WASHINGTON (Dec. 2, 2014) — Continental Tire the Americas L.L.C. is recalling nearly 6,000 ProContact GX SSR radials that were fitted OE on the front axles of certain 2015 Mercedes-Benz C-Class vehicles.
Continental said it is recalling 5,993 of these tires, size 225/45R18 95H XL, because some of them may have been deformed during the curing process, which could cause the tire tread to appear distorted when inflated. A tire that was deformed during the curing process may fail suddenly during use, increasing the risk of a crash, Conti said.
The tire maker said it has not received notice of any failures of this tire. The SSR nomenclature indicates the GX model is a run-flat model.
The tires being recalled were produced between June 22 and July 28, 2014, at Conti's plant in Mount Vernon, Ill.
According to Conti, fewer than 100 of the suspect tires also were sold in the replacement market.
The company said it has notified owners, and tire dealers or Mercedes-Benz dealers will replace the tires, free of charge.
Conti attributed the defect to an intermittent malfunction of one curing press that caused the mold segments in the press to be not be fully extended.
The range of tires being recalled has the following DOT TIN identification: A34F WBJR 2514 through A34F WBJR 3014.
Consumers are being notified to contact the dealer where they purchased their vehicle or tires to schedule an appointment to have a replacement tire installed on their vehicle.
Continental's Customer Relations toll-free number is 888-799-2168.