Bridgestone Recalls Firestone Tires Due to Potential Safety Defect, Is Your Vehicle Affected?

Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations (BATO) is voluntarily recalling approximately 1,742 Firestone Destination LE3 tires due to a potential defect that could compromise tire durability and increase the risk of a crash. The issue stems from an error during a temporary specification change at BATO’s Wilson, North Carolina plant, which resulted in certain internal tire components, known as belt edge inserts (BEIs), being improperly positioned. This misplacement could lead to belt edge separations over time, potentially causing the tires to not meet federal endurance requirements.

The affected tires are Firestone Destination LE3, size 265/70R17, and were manufactured between October 26, 2025, and November 8, 2025. The defect arises from out-of-position BEIs, which are designed to stabilize and protect the steel belts within the tire. When these BEIs are not correctly placed, they can reduce tire durability. In some instances, the rubber of the BEI may also be exposed, leading to cosmetic cracking around the tire’s circumference over time. While BATO is initiating this action out of an abundance of caution, tires that do not meet the endurance requirements could pose an increased risk of a crash.

Owners of the affected tires may observe warning signs such as bulges in the tread or sidewall, or irregular tread wear. These issues might also manifest as unusual road noise or vibrations felt in the steering wheel. Tires with exposed BEI rubber might display cosmetic cracking in a narrow band along the sidewall.

The manufacturing error occurred on October 29, 2025, when a temporary change to the tire assembly specification was implemented. An incorrect setting for the placement of sidewall components containing the BEI was inadvertently entered. This led to the production of approximately 4,815 tires with incorrectly positioned BEI components between October 29, 2025, and November 14, 2025. During a routine inspection on November 14, 2025, BEI exposure was identified at the Wilson plant. Inventory of the subject tires was immediately frozen, and an investigation was launched.

BATO’s investigation concluded that approximately 856 of these tires had been shipped and were no longer under the company’s control. On December 3, 2025, BATO determined that the subject tires might not comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 139 and initiated the voluntary recall process. Communications were sent to select distributors on December 5, 2025, requesting them to freeze shipments of the affected tires. The company filed a formal report detailing the noncompliance on December 10, 2025. To date, BATO reports no accidents, injuries, or consumer complaints related to these specific tires.

Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations plans to notify affected dealers by January 9, 2026, and provide them with instructions for returning the recalled tires through the company’s standard return process. Owners of the affected tires will be notified by mail starting February 6, 2026. For owners who did not register their tires, BATO will collaborate with dealers and distributors to obtain owner information where possible. The remedy program, which involves replacing the recalled tires free of charge, will be in effect until August 31, 2025.

Replacement tires provided under this recall will be manufactured to conform with BATO’s design specifications and meet all federal safety requirements. The company has since corrected the production process, resuming manufacturing of the subject tire line and size with the proper component placement specifications. Revisions to processes for handling temporary specification changes are also being implemented to prevent similar input errors in the future and to minimize the duration of temporary specifications.

Owners who believe they may have purchased the affected tires are advised not to drive their vehicles and to park them outside until the tires can be inspected and replaced.

Article by Mel Anara, based upon information from Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations LLC.

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