Rome, GA – Dec. 7, 2016 – Pirelli Tire LLC has announced a recall of tires that were outfitted on certain Maserati cars. A defect in them increased the risk of cracking and air loss over time.
The Defect
According to documents compiled by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Pirelli will be recalling the P Zero All Season tire, which is used exclusively on certain Maserati cars. Tires of size 275/40R19 101W that were manufactured between Feb. 29, 2016 and Oct. 29, 2016 have faulty carcass components, which may cause cracks to develop in the lower sidewalls as the tires reach the end of their tread lives. This leads to air loss, which could then make the affected vehicles harder to control. Pirelli believes that nearly 3,400 tires suffer from this defect.
Timeline of Events
Oct. 27, 2016 – During a routine test, one Pirelli tire did not meet internal specifications. Additional examination found that it contained incorrectly sized components, which led the manufacturer to conduct a check of all the others being produced that week. Inspectors were then able to determine the production range that had been affected by the defect.
Nov. 8, 2016 – All tires were subjected to the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, and passed. However, Pirelli decided to conduct a recall anyway, due to the possibility that tires in the field could have more significant problems.
Resolution
Pirelli will work with Maserati to have new tires installed on all vehicles currently being held in dealer inventory. In addition, the manufacturer and the dealer will identify all owners and send notifications to them so they can determine if they were affected. Customers may visit a Pirelli dealer to have their tires checked and obtain replacements free of charge if theirs are defective.