An American tire company is recalling over half a million replacement tires due to safety concerns related to their performance in snow, according to documents filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
The recall, which affects 541,632 tires, encompasses a wide range of Fortune Tormenta and Prinx Hicountry models sold as all-weather rugged terrain or mud terrain tires. The tires, produced between Aug. 24, 2020, and Dec. 7, 2024, bear the Alpine Symbol but do not meet the required traction standards.
Prinx Chengshan Tire North America, Inc., the company initiating the recall, said that the affected tires failed to meet federal motor vehicle safety standards and stated that while the tires are labeled as snow tires, they “do not have sufficient traction to perform in all snow weather conditions,” according to documents filed with the NHTSA.
According to the company, the tires could potentially be dangerous if used in snow, due to the loss of traction.
“If placed into service, the subject tires may not provide the expected traction performance in severe snow weather conditions and could potentially increase the risk of a crash,” they stated in the recall.
The root cause of the issue has been traced back to discrepancies in testing standards. Prinx Chengshan Tire North America revealed that the tires were initially tested using the European ECE R-117 standard, which permits the use of the Alpine symbol on tire sidewalls. However, additional testing showed that such standards did not meet the requirements used in North America, and when tested, sample sizes of the affected tires failed to meet performance criteria.
The recall affects a broad spectrum of tire sizes and models under both the Fortune and Prinx brands. These include various sizes of the Fortune Tormenta R/T FSR309, Fortune Tormenta M/T FSR310, Prinx Hicountry R/T HR1, and Prinx Hicountry M/T HM1 lines.
As of now, PCTNA is still looking for a solution to salvage the affected tires.
In the meantime, the company said it has taken steps to address the issue in its production process.
“The recall condition was corrected by removing the Alpine symbol from each side of the tire for all new production beginning with week 49 2024,” the company stated.
PCTNA plans to notify both dealers and owners of the affected tires by Feb. 1, 2025. Owners who believe they may have the recalled tires can contact PCTNA customer service at 1-310-205-8355 x 109 for more information.
In their notice, the NHTSA emphasizes the seriousness of this recall, reminding all parties involved that “It is illegal for anyone, including a manufacturer, distributor, dealer, or retailer to sell an item of equipment or vehicle that fails to comply with all applicable Federal motor vehicle safety standards”.