THE Kumho Tire Co. Ltd. is recalling faulty tires that contain excessive recycled rubber in Shenzhen starting Friday.
The nationwide recall involved about 300,000 faulty Kumho tires fitted to vehicles produced by Beijing Hyundai Motor Co., Great Wall Motor Co. and Dongfeng Yueda Kia Motors Corp. across China, Shenzhen Economic Daily reported Thursday.
Eleven authorized dealers in Shenzhen are providing recall services, including four Kumho Tire stores, four Hyundai Motor 4S service centers, and four Kia Motor 4S service centers.
Tires to be recalled are among seven batches between 2008 and 2011 by Kumho s Tianjin plant: C0 2208, C0 4008, C0 0509, C0 0909, C0 2410, C0 2910 and C0 0111, said a Kumho report to the State quality regulator.
Beijing Hyundai Motor Co. will recall 63,588 vehicles, the most of the three carmakers.
Last month, China Central Television revealed that Kumho s Tianjin plant had used too much recycled rubber in the tires produced at the plant. The excessive use of the recycled material could lead to bulges in the tires, or even result in them splitting, which had the potential to cause accidents.
An unidentified employee of Dasheng Motor Sales Co., an authorized Hyundai 4S shop in Shenzhen, told the Daily the shop might send mobile messages to all customers who had faulty tires.
Many vehicles owners were dissatisfied with the recall saying it was too late and covered only a relatively small number of suspicious tires.
I went to the 4S shop where I bought my Hyundai car several times and was asked to wait for further notice again and again, said a car owner identified as Liu who has tires on the recall list.
(Tina Chen)
