Cooper recalling 1,402 Wild Country tires

WASHINGTON (Sept. 2, 2014) — Cooper Tire & Rubber Co. is recalling 1,402 Wild Country Radial XTX Sport tires, size 265/65R18, for possible problems with cracking and broken ply cords in the lower sidewall.

Cooper makes the tires for TBC Corp., which owns the brand name. Cooper manufactured the tires between June 1 and June 28, 2014, at its plant in Texarkana, Ark.

The tire maker told the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) that the possible failure area on the tires is on the outboard side above the rim.

In its letter to NHTSA, Cooper said staff at the Texarkana plant noticed the anomaly on a routine surveillance tire that had been produced during DOT serial week 2214. This initial test result was believed to have been caused by a rim failure, Cooper said, so a back-up tire was tested.

That tire also failed to complete the endurance phase of the test, and production of the affected spec was stopped immediately and further testing initiated.

Cooper dealers will inspect and test the tires for customers, and replace those that need replacing free of charge, the tire maker said. The company has begun notifying owners.

Tire owners may also call Cooper's customer service line at 800-854-6288. Cooper's number for this recall is 159.