10 Deaths linked to a Goodyear RV tire

[Everyroadleadshome]

There have been at least 10 known deaths and 98 injuries attributed to a Goodyear RV tire.   

Goodyear Tire: G159 275/70R 22.5 

If you are driving an RV that has 22.5 inch tires on it, it might be a good idea to take a look at them and see if any of them are these.  

https://jalopnik.com/how-the-tenth-death...1825477930

"The tire has been used on at least 40 RV models from 17 different manufacturers. With only 40,000 G159s known to have been used on RVs, court records suggest the G159's failure rate is as much as 27 times worse than the Firestone tires deemed defective by NHTSA in the early 2000s, which sparked a widespread national scandal. David Kurtz, an attorney with ongoing litigation against Goodyear over the tire, has said the reported rate “means that one out of 10 motorhomes using the G159 experienced a failure resulting in a claim for property damage, injury or death.”

[frater secessus]

If these tires are still on an RV they'd be at least 15yrs old; they were last sold for RVs in 2003.

[MN C Van]

Hmmm. I'll check my Aunt and Uncles. It has 22.5 GY's, and it's OLD
These things don't wear in this type of service, Wouldn't doubt they'd go 200,000

[TWIH]

Good sleuthing FR, any automotive tire that old is dangerous to drive on and could kill people due to blowouts/rollovers. There’s a reason the recommendation is change tires at least every 8 years.

I’ve driven on 8 yr old severely cracked Michelins and wasn’t comfortable at all with them, and that was a lightweight Honda CRV.

[Snikwahjm]

I drove on a van with old tires with perfectly good tread... one popped on the expressway. I was very lucky. We were going up hill. It was the only place on that stretch where there was enough room to veer like a crazy person with a blow out. The semi truck drivers were wonderful. I think they shielded us some how. All new tires the next day.

[rvpopeye]

My rear tires DOT code is 284
I don't know if that means they were mfg'd in the second week of 84 or the 28th week of 04.
Either way, still too old !
They all look like new with no weather cracking .. (ON THE OUTSIDE !)

[TWIH]

Old - a 3 digit code is prior to 2000!  Man get those off!

From TireRack.com: Begin quote

Tires Manufactured Before 2000

The Tire Identification Number for tires produced prior to 2000 was based on the assumption that tires would not be in service for ten years. While they were required to provide the same information as today's tires, the week and year the tire was produced was contained in the last three digits. The 2 digits used to identify the week a tire was manufactured immediately preceded a single digit used to identify the year..

DOT EJ8J DFM 408
40 Manufactured during the 40th week of the year
8 Manufactured during the 8th year of the decade

While the previous Tire Identification Number format identified that a tire was built in the 8th year of a decade, there was no universal identifier that confirmed which decade (tires produced in the 1990s may have a small triangle following the Tire Identification Number to identify the decade).” End of quote

[heron]

I drove on a van with old tires with perfectly good tread... one popped on the expressway.

I did that this past spring, in NM. Like you, new tires all around, immediately. Keeps life interesting

[Everyroadleadshome]

I'm also not one to dick with older tires. Or vehicles evidently as I just bought a new one! But but, didn't always have new vehicles but did always get new tires asap. Think it carries over from my motorcycle days, don't have room to risk old or worn tires when you only have two and there isn't a metal cage around you. But I was always a little nervous on brand new bike tires too, never know if you will get unlucky and get a defective one. After I had a few hundred miles on them, I was in bliss.

[Flying kurbmaster]

Just to add another side to the discussion, personally I would never change good looking tires even if they were old, I just couldn’t do it, it is not in my DNA. I had the sidewall blow on a six month old low rolling resistance firestone tire a couple of years back, after 100 miles on twisty dirt roads, I had no issues when I drove the TransLabrador highway with more than 600 miles of gravel 5 years back with tires that were at least 12 years old they are still on my Kurbmaster, We stopped on several occasions to assist others with flat tires that were driving new vehicles, One in particular kept passing us, he had two spares and used them both, I think the issue with him is he was driving too fast, as section were straight and very well grated, we never exceeded 50 mph, 4 years ago in my dodge caravan, I drove the Alaska highway the Stewart Cassiar over the top of the world highway and up the Dempster then crossed Canada with at least 10 year old tires, I changed one in Whitehorse it was worn out but the others are still on the vehicle. I understand that the vibe is to change old tires but in my experience of driving or riding motorcycles for that matter with old tires, I have never had an issue and I can’t bring myself to change good looking tires, I know my grip will be jeopardized in the wet so I slow down a lot when it rains especially on a motorcycle. I also would not drive fast on old tires, I never drove faster then 60 on those old tires most of the time closer to 50. I had a year old tire on a motorcycle delaminate from the inside, luckily I saw it cupping and thought something wasn’t right so I changed it. In my experience I had more issues with new tires then old having said that I have rarely had any issues with tires this is probably the only two I can think of in a hell of lot of miles.