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product_liability firestoneBridgestone Firestone Recall News
February 26, 2004
"Bridgestone Firestone announces tire recall after 5 deaths are linked"
A recall was issued on about 490,000 Steeltex tires that has so far been linked to 14 SUV crashes leaving five people dead. Bridgestone and Firestone announced there are about 297,000 of the Steeltex LT265/75R16 Load Range D tires on the road in the U.S., with about 20,000 more internationally. According to the company, it was first made aware of the tire defect two months prior to the recall when it learned of 14 crashes involving SUVs with the Steeltex tires.
For Bridgestone and Firestone, the tire recall may mean even more lawsuits in its future. In 2001, the company had to recall 17 million tires that were linked to over 200 deaths and hundreds of injuries due to tire tread separation causing rollover crashes. There were many lawsuits that followed that tire recall, costing the company an estimated $1.5 billion. There is a hearing scheduled for the Steeltex tire recall in March to determine if a class action lawsuit will develop. The suit alleges substandard materials were used to make a Steeltex model not covered by the recall.