Investigations
Goodyear G159 275/70R22.5 Tire Failure
NHTSA Preliminary Evaluation PE17009 - closed, opened 2017-12-28.
NHTSA investigation PE17009 is a Preliminary Evaluation opened on 2017-12-28 and currently closed. The subject is tracked inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 2022-10-03 - NHTSA updates that field whenever an Information Request goes out, a supplement is filed, or a status change is recorded in the public docket.
A Preliminary Evaluation like PE17009 is the entry point of the federal defect-investigation process. NHTSA engineers scan complaint databases, field reports, and manufacturer data to decide whether an Engineering Analysis is warranted, whether a voluntary recall is already sufficient, or whether the pattern does not rise to a defect finding.
Investigators summarized the matter as follows: "As the result of a court order authorizing the release of Goodyear records to NHTSA, the agency obtained claim and complaint data alleging that Goodyear G159 275/70R22.5 tires installed on Class-A motorhomes failed in se..." Investigations are the early-warning layer of the federal auto-safety system, sitting upstream of formal recalls and defect orders. Whether this one closes without action or escalates into an Engineering Analysis, the full history stays in the ODI archive so researchers, litigators, and buyers can pull the paper trail at any time.
Investigation Summary
As the result of a court order authorizing the release of Goodyear records to NHTSA, the agency obtained claim and complaint data alleging that Goodyear G159 275/70R22.5 tires installed on Class-A motorhomes failed in service, causing deaths or personal injuries. The number of these claims suggests that the failures may stem from a safety related defect. Many of these claims were not required to be reported under 49 CFR Part 579 and the data produced in litigation was sealed under protective orders and confidential settlement agreements, precluding claimants from submitting it to NHTSA. The Office of Defects investigation has also received 10 consumer complaints alleging failures of Goodyear G159 275/70R22.5 tires on motorhomes. Two of these complaints allege a crash occurred as a result of the tire failures. Goodyear separately reported 9 claims under 49 CFR Part 579 alleging 1 death and 13 injuries. NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened a Preliminary Evaluation to investigate allegations of tire failures and to request certain information. Analysis of the data provided by Goodyear showed high failure frequency when these tires used on motorhomes. The findings of ODI's investigation are further detailed in the agency's recall request letter sent to Goodyear, dated February 22, 2022, and available in the PE17-009 investigation file. In response to this investigation, Goodyear filed safety recall 22T-009 covering G159 275/70R22.5 tires manufactured between February 1, 1996, and January 31, 2003. This recall covers the entire period of production for these tires. These tires experienced tread separations and other failures when exposed to foreseeable conditions present in use on motorhomes, including overloading and underinflation. The recall action addresses the safety concern that led to the opening of this investigation. Therefore, this investigation is closed. The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-rel
About This Investigation Type
A Preliminary Evaluation (PE) is the first phase of NHTSA's investigation process. It is opened when the agency identifies a potential safety defect pattern, usually triggered by consumer complaints, manufacturer reports, or field monitoring. During a PE, NHTSA gathers information to determine whether a formal engineering analysis is warranted.
Data from NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Cross-references: NHTSA recall campaign API and NHTSA FARS where fatality records overlap. PlainCars does not rate or recommend vehicles. about how PlainCars sources NHTSA data.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.