Cooper recalling 430,000+ whitewall LT tires in multiple brands

Cooper Tire & Rubber Co. is recalling 430,000-plus P-metric white-sidewall/raised white-letter light-truck tires in 15 brand/line designations that may develop a sidewall bulge or separation, which could result in an in-service tire failure.

The tires being recalled were manufactured between Feb. 1, 2018, and Dec. 1, 2019, at Cooper's plant in Texarkana, Ark., Cooper said in a notification issued by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. 

The tires being recalled are: 

• Big O Bigfoot AS — size 275/55R20;
• Cooper Discoverer AT3 and AT3 4S — sizes 275/65R18 and 275/55R20; 
• Cooper Discoverer ATP (sold exclusively by Discount Tire — size 275/65R18);
• Cooper Evolution H/T — size 275/65R28; 
• Deegan 38 All-Terrain — sizes 275/65R18 and 275/55R20;
• Dean (Les Schwab) Back Country QS3 Touring HT and QS4 All Terrain — size 275/65R18; 
• Hercules Terra Trac A/T II — size 275/65R18; 
• Mastercraft Courser AXT, AXT2 and HSX Tour — size 275/65R18; 
• Multi-Mile Wild Country XTX Sport 4S – size 275/55R20; 
• and Pep Boys Adventurer A/T and H/T — size 275/65R18.

The recall covers 430,298 tires. Cooper said it is not aware of any property damage, death or injury claims associated with any of these tires related to this issue.For this tire, the DOT sequence begins with UTYJ1M6 and ends with a date code (2-digit week and 2-digit year) of 2218 through 3018, 3618 through 4418, 0219 through 1019, 1319 through 3219 or 3619 through 4119. The complete list can be viewed at static.nhtsa.gov.

Cooper said the affected tires as manufactured "may develop bulges or separations in the sidewall area of the tire that if undetected may ultimately result in a tire failure leading to the loss of vehicle control. Some affected tires may have a visual anomaly on the white sidewall of the tire.

"In-service conditions may include ride disturbance that may be felt in vehicle steering or ride. Driving at high speeds may cause this condition to occur and should be avoided until the tires have been inspected and replaced."

Cooper will contact registered owners who purchased tires of the specified date range by registered mail. Customer correspondence will explain the issue, and include instructions on how to obtain replacement tires, as well as instructions for collecting reimbursement for remedies made prior to recall.