AMP tire sales halted due to improper 3PMS symbol

ONTARIO, Calif. — The Wheel Group (TWG) has voluntarily halted sales for all non-mud-terrain tires of its AMP Tires brand due to their Three-Peak Mountain Snowflake (3PMS) symbol.

These tires meet the European Union's TUV SUD UNECE R-117 testing standard necessary to designate the tires as all-weather tires and display the 3PMS symbol — but they do not meet the snow traction testing standards required by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) or Transport Canada and, therefore, cannot display the 3PMS symbol in the U.S. and Canadian markets.

Sales are halted for all sizes of AMP Terrain Pro A/T, AMP Terrain Attack A/T and the recently released AMP Terrain Attack R/T tires. The AMP Terrain Attack M/T tires are exempt from this action as they are not marked with the 3PMS symbol, the company said.

Approximately 600,000 tires were manufactured and sold in the U.S. and Canada since 2019 with the 3PMS symbol on the sidewall, the company said.

However, the tires were only recently tested under the ASTM F1805 standard required in the U.S. and Canada after a supplier requested documentation. When the tires failed to meet the standard, TWG said it took action on its own initiative and out of an abundance of caution.

"I'm the fairly new CEO here at The Wheel Group, and I take quality and compliance very seriously," CEO Dave Albert told Tire Business, "which is why we are acting very seriously and very quickly to make sure that we're going to make this right with our customers and consumers and report appropriately. But it's on us. It's on us to ensure that we're compliant."

A stop-shipment order was issued March 22 and tire dealers were notified to stop selling the affected tires and informed on how to return the tires so the 3PMS symbol can be removed, he said.

The company is also communicating with NHTSA and Transport Canada about the procedures for enacting a recall of sold tires, he said.

The company is not aware of any safety incidents in the field related to performance in snow, Albert said.

The subject AMP tires with the 3PMS symbol on the sidewall were not tested in accordance with the ASTM F1805 standard, but instead to the TUV SUD UNECE R-117 testing standard, which enables the tires to display the same 3PMS symbol in the European Union.

However, the European Union testing standard is not the same as the ASTM F1805 standard, and compliance with the former does not necessarily ensure compliance with the latter, the company explained.

"There is some confusion that the same mark is acceptable to a test standard in Europe and that same mark is not acceptable in North America. Our team, we should have gotten that right. We're making it right as quickly as possible," Albert said.

The tires are built by several Asian manufacturers and mainly sold in North America. Albert admitted the 3PMS testing was TWG's responsibility and the testing was conducted by a third-party testing organization.

The 3PMS symbol — a snowflake inside a three-peak mountain — identifies tires that are designed to handle snow. NHTSA and Transport Canada require tires sold in both markets to undergo private third-party lab testing using a procedure designed by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) that determines traction by measuring acceleration in medium-packed snow. Tires with the 3PMS symbol must undergo and pass that test.

Albert admitted there is some confusion in the industry about the 3PMS testing standards and lack of uniformity in testing between Europe and North America.

"I think there is some confusion that the same mark could be acceptable in certain markets and not in others due to different standards. So, again, we're not alone. Others have had the same situation, which you can say makes it worse for us. I mean, we should have learned and, again, that's on us to fix internally. But I would say that there is some confusion."

Albert said it was too early to determine how much the sales stoppage and potential recall will cost the company.

"Whenever you have one of these situations, it's never cheap. We don't have final estimates. But you know, frankly, that's not what our focus is right now. Our focus is being transparently and proactively engaging with our customers. And making sure of that and with the regulatory bodies to make sure that we're compliant and we're working to make this right with our customers."

Ontario-based TWG offers 16 brands, including the Amp tire brand, through 20 sales and distribution centers throughout the U.S. Wheel brands include: Cali, American Truxx, Mayhem, Ion, RIdler, Kraze and Body Armor.