GM issues crossovers stop-sale for Goodyear tire problem

By Mike Colias, Crain News Service

DETROIT (Jan. 22, 2015) — General Motors Co. has told auto dealers to stop delivery of about 6,300 2015 Chevrolet Traverse, GMC Acadia and Buick Enclave crossovers because of a pending recall to replace tires that are prone to cracking.

The tire maker, Goodyear, confirmed to Automotive News that it will recall about 48,500 of its 18-inch Fortera HL tires because it found “very small” cracks in the tread during routine testing. About 32,100 were made for the GM crossovers and another 16,400 were for the aftermarket, the company said.

A Goodyear spokesman said the company notified on Jan. 16 the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) about the recall. The agency has not yet posted the information on its website.

The Goodyear spokesman told Automotive News the cracks in the tread do “not indicate a safety issue.”

A GM spokesman said Goodyear's recall triggered GM's stop-delivery notice, which was sent to car dealers on Jan. 16. He said the problem “will eventually lead to a non-compliance recall by GM.”

The GM spokesman said 6,281 crossovers — accounting for 25,124 of the tires — are subject to the stop-delivery notice. The rest are aftermarket tires, he said.

Following a year in which GM recalled a record 30.4 million vehicles across 84 safety campaigns, GM has not issued any recalls so far in 2015 that it has publicly disclosed.

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This report appeared on the website of Automotive News, a Detroit-based sister publication of Tire Business.