WASHINGTON — Sailun Tire Americas Inc. is recalling certain 16-inch Sailun-, RoadX-, Blacklion-, Blackhawk- and Ironhead-brand specialty trailer tires because of a potential belt-separation issue.
The recall affects 84,351 tires under the five brand names in two sizes — ST235/80R16 and ST235/85R16 — according to the recall notice issued by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
A separate recall, covering 11,854 tires, will be announced soon in Canada, Sailun said.
The tires being recalled were produced during a five month period from May 11 to Oct. 11, 2020, at Sailun Group's factory in Tay Ninh, Vietnam, according to NHTSA documents.
Sailun said the potential safety issue stems from a manufacturing defect associated with a steel-belt package design change that could contribute to tread-belt separation or tread delamination.
Sailun did not indicate in the NHTSA documents whether there had been any incidents involving the recalled tires. It listed "potential property damage" as the safety risk.
Sailun Tire Americas, the Woodridge, Ontario-based subsidiary of China's Sailun Group, will replace the tires free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed in December. Owners may contact Sailun customer service at 844-281-9696.
In the U.S. the Sailun brand is distributed by TBC Corp. while the Blackhawk, Blacklion and RoadX brands are distributed by independent tire dealers.
In the Blacklion and Blackhaw brands are distributed by OK Tire, the Ironhead brand is distributed by Fountain Tire, and the Sailun and RoadX brands are distributed by independent tire dealers.
