In recent years, numerous safety warnings and product recalls have affected consumers of Toyo tires. There is a lot of important information consumers need to know before making a decision to purchase a set of Toyo tires, including the risks of tire defects and even blowouts. In 2011, Toyo recalled more than 5,000 tires sold in the United States under the Toyo and Nitto brands because of a manufacturing defect in the rubber compound. Because of this defect, the treads on these tires could have separated after a just a few months and caused a tire blowout.
About Toyo
Toyo is a Japanese company with a worldwide presence in both commercial and passenger tires. The company has been making tires for more than 70 years. Toyo manufactures tires for almost every single make and model of vehicle, including trucks, cars, SUVs, luxury and commercial vehicles. Toyo specializes in making replacement tires for a wide range of vehicles at very low cost. Toyo’s product lines like the Open Country for trucks and SUVs, the Extensa for passenger cars and the M-Line for commercial trucks all boast lower costs than their leading competitors. But that affordability comes with potential dangers. Toyo tire defects have been implicated in several serious safety issues that consumers should know about before purchasing any of the low-end, budget tires.
Brief History of Toyo
Toyo Tire & Rubber Co. was founded in August 1945 to meet Japan’s postwar demand for tires for all kinds of commercial vehicles. The company opened its first manufacturing plant in the United States in 1966 and soon became a competitor to the major commercial tire manufacturing companies. In 1975, the Japanese company Toyo began making passenger tires for a range of personal vehicles. Today many of their passenger tires are built in the United States at the Toyo factory located in Bartow County, Georgia. Toyo is an international company, and their tires can be found on millions of commercial and passenger vehicles all over the world. Part of the reason Toyo tires are so common is that they are some of the cheapest and most affordable tires on the market: but cost savings have cost some consumers their lives.
Toyo Tire Recalls
In 2011 Toyo issued a recall that affected several makes of all-terrain and all-season tires for light trucks and SUVs, including Toyo’s Versado, Open Country, and Tourevo tire lines. But that was not the only time Toyo tires have been recalled because of potentially deadly safety issues. Toyo had earlier trouble with the rubber compound in its M127 line of tires for commercial trucks. In 2005, the company issued a recall notice for the M127 tires because the shoulder pad component was made of sub-standard rubber that could tear and cause blowouts. All in all, Toyo has issued nearly 20 recalls for its Extensa, Open Country, Proxes, Tourevo and Versado tire lines. The most dangerous tire of all is the Toyo Open Country H-T Tuff Duty tire for pickup trucks. Toyo has issued seven recall notices for this particular tire.
Legal Assistance for Toyo Tire Injuries and Accidents
The board-certified, Martindale-Hubble-recognized Willis Law Firm earned the Steven J. Sharp Award in 2001 thanks to its leadership in recalling millions of faulty Firestone and Ford Explorer tires. With over 30 years of experience, we have the skills and resources needed to help you with every component of your defective tire personal injury case. To schedule a consultation with us, call us toll-free at 1-800-883-9858 or fill out our form.