Chinese maker recalls tires for possible belt separation

Washington — China’s Shandong Jinyu Industrial Co. Ltd is recalling 5,068 Jinyu- and Evergreen-brand light truck tires that could be prone to belt separation and failure.

The tires being recalled are the Jinyu YS78 and Evergreen ES89 AT, size LT225/75R16, which Shandong Jinyu built between 1 April 2011 and 31 Aug 2014, the tire maker told the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

Shandong Jinyu did not identify the plant where the tires were built, but a search of the Department of Transportation list of plants with a valid DOT code shows Shandong Jinyu has one plant, in Dongying, Shandong Province, with the DOT code of 15.

The subject tires’ DOT codes end in 1611 through 4314, the tire maker said.

Shandong Jinyu said the tires may not be able to dissipate heat properly, making them prone to belt separation and failure, but it did not explain why the problem exists, how it was discovered or whether it had received any reports of tire failures in the field.

NHTSA said the specifics of the recall are still under development, and that Shandong Jinyu has not yet provided a notification schedule.

According to information on its website, Shandong Jinyu is part of Jinyu Tire Group Co. Ltd. in Dongying.