Toyo Tire Holdings of Americas is recalling Open Country and Extensa tires made in Serbia because of blowouts. The tires may have been produced using the wrong mold, which can result in the tread or tire sidewall suddenly detaching. The tires were produced on various dates from December of 2022 through April 2023.
Dealers will inspect the tire DOT code and mold number and, if necessary, replace the tires, free of charge as required by US regulations. Owner notification letters are to be mailed 7 December 2023.*
Timeline:
September 21, 2023: Toyo completed a detailed inspection of production records and found that the data indicated that 101 tires potentially had been cured in the wrong molds. A hold was placed on inventory and four of the suspect tires were recovered from Toyo inventory. September 28, 2023: The four recovered tires were examined and confirmed to have been cured in the wrong mold.
October 3, 2023: FMVSS 139 testing was completed on special project tires that were built to recreate each of the suspected combinations of green tire and mold, and all of the tests met requirements.
October 20, 2023: Additional testing and analysis were completed to evaluate the performance, durability, and other characteristics of the subject tires. The decision was made by Toyo’s Quality Assurance Department to present the issue to Toyo’s Quality Assurance Committee.
October 24: Based on the results of the investigation, Toyo’s Quality Assurance Committee authorized a recall.
*Owners may contact Toyo’s customer service at 800-442-8696.Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov about NHTSA recall 23T007.
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn.
He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe.
Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap.
AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks.
Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.
Toyo Tire Blowout Recalls – Open Country and Extensa Tires
Toyo Tire Holdings of Americas is recalling Open Country and Extensa tires made in Serbia because of blowouts. The tires may have been produced using the wrong mold, which can result in the tread or tire sidewall suddenly detaching. The tires were produced on various dates from December of 2022 through April 2023.
Dealers will inspect the tire DOT code and mold number and, if necessary, replace the tires, free of charge as required by US regulations. Owner notification letters are to be mailed 7 December 2023.*
Timeline:
September 21, 2023: Toyo completed a detailed inspection of production records and found that the data indicated that 101 tires potentially had been cured in the wrong molds. A hold was placed on inventory and four of the suspect tires were recovered from Toyo inventory. September 28, 2023: The four recovered tires were examined and confirmed to have been cured in the wrong mold.
October 3, 2023: FMVSS 139 testing was completed on special project tires that were built to recreate each of the suspected combinations of green tire and mold, and all of the tests met requirements.
October 20, 2023: Additional testing and analysis were completed to evaluate the performance, durability, and other characteristics of the subject tires. The decision was made by Toyo’s Quality Assurance Department to present the issue to Toyo’s Quality Assurance Committee.
October 24: Based on the results of the investigation, Toyo’s Quality Assurance Committee authorized a recall.
*Owners may contact Toyo’s customer service at 800-442-8696.Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov about NHTSA recall 23T007.
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn. He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe. Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap. AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks. Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.