The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has forced Goodyear to recall a tire it last produced nearly 20 years ago after allegations that the tires were not suited to the task of supporting RVs.

NHTSA found in its investigation that 275/70R22.5 Goodyear G159 tires installed on motorhomes experienced tread separation and other failures. Goodyear claimed in a statement today that there is no safety defect and the failures only occurred when tires were underinflated or overloaded. The safety regulator argued however that these are conditions that should be expected in the RV market segment.

The Associated Press reports that in lawsuits relating to the tires, advocates have alleged that the tires were designed for delivery trucks, not motorhomes that are likely to spend much of their time cruising at highway speeds. Those same advocates allege that Goodyear kept the tire’s problems secret for years by settling cases and asking judges to seal records.

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Produced between 1996 and 2003, NHTSA has received 10 consumer complaints alleging failures of the tires on motorhomes, with two claiming that a crash followed. Reuters reports that Goodyear, separately, reported nine claims alleging a death and 13 claiming injuries. The AP, meanwhile, reports that there are 95 claims of death or injury since 1998 related to the tires, citing an information request letter to the company from 2018.

NHTSA documents reveal that it opened an investigation into the tires in 2017 and requested that Goodyear initiate a recall in March 2022, which the company declined. It changed its mind, though, and has now agreed to the recall to address concerns that some of these tires may still be in the marketplace, given the unique circumstances and uses of RVs.

Although the precise number of vehicles still using the tires is unknown, NHTSA reports that more than 170,000 have been put on the road since 1996. If you have an RV that has 275/70R22.5 Goodyear G159 tires, Goodyear will replace them with a new 275/70R22.5 Goodyear G670 tire free of charge. It will also give owners a $60 voucher to have the RV professionally weighed. In addition, anyone can return unmounted tires to Goodyear in exchange for $500 from the company.