought the worst tire ever made was the one that used to cause a certain brand if SUV to rollover/crash?
RV tires, yeah. There's going to be a ton of them out there still. I remember the costs of replacing a fire truck tire, and i can totally see a lot of RVs still having them
Highway rest stops during the summer should have a pool of water several inches deep. Driver over it very slowly to cool off tires. Especially for long haul trucks.
19 year-old tires...they're now hard as rocks.
Around where I live tire repair centers won't repair or mount a tire that's 10 years old or older.
I have an RV, my father once said that the weight rating was a limit, not a goal...
I'll have to pull off mine right away.
Some may say the RV companies are still around, the issues is they have been most likely sold at least once some twice. Some of these sales were maybe just the name nothing else.
I have heard of some people contacting a manufacture for info on their 19 year old RV and were told they have no records from before the time it was sold.
After all these years just now comes out ,wonderful, our motorhome, a 2000 Monaco, replaced all 6 tires at same time 10 years ago, rear inside blew ( tread came off) had fire ,took exhaust off,ripped exhaust out of generator as well could go on but that was a while back now 😳
Famously, Ford Motor Company chose to release the Pinto for sale, knowing that there was a danger of extreme injury and death because of the risk of fuel tank explosions. They callously chose to not fix the problem because the potential costs of litigation and settlement were lower than the small per-unit cost to minimize the danger.
Ben is directly behind Steve's head
I predict that RV Junkyard owner/operators will be checking their lots for any of these to cash in!
Interesting story. I once bought at 69 Chevy C20 pickup truck that was equipped with 16.5 tires. The tires looked like they had a billion cracks however the tread remaining was massive. I asked the previous owner about the tires and he stated he had owned the truck over 20 years and never replaced them. I tried to buy new tires but was turned down by all the tire retailers and was told that I would have to purchase new tires AND wheels because the were not legally allowed to change the tires on split rims. I gave up and drove the truck for a few years and then drove it 350 miles into southeast ohio to trade it for a car. About 5 years later I spoke with the guy I traded it to and he said he was still driving it with the original tires....Crazy, those tires had to be close to 30 years old AT LEAST.
This is a little off topic, but I was at the 2020 Hamvention. Fun times.
Soon as Steve mentioned “Engine Fires” I automatically assumed he meant the Kia and Hyundai engine recall of 485 000 vehicles recalled due to possible engine fires and the $37 million they had to pay in fines in 2020. So if you own a Korean car maybe take a look into recalls.
Actually Mercedes had a lot of engine fire recalls, and recently a brake one. There's probably a consumer site where you can search recalls.
My wife bought a new car in 2012 and then never drove the car much. Last year I took the car to do some servicing of it. The car had 12,000 miles over the ten years we have own it. I am driving on the road and the car vibrated so bad I took it to the tire store and 1st off had the store attempt to balance them it failed so I had all 4 tires replaced, the tire salesman said he did not see anything wrong with the tires but those tires had something happen to them. I asked to see the old tires and once I told the tire store manager what was happening he took a razor knife and sliced the sidewalls to prevent the tires from being resold as used. Those tires were sent to the recycling.
A tire which is 19+ years old would be pretty dangerous by now, so it should have been replaced anyway. If people care about traffic safety, they should have changed tires a few times by now.
Awesome! At last I'll finally have a clean front yard ( o.o)
I’m almost always in favor of less regulation, but I feel there should be an RV/U-haul endorsement for drivers that do not have a commercial license. These vehicles handle differently and require more frequent inspection than your typical Honda Civic. I think showing a DMV testing official that a driver knows his/her vehicle systems, how to inspect them, and how to safely move the vehicle is a good thing. Until that day arrives, I’d say “personal responsibility” would suggest a visit to the dmv for a CMV licensing study guide. It will have lots useful information for the amateur drivers visiting my place of work.
Signed: A Professional Driver
Shit most states don't even require drivers ed to get a basic license. Forget endorsements (mostly used as a tax anyway), just require 100% drivers ed to get a drivers license. And certify instructors similar to the FAA method, where a student needs an instructor's endorsement just to take the driving test, and so they don't endorse any old unqualified student an instructor that has less than 80% first time pass rate will get investigated and some remedial actions.
I'll be the first to admit, driving anything larger than a compact car makes me nervous, so the one time I was forced to drive a small Uhaul rental you better believe I was extremely obsessed with safety.
I would prefer to pass a law mandating IQ testing for all drivers. If you see an object the size of a truck, very CLEARLY MARKED "UHAUL", and you are too stupid to give it a wide berth - you shouldn't be driving!
@@cliftonmcnalley8469 The sort of drivers ed I was talking about would filter out people too ignorant or plain stupid to be driving.
The part about tracking an instructor's student pass/fail ratio is an essential piece. Instructors spend way more time with a student driver than the short time period of a state examiner, so the instructor can check all the details and make sure results are consistent not a matter of luck. Really (on the FAA pilot side) the state examiner is double checking the judgment and skill of the instructor as much as they are the student. It is expected that the student is essentially a fully qualified pilot once they get the endorsement to take schedule the state exam.
@@mytech6779 Assuming that the 80% pass rate comes from consistency in the driving test. I've heard some crazy stories about the people conducting the driving test. I don't know how they are certified, and how they could be kept to a standard that ensures a fair and objective test. I'm not wanting people failing the test because the person observing the test had a bad hair day or something.
@@exrobowidow1617 I can't comment on current practices, it's been several decades since my driving test and I'm sure it varies by state anyway.
I just know the FAA does a pretty good job, and most of the examiners are not even FAA employees they are private individuals selected by the FAA.(a DPE)
But there is a lot of support materials, FAA reviews of examiners, a reporting/appeal process for students that think the examiner was grading outside of the written standards. Its a small community so a DPE can get a good or bad reputation with instructors in the region. And a DPE can spend most of a day on one test, the student pays for that time and for any retakes. (On top of paying to rent an airplane. All added up a pilot certificate practical exam is nearly $1000 investment. So in addition to the DPE and CFI having their own certificates on the line if a later accident investigation shows poor training, the students have additional fiscal motive to be at their best. )
And that is for the first tier private pilot certificate. There is a rating for instrument flight rules, a commercial certificate, a bunch of ratings and endorsements for various aircraft and activities, then the airline transport certificate. (Usually airlines will pay for or even administer the ATP test. Its very costly due to the aircraft, copilots, and simulators involved.)
So they issue the recall after there should be none left. Good financial strategy.
Love the show.
What gets me about the ford recall on the dual clutch transmission was Ford knew the first year there was a problem and they kept building the same transmission.
It seems insane but I bet they couldn't meet their government mandated fuel economy or emissions otherwise.
Fire is bad. Thank you, Steve.
A question on the manufacturer....aren't most motorhomes using a chassis made by an automotive or truck manufacturer? Say Company A builds the engine, transmission and chassis assembled as a rolling unit and then it's shipped to the RV manufacturer to have the RV body and other accessories installed...wouldn't the Chassis manufacturer have an idea on where the chassis was shipped and who purchased it for driveline warranty issues? Just a thought.
Stories like this always remind me of Edward Norton’s character in Fight Club telling the guy in the seat beside him about “the formula”
This is great! Let's Just Recall every tire 10 years after it was manufactured. The road would be a safer place!
Interesting. 🤔 Last set of GoodYear Tires I had on my car, I put over 100,000 miles on before replacing them with another brand. Not cause they were out of tread, they still had plenty, but because the sidewalls were starting to dry rot.
Great story. Love the tee shirt. 73's
"Fire is bad" These are the important legal takes I am here for.
GM did the same thing with the Takata airbags. Took them 10+ years to replace mine. Never again will I buy another new GM vehicle.
Nothing makes me happier To see good year gone the toilet The most unwook company in the world
I've never had a problem with Goodyear, Michelin or BF Goodrich tires. But I'm buying their performance versions mostly. All three have been great tires.
My vote for the most dangerous tire has to go to the old fiberglass belted tires from the '70s. IIRC they were made by Firestone. Even brand new they would loose traction suddenly on wet, or even damp, pavement. High speed or low speed didn't matter. I had a set briefly and replaced then quickly after spinning out 3 different times while going around a corner at below 20mph. I had multiple friends get into wrecks with them and a few ended up in the hospital.
Anyone running tires that are 19+ years old are sure to win the Darwin prize sooner or later!
Tires tend to undergo a lot of extra stresses when they don't get used very often, too. You could have a car that drives 1 mile daily, and a car that sits parked for 3 years... the parked car's tires will be trash even though they have more tread life on them.
" 'Cause fire is bad" - I about died laughing
First time I have heard the word "indefatigable" when not referring to the British Battlecruiser destroyed in the battle of jutland
Crazy thought. Make the executives who were involved in the coverup of these tires put them on their daily drivers.
Now that no one has the tire any longer. They issue a recall to minimize their own financial damages. And our government will turn a blind eye.
Sounds like someone could make a lot of money going through tire landfills for these tires.
I heard of the recall on a group I belong to, never heard of it otherwise.
Might as well recall the titanic and hindenburg too
As I dont drive much, I replace my tires at about 6 years. Because at times I do have to go for a short travel on the freeway. I know this is not about motor homes but still should apply. Same with trailers, folks tend to forget how old their tires are.
My Ford based RV (E350 Chassis) is spec'd for LR "E" 116/112 tires (S-2756/D-2469lbs). My E250 requires LR "E" 120 tires (3086lbs). My Excursion requires LR "E" 123 tires (3417lbs).. The RV being a dually but the front tires are not and has the lowest rating of any of them. Assuming most of the weight is in the back on all three and not going with different front/back ratings this kind of makes sense I guess. I would expect the RV to use larger and higher rated tires though.
When you buy a vehicle, often there is paperwork for the tires and it's up to the consumer to register the serial numbers of the tires for warranty purposes. I imagine the vast majority of people never do...
When I bought tires from firestone they had the serial number on the paperwork.
@@niyablake Yep...I imagine all the tire stores do that for warranty purposes. Many vehicles I have bought over the years I found the tire warranty registration paperwork still in the owner's manual...never sent in.
@@2020HotShotTruckingLLC This also protects the tire shop. I once saw a guy come with dry rot tires and say you guys sold me crap. A quick check of the serial and boom out door
I seriously doubt any of these tires are still in the marketplace.
I'm just reminded of the movie with Gene Hackman and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio called _Class Action_ in which an auto manufacturer refused to recall one of its sedans. If you like legal movies, it's worth a view.
an issue with recalls is getting the company to actually HONOR the recall. I drive a 2010 Corolla that I bought in 2018. It has a recall on its airbags. And, almost every month, I get a letter in the mail telling me about the recall and asking me to call a number to get it taken care of. well, I did. I have called the number NUMEROUS times(at least 10 times). sometimes it just goes to a machine and they ask me to leave a phone number for them to call back. When I use the text number, they get my phone and tell me that a dealer will get in contact to arrange the recall. Etc. etc. etc. Not a singe time has the local dealers gotten back in touch. I even called a rep and told them that I was willing to let my airbags be recalled, but I have not heard from the dealer about when to take it up there. they said they would take care of it. Still I have not heard back. At this point, I am just done with it. so I will not be getting the recall done. I guess the postage to say they tried is cheaper for them than the actual repair?
“I’m just making this one up….” Then proceeds to tell us like 4 recent Hyundai/Kia recalls.