NTSB: Recall system for faulty tires is 'broken'

WASHINGTON (AP) — Only about 1 in 5 defective tires is being removed from the road through the safety recall process, a federal accident investigations board said today.

The recall system is "broken" because manufacturers are unable to contact most tire owners to warn them, according to a report from the National Transportation Safety Board.

Another 24 percent of recalled tires end up being taken off the road for other reasons, such as damage or normal wear and tear. But more than half — 56 percent — of recalled tires remain in use, the board said.

The problem is that there is no requirement for most tire dealers to register the tires they sell with the manufacturer, the board said. Most dealers don't take the time to do so, which makes it difficult for manufacturers to determine who owns the tires and to contact them.

Independent dealers – those not owned or controlled by tire makers – sell about 92 percent of the tires sold directly to consumers, the board said.

"Based on the work we did, that system is not working," said Rob Molloy, head of the board's highway safety investigations. "It is completely broken."