As of 27 December 2019, Cooper Tire & Rubber Co. decided to recall 2,095 tires. These span different brands which include Mastercraft SRT Touring, Evolution Tour, Hercules Roadtour 455 Sport, Mastercraft Stratus AS, and Starfire Solarus AS tires.
According to reports published on the same day, the subject tires were said to have an improper sidewall that could cause tread separation, tire deflation and eventually lead to a crash. They were all of size 225/50R17 and have the DOT date code 3019.
Cooper said that it will notify its customers, retailers, and dealers when the tire replacements will occur. This is most likely to be throughout January 2020. Replacements are to be facilitated by retailers for free. Buyers who had already replaced their tires before the recall may get reimbursed. Owners can reach out to Cooper Tire customer services using (800) 854-6288 or 175 which is the number for the recall.
An improper sidewall can cause a tire to lose air faster than an ordinary tire. It could even result in a blow-out that may occur from hitting debris, a curb, or a pothole. As mentioned earlier, tread separation also tends to occur in tires that have improper sidewalls. The threads separate from the tire body and this may cause rollovers, accidents, loss of vehicle control, and even death.
The most common sign of tire separation is a car that shakes at speeds of between 10 mph and 40 mph. The vibrations normally start out small. As the issue becomes worse, the driver may feel as if the entire wheel is moving from side-to-side. This can easily be mistaken for a loosely fitted wheel.
A visual sign that can help you spot tread separation is a bubble that may appear along the sidewall of the tire. It will continue expanding as a larger part gets separated from the body of the tire. This may be accompanied by a wavy tread pattern. Treads should always remain parallel and aligned straight. If misaligned, it is an indication that the tread is losing its hold. A tire that has tread separation should be replaced immediately rather than being repaired.