Toyo Tire Holdings of Americas Inc. Announces Safety Recall Campaign

CYPRESS, Calif., Feb. 11, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Toyo Tire Holdings of Americas Inc., the parent company of both Toyo Tire U.S.A. Corp. and Nitto Tire U.S.A. Inc., has announced a safety recall campaign on a limited number of Toyo Tires® and Nitto® brand tires.

The company has determined that select Toyo® Versado® CUV, Toyo Versado® LX II, Toyo Open Country® A/T, Toyo Tourevo® LS II and Nitto® Terra Grappler™ tires were distributed to retailers across the United States with a rubber chemical mixture that does not meet the company's specification.  As a consequence, sections of the tread may become detached, potentially causing loss of vehicle control and a crash, which could result in death or injury.

Approximately 4,891 tires are subject to this recall, of which approximately 588 were produced using the out-of-spec rubber.  

The recalled tires were manufactured at the Toyo Tire & Rubber Co., Ltd. plant in Sendai, Japan during a two-week period in September of 2010.  They can be identified by the "Made in Japan" stamp and the numbers "3810" or "3910" at the end of the Department of Transportation (DOT) serial number, both located on the tire sidewall.  Tires manufactured before and after this period are not involved. Tires with the "Made in U.S.A" stamp on the sidewall are not being recalled.

The following model tires are included in this safety recall campaign:

Toyo Tires and Nitto are committed to providing tires of only the highest quality.  Consumers who have purchased Toyo Versado CUV, Toyo Versado LX II, Toyo Open Country A/T, Toyo Tourevo LS II and Nitto Terra Grappler tires since September 2010 are encouraged to inspect their tires.  If a consumer is unable to determine if they have a recalled tire, they should visit an authorized Toyo Tires or Nitto dealer for a free inspection.

Lists of authorized Toyo Tires and Nitto dealers are available on each company's web site: www.toyotires.com; www.nittotire.com.

The following steps have been taken to assist Toyo Tires and Nitto customers during this campaign:

• Free Replacement: Affected consumers will have their recalled tires replaced at no charge.
• Web site: Dedicated pages at both www.toyotires.com and www.nittotire.com provide information on this safety recall campaign including photos to assist in identifying recalled tires and instructions on how to return recalled tires.  Consumers should visit the web site of the tire brand that they own: www.toyotires.com; www.nittotire.com.
• Toll-free hotline: Consumer Relations staff is available at Toyo Tires and Nitto to answer questions such as how to identify and replace recalled tires.  Consumers should call the hotline for the tire brand that they own:

Toyo Tire U.S.A. Corp.: 800-442-8696 (6:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. PST)

Nitto Tire U.S.A. Inc.: 888-529-8200 (8 a.m. to 5 p.m. PST)

• Notification letter: Consumers who have registered the recalled tires with Toyo Tires or Nitto will receive a letter that includes photos and instructions to assist in identifying and returning the recalled tires.

This campaign expires on May 31, 2011.

About Toyo Tire Holdings of Americas Inc.: Cypress, California-based Toyo Tire Holdings of Americas Inc. (TTHA) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of TOYO TIRE & RUBBER CO., LTD. (established 1946 with headquarters in Osaka, Japan). TTHA owns and operates several tire manufacturing, distribution and sales subsidiaries within the United States, Canada and Mexico, including Toyo Tire North America Manufacturing Inc. in White, Georgia. TTHA provides overall management and supervision for the group companies, as well as shared services, and includes the strategic planning, finance and administration, logistics and risk management functions. Toyo Tire & Rubber Co., Ltd (consisting of the Toyo Tires and Nitto brands) is the 12th largest tire manufacturer in the world, with manufacturing plants and a worldwide distribution network that includes the Americas, Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and Oceania. In addition to original equipment and replacement tires, Toyo Tire & Rubber Co., Ltd manufactures and distributes automobile components and rubber industrial products.

SOURCE Toyo Tire Holdings of Americas Inc.