The defect
FIRESTONE P195/65R15 TIRES PRODUCED BETWEEN APRIL 12 AND APRIL 15, 2002, FOR USE ON CERTAIN 2003 MODEL YEAR TOYOTA COROLLA S AND LE VEHICLES. THE RECALLED TIRE SERIAL NOS. ARE W2C6T001402 AND W2C6T001502. THESE TIRES MAY DEVELOP A "RAISED TREAD BLOCK" AND CAUSE A 'HELICOPTER TYPE' NOISE.
The risk
CONTINUED USE OF A TIRE WITH THIS CONDITION MAY LEAD TO A LOCALIZED 'CHUNK OUT' OF TREAD MATERIAL, AND POSSIBLY RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.
The remedy
BFS WILL NOTIFY ITS CUSTOMERS AND REPLACE THE TIRES FREE OF CHARGE. OWNER NOTIFICATION IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING SEPTEMBER 2002. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT BFS AT 800-367-3872.
NHTSA's own wording · initiated by the manufacturer · part: tread/belt
Tires covered
| Brand | Tire line | Sizes |
|---|---|---|
| Firestone | P19565R15 | — |
Tire recalls in 2002
NHTSA received 13 tire recall campaigns in 2002, covering up to 679,626 tires. With 23,400 tires, this campaign ranks 3 of 13 by size that year.
More from Bridgestone/Firestone, Inc.
7 tire recall campaigns filed by Bridgestone/Firestone, Inc.; the latest are listed here.
| Campaign | Brands | Tires |
|---|---|---|
| 03T002000 5 May 2003 | Firestone | 42 |
| 02T014000 1 Sept 2002 | Firestone | 754 |
| 01T016000 15 Oct 2001 | Firestone,Wilderness AT | 2,800,000 |
| 01T001000 2 Jan 2001 | Chevrolet,Firestone,GMC | 8,000 |
| 00T005000 21 Aug 2000 | Firestone,Ford,Mazda,Mercury | 14,400,000 |
| 99T001000 19 Jan 1999 | Bridgestone | 32 |