Lil4X

Trying to put a new set of P205-70-15 tires on "Project Cheapskate", two weeks ago, I ran into a set of Firestone FR 380's that suited my needs. First they were decent tires at a low price. Second they offered good if not stellar wet/dry performance, and finally, they had a warranty that will easily outlast the car. I bought them, had them mounted and was pretty pleased that they delivered a very smooth ride and all the traction that Mitsu 3.0 V6 on a minivan requires, despite a slightly narrower tread than the no-name Pep Boys tires it had previously.

The next day, I was checking out my purchase and discovered Firestone had a major recall on these tires last fall. It seems they were poorly engineered for their size, the P265's had too little tread base that could lead to delamination and tread separation.

After a lot of checking, I found the defect was limited to these larger tires and did not affect any other tires in this model range. It seems that the rest of the line was reviewed for safety and passed - only the size in question was recalled - and included THOUSANDS of tires that our friends at Bridgestone/Firestone got to eat.

If you are planning to purchase a set of tires, it would be a good idea to check out NHTSA's site, http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/recalls/recallsearch.cfm before you buy.

I'd had a sad experience with a set of OEM Goodyears delaminating on a brand new car 40 years ago, as I limped halfway across the country on a set of failing tires. I didn't want to repeat that experience. If you are considering a set of tires, check them out for recall issues before you buy.