TIRE TREAD SEPARATIONS

NOTE: THE NUMBERS ABOVE EXCLUDE TIRES SUBJECT TO RECALL 04T-003. ODI WAS PETITIONED TO REOPEN ITS INVESTIGATION OF TREAD SEPARATIONS IN FIRESTONE STEELTEX TIRES ON THE BASIS THAT THEY CONTAIN DEFECTS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO BELT-LEAVING-BELT TREAD SEPARATIONS AND THAT THESE SEPARATIONS POSE AN UNREASONABLE SAFETY RISK. THIS PETITION RESTATES ALLEGATIONS FROM DP02-011 AND WAS SUBMITTED CONCURRENTLY WITH DP04-005, WHICH APPLIES TO STEELTEX TIRES USED ON AMBULANCES AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE VEHICLES. ODI'S ANALYSIS INDICATES THAT IT IS UNLIKELY THAT NHTSA WOULD ISSUE AN ORDER FOR THE NOTIFICATION AND REMEDY OF A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT IN THE SUBJECT STEELTEX TIRES AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE INVESTIGATION REQUESTED IN THE PETITION. ODI'S ANALYSIS OF FAILURE DATA INDICATE THAT STEELTEX TIRES PERFORM COMPARABLY TO PEER LIGHT TRUCK RADIAL TIRES IN SIMILAR APPLICATIONS. ANALYSIS OF FAILED STEELTEX TIRES DURING THIS REVIEW IDENTIFIED A WIDE VARIETY OF FAILURE CONDITIONS NOT INDICATIVE OF A SINGULAR UNDERLYING CAUSE. OBSERVED FAILURE CHARACTERISTICS WERE FOUND TO BE CONSISTENT WITH THOSE FOUND IN ANY GROUP OF LIGHT TRUCK RADIAL TIRES SUBJECT TO THE SAME APPLICATIONS. THEREFORE, NO DEFECT TREND HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED IN THE SUBJECT TIRES. FURTHER EXPENDITURE OF ODI'S RESOURCES ON THIS MATTER IS NOT JUSTIFIED AT THIS TIME. ODI WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE PERFORMANCE OF THESE TIRES FOR ANY SIGNS THAT A DEFECT TREND MAY BE DEVELOPING. PLEASE SEE THE DP04-004 PUBLIC FILE FOR A MORE DETAILED ANALYSIS.