Pegasus-Advanta-SUV-tire. Photo from www.consumerreports.com

We recently published an article on counterfeit automotive parts that discussed the safety aspects of knockoff parts. Consumer Reports has joined the chorus by publishing an article on counterfeit Chinese tires that came to light after one of their highly respected consumer tests.

According to Consumer Reports, “a routine tire test became a journey through a maze of deception, finger-pointing, and a lack of accountability that in itself could prove dangerous if the product should prove to be defective.”

In reading their account of what happened, it looks like a tire manufacturer had some tire molds stolen from a plant that was being shut down. As they looked further into the origin of these tires, the story became a conglomerate of deception and lies that is on par with the rhetoric surrounding Obamacare (the Affordable Healthcare Act).

Consumer Reports quotes different sources in the distribution chain, each with a different response. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says that it does not have the authority to initiate a recall. Tires-easy.com, an online discount tire retailer claims that the best solution is for the manufacturer to do a recall of the tires. Currently the NHTSA does not have a consumer complaint about the defective tires. The organization claims that it does not have any information that indicates an immediate safety risk with the tires in question.

These Chinese truck tires went from being tested to being investigated as counterfeit. Photo from www.consumerreports.com

Comsumer Reports called the FBI, CBP and DHS among others, and was told that the Immigration and Customs Enforcement would conduct and investigation and try to “mount an interdiction and seize the tires by working with Customs and Border Protection partners to seize future imports at the port. We would bring evidence to prosecutors at the Department of Justice or to a local District Attorney, and there could be criminal charges.”

Not completely satisfied with the agency’s response, Consumer Reports told their readers what to look for on the tire’s sidewall to identify the unsafe tires in question. Unable to get a logical solution from the tire company or distributors of the Pegasus Advantage SUV tires, the magazine explained that consumers should pay particularly close attention to tire maintenance. Check for any abnormal appearance, such as cracking, bulging, blistering, rippling in the sidewall, abnormal tread wear patterns, or any unusual sounds or vibration while driving. “If you encounter any of these situations, contact the tire retailer you bought them from and file a safety complaint with NHTSA at its website.”

For more information on these counterfeit Chinese tires, read the Consumer Reports article by clicking here.