This is the first of a series utilizing this new format. This one is about how much can be revealed simply by reading recall documents.

19 October, 2025: Yesterday, I got a notice from NHTSA about a tire recall. The company is not important, but they were recalling several sizes of tires, all from the same week of production for a tread separation caused by a shortage of sulfur in the base compound. They said they started the investigation when they received a returned tire with a separation, followed later by another. They said that they were recalling several thousand tires and only 10% of those likely had the problem.

When I was working, I was the guy who would have triggered the investigation. The fact that they identified a shortage of sulfur in the base compound means they did a chemical analysis of the rubber – something we weren’t doing when I was doing it. One of the reasons why we didn’t do that was because of the volume of tires we were dealing with. So that means they must have so few returns that they were triggered and capable of taking it to that level.

This also means they were able to trace it back to different sizes.

When I was working, bar coding of tires was relatively new. There was talk about expanding the system to the point where they could trace a tire all the way back to the raw materials used. I guess they did that.

As a result, the public is now safer from tire failures than when I was working.

I am happy to have been part of that.