Skip to main content
EVENT TRACKER
Keep track of rescheduled, canceled industry events with our COVID-affected event tracker - Powered by Snap Finance
Close
Sister Publication Links
  • Rubber & Plastics News
  • European Rubber Journal
tb-logo
Subscribe
  • Login
  • Register
  • Subscribe
  • News
    • OPINION
    • CORONAVIRUS
    • AUTO INDUSTRY
    • BUSINESS/FINANCIAL
    • COMMERCIAL TIRE
    • FACTORY FIXES
    • GOVERNMENT & LAW
    • INTERNATIONAL
    • MOTOR SPORTS
    • NEW PRODUCTS
    • RETAIL TIRES
    • SERVICE ZONE
    • SEMA/AAPEX
    • SMALL BUSINESS
    • TIRE MAKERS
    • SPONSORED CONTENT
    • Tire Cologne canceled; rescheduled until 2022
      New round of Paycheck Protection Program funding opens
      Vaccine may usher sense of normalcy
      Cover-up: More retailers requiring face masks to curb COVID
    • Icahn Auto trims fiscal 2020 operating loss despite 14% lower sales
      Oshkosh unit gets contract for new USPS local delivery vehicle
      Sumitomo adds treadwear-detection to 'Sensor Core' toolkit
      New Porsche 911 GT3 to feature Michelin fitment
    • Icahn Auto trims fiscal 2020 operating loss despite 14% lower sales
      Oshkosh unit gets contract for new USPS local delivery vehicle
      Yokohama sets ambitious goals through 2023
      Conti recalling 94,000 Conti-, General-, Barum-brand LT/SUV tires
    • TravelCenters plans 6 TA Express sites in California in 2021
      Carlisle TyrFil broadens recycling technology options
      U.K. retreader Vaculug to promote tread rubber supplier Vipal
      TMC moves spring conference online, sets trade show for September
    • Oshkosh unit gets contract for new USPS local delivery vehicle
      Conti recalling 94,000 Conti-, General-, Barum-brand LT/SUV tires
      Cooper expands recall of Cooper, Mastercraft grand-touring tires
      DOT issues 13 tire plant ID codes in 2020
    • Yokohama sets ambitious goals through 2023
      OK Tire secures exclusivity for Blackhawk tire brand
      U.K. retreader Vaculug to promote tread rubber supplier Vipal
      Execs: Goodyear acquisition of Cooper will benefit dealers
    • Bridgestone World Solar Challenge canceled due to pandemic restrictions
      Pirelli, Goodyear ink sedan racing series contracts in Canada, Europe
      Goodyear extends partnership with Nürburgring race circuit
      BFG to support ATV/UTV racers in WORCS series
    • Michelin launching ‘eco-responsible' performance tire for sporty EVs
      Martins Industries launches products in 3 categories
      Carlisle TyrFil broadens recycling technology options
      New McLaren supercar incorporates Pirelli's Cyber Tyre system
    • Icahn Auto trims fiscal 2020 operating loss despite 14% lower sales
      Cooper recalling 430,000+ whitewall LT tires in multiple brands
      OK Tire secures exclusivity for Blackhawk tire brand
      NPW hires Switzer as national sales manager
    • Automotive Lift Institute introduces Check360 inspection, label
      Martins Industries launches products in 3 categories
      Marinucci: Effective road test may eliminate issues
      Our View: Shops must alter ways to attract, retain talent
    • SEMA scholarships and loan forgiveness now available
      WTC hosting webinar Jan. 20 on load-capacity standards
      Denver's Brian Sump named AAPEX Shop Owner of the Year
      DUB, TIS Wheels founder Myles Kovacs is SEMA Person of the Year
    • Trade groups oppose minimum wage increase proposal
      New stimulus package fixes PPP loan confusion
      Vaccine may usher sense of normalcy
      2020 Review: PPP loans give boost to small businesses
    • Michelin launching ‘eco-responsible' performance tire for sporty EVs
      Goodyear, Cooper deal creates tire production synergies
      Goodyear promotes Helsel to senior VP, global operations role
      Tire dealers see possibilities in Goodyear, Cooper deal
    • Sponsored By Yokohama Tire Company
      7 questions to ask consumers when they need tires for a crossover SUV
      Sponsored By Yokohama Tire Company
      Stocking Tires for Crossover SUVs
      Sponsored By AppointmentPlus
      Three Important Lessons Learned for the Tire Business During a Pandemic
      Sponsored By Yokohama Tire Company
      7 questions to ask consumers when they need tires for a crossover SUV
  • SHOP FLOOR
    • BALANCING
    • DEMOUNTING
    • SAFETY
    • TIRE REPAIR
    • TPMS
    • TRAINING
    • VEHICLE LIFTING
    • WHEEL TORQUE
    • Video: Balancing Tire
      Safety tips for wheel balancing
      An introduction to wheel balancing
      Wheel weights: Balancing form with function
    • Video: Demounting
      Tire changer types, tips and trends
      How to clear rim rust and corrosion
      An introduction to demounting, mounting and inflation
    • Video: Safety
      Customers
      Considerations for shop safety policies
      Introduction: Creating a culture of safety
    • Video: Tire Repair
      Essential tools, materials and equipment for tire repair
      An introduction to tire repair
      How to properly patch a puncture
    • Video: TMPS Service
      The life-saving work of TPMS
      An introduction to TPMS service
      The importance of proper relearn procedures
    • Video: Training
      Internship ideas to attract tech talent
      Choosing the right auto service tech school
      Intro: Finding and training technicians
    • Video:Vehicle Lifting
      The gravity of proper lift points
      Safety essentials when using jack stands
      An introduction to lifts and lift safety
    • Video: Wheel Torque
      The importance of torque specifications
      Introduction to proper wheel installation
      Torque check and recheck recommendations
  • Multimedia
    • VIDEOS
    • PHOTOS
    • PODCASTS
  • Events
    • ASK THE EXPERT
    • LIVESTREAMS
    • WEBINARS
    • SEMA LIVESTREAMS
  • Data
    • DATA STORE
  • Resources
    • DIRECTORY
    • CLASSIFIEDS
  • ADVERTISE
  • DIGITAL EDITION
  • Awards
    • Tire Dealer Humanitarian Award
MENU
Breadcrumb
  1. Home
July 02, 2001 02:00 AM

Majority of dealers don't register patrons' tires

Miles Moore
  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Share
  • Email
  • More
    Print

    WASHINGTON-Since 1971, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has required that all new tires be registered upon sale in order to locate them in case of a recall.

    Until 1982, tire dealers were responsible for mailing in the registration cards themselves for replacement tires. In that year, the National Tire Dealers & Retreaders Association campaigned for-and won-the right to ``voluntary'' tire registration, seeing it pass as part of the Surface Transportation Act reauthorization.

    Instead of having the paperwork burden of recording and processing tire identification numbers themselves, independent dealers could satisfy the law by handing tire registration cards to tire buyers and instructing them to fill out and send in the cards.

    With the massive tire recalls conducted by Bridgestone/Firestone Inc. and Ford Motor Co., the need to locate recalled tires and their purchasers has become clearer than ever before. That need begs the question: Just how closely do independent dealers adhere to the voluntary registration law?

    Neither NHTSA nor any other organization does audits or spot checks of dealers to determine compliance with the regulation. But from the anecdotal evidence Tire Business was able to obtain, the answer to how closely dealers and other retailers comply with these registration requirements is: Not very.

    ``I don't know what kind of a can of worms I'd be opening up if I talked to you,'' said one New England dealer who asked not to be identified. ``But the bottom line is, 99.9 percent of us aren't doing it.''

    ``Gee, don't ask me please!'' added a Southwestern dealer who also asked to remain anonymous. He said his dealership doesn't hand out the registration cards, although it does keep a record of sales in its computer and on customers' invoices.

    Craig Knarich owns and operates ETS Tire Service in Pinella County, Florida. ETS is a mobile tire service that serves the high-end market, including Mercedes, BMW and Porsche owners. Mr. Knarich generally warehouses about 200 high-performance tires, obtaining them from major distributors in his area.

    ETS has been in business 11 years, Mr. Knarich said, but he didn't know about voluntary tire registration requirements until a short time ago. He happened to see an ad in Tire Business for CIMS Inc., the Akron-based firm that offers independent tire registration services to clients in the industry.

    ``I thought, `It's the law? No way!''' Mr. Knarich said. ``I have never even once, in my 11 years in the business, heard anybody tell a customer, ``Here's your (registration) card. Fill it out and send it in.' ''

    While NHTSA has never made a major enforcement effort regarding voluntary registration, the results could be dire for many dealers if it did, according to CIMS President Paul Kruder. The fine under the statute is up to $1,100 per unregistered tire to a maximum of $880,000.

    ``The regulations apply to any tire dealer who does not own the brand he sells,'' Mr. Kruder said. ``When Sears sold only its house brand of tires, it did not have to supply the cards. But now that it sells other brands, it must.''

    Mr. Kruder, who founded CIMS in 1971, said his tire registration clients account for 80 percent of the replacement tire market in the U.S. ``We are a designee of tire manufacturers and private brand owners,'' he said. ``We record whatever information is necessary to notify purchasers of tires in case of a recall. CIMS also provides a pre-addressed ``all-brand'' form that dealers can use, and which customers can mail back to CIMS' own clearinghouse, Mr. Kruder said. ``Michelin is not a client of CIMS, but most other brands are, he added.

    One of CIMS's biggest clients is Ford Motor Co., which Mr. Kruder said signed a contract for tire registration even before it announced the recall of 13 million Firestone Wilderness AT tires May 22. ``Goodyear has its own registration system, which we're involved with,'' he said.

    ``Many of the more enlightened dealers offer to send their cards in bulk,'' Mr. Kruder said, but added: ``Some dealers don't do a darn thing.'' This lack of action worries Mr. Knarich. ``Nobody is aware of these cards, and nobody's going to be made aware of them `till somebody's made an example of-somebody with deep pockets.''

    All tire makers and tire-related organizations say they make a constant effort to make motorists and independent dealers aware of voluntary registration.

    ``We constantly send out information on voluntary tire registration in our literature and in our member fax,'' said Ross Kogel, executive vice president of the Tire Association of North America.

    TANA is the successor organization to the NTDRA, which successfully lobbied for voluntary registration nearly 20 years ago. ``Our role has been to disseminate information on voluntary registration, and TANA's membership is extremely well-informed,'' he said.

    The Rubber Manufacturers Association publishes a bulletin, ``Did You Complete Your Obligations Under the Law?'' Dated Feb. 26, 1999, it describes in detail the obligations of tire manufacturers, distributors and dealers regarding both tire registration and tire warranties, and gives contact addresses and numbers for 13 different tire makers should dealers have questions on either subject.

    Several of the larger tire dealer and distributor networks said they strive to make sure voluntary tire registration works, and have plans to make it work better.

    ``We have a policy to get those cards to customers,'' said Steve Steffens, vice president of marketing for Manassas, Va-based Merchant's Inc., where the cards go to customers at checkout as part of their invoice. But the company plans to put in place a point-of-sale registration system in which tires are automatically registered via the corporate computer system. The company plans to institute this plan within the next 12 to 18 months, ``but unfortunately it's not an easy thing to build,'' he said.

    Morgan Tire & Auto Inc., based in Clearwater, Fla., is ``a patchwork of companies'' which soon is to consolidate its 600-plus retail stores under the Tires Plus name, according to Dan Hennelly, Tires Plus president of retail sales. As of Jan. 1, all Morgan-owned stores went to one standard invoice, which includes point-of-sale registration and a list of all the national warranties for the tires the company sells.

    ``The reason we didn't have automatic registration in our old point-of-sale computer software is that there were three different POS systems in our companies,'' Mr. Hennelly said. ``This way, we now have one central system and a process we can audit. Speaking of the future, we plan to have even more of a controlled process in which it's all electronic.''

    The process of rolling out the new invoice to all Tires Plus stores took about four or five months, he said.

    Heafner Tire Group Inc., the Charlotte, N.C.-based distribution giant, makes tire registration forms available to its dealers ``for whatever they sell in the marketplace,'' said Senior Vice President Dan Brown. Heafner also posts information on voluntary registration periodically on its Web site and sends out that information on its ``B2B'' software.

    ``We're looking to create some sort of electronic registration capability,'' Mr. Brown said. But Heafner has no way to check whether its dealers are complying with the law, because ``all our dealers are independent business people.''

    Mr. Knarich of ETS, meanwhile, is leaving nothing to chance. He now includes registration cards along with warranties, tire gauges and other items as part of his package to customers.

    ``I'm doing it because it's the law, but it's also good customer service,'' he said. ``That's the big thing now-people want to know if their tires are going to be recalled.''

    Letter
    to the
    Editor

    Do you have an opinion about this story? Do you have some thoughts you'd like to share with our readers? Tire Business would love to hear from you. Email your letter to Editor Don Detore at [email protected].

    SIGN UP FOR NEWSLETTERS
    EMAIL ADDRESS

    Please enter a valid email address.

    Please enter your email address.

    Please verify captcha.

    Please select at least one newsletter to subscribe.

    Newsletter Center

    Staying current is easy with Tire Business delivered straight to your inbox.

    SUBSCRIBE TODAY

    Subscribe to Tire Business

    SUBSCRIBE
    Connect with Us
    • Facebook
    • LinkedIn
    • Twitter
    • RSS

    Our Mission

    Tire Business is an award-winning publication dedicated to providing the latest news, data and insights into the tire and automotive service industries.

    tb-logo
    Reader Services
    • Contact Us
    • About Us
    • Site Map
    • Industry Sites
    • Order Reprints
    • Customer Service: 877-320-1716
    Partner Sites
    • Rubber & Plastics News
    • European Rubber Journal
    • Automotive News
    • Plastics News
    • Plastics News China
    • Urethanes Technology
    RESOURCES
    • Advertise
    • Privacy Policy
    • Privacy Request
    • Terms of Service
    • Media Guide
    • Editorial Calendar
    • Classified Rates
    • Digital Edition
    • Careers
    • Ad Choices Ad Choices
    Copyright © 1996-2021. Crain Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    • News
      • OPINION
      • CORONAVIRUS
      • AUTO INDUSTRY
      • BUSINESS/FINANCIAL
      • COMMERCIAL TIRE
      • FACTORY FIXES
      • GOVERNMENT & LAW
      • INTERNATIONAL
      • MOTOR SPORTS
      • NEW PRODUCTS
      • RETAIL TIRES
      • SERVICE ZONE
      • SEMA/AAPEX
      • SMALL BUSINESS
      • TIRE MAKERS
      • SPONSORED CONTENT
    • SHOP FLOOR
      • BALANCING
      • DEMOUNTING
      • SAFETY
      • TIRE REPAIR
      • TPMS
      • TRAINING
      • VEHICLE LIFTING
      • WHEEL TORQUE
    • Multimedia
      • VIDEOS
      • PHOTOS
      • PODCASTS
    • Events
      • ASK THE EXPERT
      • LIVESTREAMS
      • WEBINARS
      • SEMA LIVESTREAMS
    • Data
      • DATA STORE
    • Resources
      • DIRECTORY
      • CLASSIFIEDS
    • ADVERTISE
    • DIGITAL EDITION
    • Awards
      • Tire Dealer Humanitarian Award