The history of the LRE tire
 In 1992, the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. introduced a new design of its load range "E" (LRE) light truck tires onto the market. This type of tire is used primarily on large SUVs, pickup trucks, ambulances, trailers and 12- and 15-passenger vans. Three years later, Goodyear noticed an alarming increase in damage claims caused by the rise in tread separations occurring on these tires (a tread separation happens when the tire tread flies off a tire carcass, sometimes leading to a catastrophic accident, especially on top-heavy vehicles).
In late 1995, Goodyear established internal teams to investigate why the tires were failing at such a high rate. Yet the company failed to inform either the Canadian or U.S. governments that they were experiencing problems with the LRE tires. The company's investigation did not find the cause of the problem.
 However, in 1996, Goodyear decided to institute a "fix" to the tire, by adding a nylon cap, which is designed to better hold the tire together. The nylon cap is a proven safety technology invented in Europe back in the 1970s. Despite Goodyear knowing they had a problem tire, they didn't recall any of the millions of tires they'd already sold that didn't contain the nylon cap. Furthermore, they phased the nylon cap in over a four-year period at the company's three U.S. plants that make LRE tires. More accidents and deaths occurred in the ensuing years that likely could have been prevented.
In November 2000, in the wake of the Firestone/Ford controversy, the U.S. regulatory body, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), opened an investigation into Goodyear's LRE tire. However, NHTSA quietly closed the investigation this past spring after Goodyear agreed to recall only 200,000 of the LRE tires, those on 15-passenger vans and ambulances. Goodyear made a total of 27 million of the problematic LRE tires, and one estimate suggests that 8 million may still be on the road.
Want to know whether your vehicle uses Goodyear LRE tires? Here's a checklist.
What kinds of vehicles use Goodyear LRE tires?
Goodyear LRE tires are made for: ambulances, big SUVs (Suburban) heavy-duty pick-up trucks, 12- and 15-passenger vans and trailers. Until 1996, the entire line of LRE tires came without the extra protective nylon cord, making them vulnerable to the tread separation problem. Between 1996 and 2000, Goodyear slowly phased in the new reinforced tire. However, millions of the old tires were still sold. Since mid-2000 all new Goodyear LRE tires have been reinforced.
How do I know if it's a Goodyear tire?
The name Goodyear or "Kelly" (for Kelly-Springfield) may be on the tire. However, it is also sold under private brand names in Canada in stores such as Canadian Tire and Wal-Mart. Call the distributor where you bought your tire to find out who manufactured it.
 How do I know if I have the old LRE tire on my vehicle?
To tell if your tire is the old variety, or the newer safer "capped" variety, check the sidewall. If it's the nylon-capped variety, it should have the following things written on it: "2 polyester cords + 2 steel cords" and then "2 nylon cords."
Other questions
 How dangerous is this tire?
There is still a very low probability that your LRE tires will fail. However, the accident statistics are not very reassuring. The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which regulates the industry, puts the number of deaths and injuries at 176. The fifth estate compiled its own list of deaths and injuries from accident reports and lawsuits. Even though our list is short 22 accidents from what NHTSA has on file, we still found many more deaths and injuries: close to 250.
How many tires are left on the road?
It's estimated Goodyear made about 27 million Goodyear LRE tires between 1992 and mid-2000.
When Goodyear voluntarily recalled 200,000 tires this past winter (exclusively on 15-passenger vans and ambulances), the consumer watchdog group, Public Citizen, estimated that left eight million tires on the road, made before they all got nylon caps.
That means about 800,000 potentially flawed tires may still be on Canadian roads.
Tire safety links on CBC.ca
Marketplace files
Snow tires (November 1998)
Tire monitoring devices (February 2001)
Dangerous tires (January 2001)
Marketplace recalls
Bridgestone/Firestone recalls tires (August 2000)
Firestone Firehawk tires recalled (February 2001)
Ford recalls vehicles with Firestone tires (May 2001)
CBC News in-depth
In-depth: The Firestone recall (May 2001)
Ford recall FAQ (May 2001)
Recent CBC news stories
Landmark tire trial settled out of court (Sept. 23, 2002)
Ford, Firestone tire trial seeks blame (Sept. 12, 2002)
Safety groups sue over tire pressure requirements (July 3, 2002)
Many tires failing new tests: U.S. safety agency (May 31, 2002)
Ford tire recall to end soon (Jan. 17, 2002)
Firestone pays, avoids lawsuits with US states (Nov. 7, 2001)
Firestone recalls more tires (Oct. 4, 2001)
U.S. regulators propose tire warning system (July 27, 2001)
94,000 vehicles in Canada affected by Ford recall (May 30, 2001)
Consumer groups applaud Ford's tire replacement call (May 22, 2001)
Ford ready to recall millions more Firestone tires (May 22, 2001)
Canadian lawsuit seeks damages in Firestone tire case (May 10, 2001) |
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