FINDLAY, Ohio — Cooper Tire & Rubber Co. is recalling 370 Hercules Roadtour 455 Sport touring tires because they may contain an "incorrect" sidewall component that could result in in-service issues that could lead to tire failure.
The tires — size 225/50R17 manufactured in February 2021 by Cooper at its plant in Tupelo, Miss. — may develop an in-service slow loss of air pressure, in-service audible noise, unsatisfactory ride condition, belt separation or distortion in the tread area "that if undetected may ultimately result in a tire failure leading to the loss of vehicle control and increase the risk of a crash," Hercules Tire & Rubber said in a letter to dealers.
Driving at high speeds may cause this condition to occur and should be avoided until the tires have been inspected and replaced, Hercules cautioned.
The tires being recalled have the U.S. Tire Identification Number of U9-40-H3T 0721, indicating they were built during the seventh week of 2021.
Hercules will provide a replacement tire to consumers who are determined to have the targeted tires. The replacement will be free of charge — including mounting and balancing — if the tires are returned within 180 days of notification.
Findlay-based Hercules, a business unit of American Tire Distributors Inc., said it will reimburse dealers up to $17.50 per tire to cover the cost of mounting and balancing.
In a separate statement, Cooper said workers at the Tupelo plant discovered in mid-February that the sidewall/chafer component was labeled incorrectly as it left the extrusion process. The incorrect component was inadvertently delivered to a tire building machine and tires were produced.
The company at that time believed it had identified and scrapped all of the subject tires, but a subsequent audit determined 20 of the suspect tires may have shipped to one customer directly from the plant.
There have been no claims associated with any of these tires, Cooper said.
Those with questions may contact Cooper Tire customer service at 800-854-6288 or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236.
