You May Want To Avoid Goodyear RV Tires, Per Consumer Reports
In a recent report by Consumer Report, it has been found that Goodyear G159 tires – the same tires that have been linked to hundreds of RV crashes over the last 25 years – are still on the market.
This might surprise you. Goodyear is an extremely popular brand of tires. However, over the last 25 years, court records and documents reviewed by Consumer Reports show that at least 95 people have been killed or injured in RV accidents linked to G159 tires. Based on documents from 2017, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported that these tires were allegedly not designed for extended use at highway speeds.
What you need to know about these Goodyear RV tires
There’s a lot more to this story, but as an RV owner or if you’re in the market, here’s what you need to know.
The Goodyear G159 tires weren’t designed to be used for extended highway use. For most RVers – especially full-timers – this is exactly the type of travel their RV is experiencing. These tires were actually originally intended to be used on regional delivery trucks. The Goodyear G159s ended up on RVs across the country after the company sold them to motorhome manufacturers. They claimed that the tires were fit for travel at highway speeds (up to 75 mph).
However, at highway speeds, these RV tires would heat to unusually high temperatures which could result in tread separation.
The NHTSA estimates that around 40,000 G159 tires have been installed on RVs. In a letter submitted to NHTSA, it’s stated that 17 motorhome manufacturers installed G159 tires on 39 separate motorhome models between July 1995 and September 2015.
From the numbers above, you can see that there were a lot of Goodyear RV tires installed. So these tires are still out there, especially on older rigs that are coming up for sale. If you’re looking at an older rig to buy, checking the tires is a huge safety concern.
How to check your RV tires
Own an older rig and want to make sure the tires are still good? Luckily, there is an easy way to determine the age of your RV tires. You can read the Department of Transportation (DOT) code printed on the sidewall of the tire.
This “DOT” system certifies that the tire manufacturer’s compliance with the DOT NHTSA tire safety standards. Tires manufactured in the United States – like Goodyear – have the DOT serial number located on the inside sidewall near the rim.
The DOT code system breakdown: the letters “DOT” followed by 8 to thirteen letters and/or numbers identify the location the tire was manufactured, the tire size, the manufacturer’s code, the week, and year the tire was manufactured.
If your tires were made before 2000 then there will be 3 numbers used for the date. The first 2 numbers are for the week and the last number identifies the year. For tires made in the ’90s, a decade system is located at the end of the DOT number.
What to look for
What are you looking for? Two quick things to give you peace of mind (and ensure you and your family’s safety):
- The year of the RV tire manufacturer
- If the tires are Goodyear – specifically G159
For RVers with an older RV or who are in the market for a used rig or used tires, make sure you double-check your RV tire DOT number. In general, most would suggest you replace your RV tires every 5-7 years. The caveat to that timeline is that your RV tires may wear faster depending on travel style or storage.
If you check the tires and they are Goodyear G159, you should set your sights on some new rubber.
While the G159s are no longer being manufactured, there is evidence that the Goodyear RV tires are still on the road. Safety should be of the utmost importance when you’re RVing, so make sure you double-check your RV tires. If you’re looking for ways to keep your RV tires from getting damaged, we have you covered.
RVers can find all the latest RV news and information on forums like iRV2.com and blog sites like RV LIFE, Do It Yourself RV, and Camper Report. You’ll also find brand-specific information on additional forums like Air Forums, Forest River Forums, and Jayco Owners Forum.
Often we are told (in articles about tires) to have the tires inspected by a “professional”. Where does one find a “professional”. What qualifications has he/she? I have a 2016 Jayco Precept UL31 which is on Goodyear original, tires. ( DOT code says, from memory, November of 2015) Tires are excellent looking…not only tread but unblemished and healthy looking sidewalls. Who do I take it to to do a Professional inspection? Hard to throw away six really good looking tires!
I’ve been running the Goodyear G670 RV tires on all of my race trailers, toterhomes and motorhomes. I have never had a blowout, a tire seperation or any problems with that tire and would reccomend them to each and every person in our motorhome family. The G159 hasn’t been made since 2003, so if people are still running them on their RV’S they need to have their heads examined just like the person that wrote this article about a product that should of been completely out of circulation by 2008…. I will never run anything but GOODYEAR!!!
What a misleading headline. Your headline calls out Goodyear tires when actually the Consumer Reports article addresses one specific tire that hasn’t been made in over ten years. You should issue a clarification so as not to confuse readers. You may want to think about your titles in the future (even though a clearer title may not get you as many clicks on the article).
My Fifth Wheel came with China made tires on it. After hearing all the stories of blowouts I installed Tire Minder and check air pressure before every trip. After 3 years while doing routine maintenance I noticed a change in the tires appearance. Pull the tires from the rims and found they were separating on the inside. Thread wear was low and them look good except for the bubbles on the inside. I replaced them with Goodyear Endurance and have had no problems. I will never used anything else except North America made tires.
Michelin 22.5 only for my Dolly
Years ago I had 3 Michelin tires blow out on one trip. They looked fine and were only 4 years old with low mileage.
My insurance paid for one replacement, Michelin paid for two and I bought a fourth so I would have four new, matching, tires across the back. I put two Goodyear Regional truck tires of the next high weight rating on the front ( I don’t remember if they were the same model as the ones being discussed) and never had another problem.. The Michelin tires put on by the manufacturer had known problems it turned out.
Goodyear tires are increasingly made overseas. The company headquarters is located in Ohio but they are closing their plants in the USA one by one. Product quality will continue to get worse.
I have been in the trucking business since 1964. I buy tires on Michelin National account. But I also own a RV. I have used every major brand of tires in those 57 years. When I started I used bias ply nylon tires. They were actually less prone to blow out from old age than radials, but they were slick on wet pavement and we got less mileage out of the tread. I wouldn’t go back to bias. I switched to radials almost 50 years and one of the lessons I have learned is get tires off the ground when they are 4 years old. My fleet logs over a million miles a year. Blowouts are just as dangerous as on an RV. Possibly even more so because we are grossing 80,000 miles. And damage can be just as serious on our fiberglass front ends or aluminum trailers. I have used Goodyears. as well as other major brands. I stay away from Chinese brands. We wear tires out before they are 4 years old. An RV doesn’t. I can assure you that my RV will never have tires over 4 years old. I feel like if I can afford an RV, I can afford to keep fresh tires on it. Goodyear sold a lot of tires to RV builders and a lot of RV dealers sold them. If people keep them on their RV too long, they will fail. But if someone had a valid complaint about the G159 they should have aired it 15 years ago while the tire was still being produced. Anyone who has an 11 year or older tire on their rig is flirting with a disaster. 15 years ago I bought some used trucks with G159s on the steering axle. We carry 12,000 lbs on the steering axle. We had no failures with the G159. But they were probably less than 2 years old when we scrapped them. The tread wore normally, but with 100,000+ miles a year tread wears out before the carcass gets old. I buy Michelins because of the price, but If one of my units ruins a tire where there is no Michelin dealer, I wouldn’t hesitate to buy a Goodyear. And I would leave it on the vehicle until the tread was worn. Like any other tire, I will replace the tire and pay the disposal fee on the worn out one.
As of right now the only trailer tires still made in the United States are good year endurance.
I think the headline on this article is misleading. The Consumer Reports article is simply explaining that these tires are still out there, the G159 tire is unsafe and people should be aware that they are. The Consumer Reports article also reports that Goodyear has been fighting a recall for several decades, like many other big corporations do hoping this problem they caused will just go away. I consider Consumer Reports to be a fine resource for consumer products, I seldom make a major purchase without checking out what they have to say as I do not have the resources to test products myself. Here is the article:
https://www.consumerreports.org/product-safety/goodyear-rv-tire-linked-to-multiple-deaths-is-still-on-motorhomes/
I purchased 6, 3 were out of round, could not balance enough to keep the vibration out, well never purchase again!
Folks- First off, the Goodyear Marathon ST rated tire is the one Goodyear was having an issue with. Mad in China, these tires came standard on most Travel Trailers. I was not aware they were being installed on Motor Homes. Either way, these tires are notorious for blowouts causing severe damage. The newer Goodyear Endurance ST rated tire, (as mentioned above) replaced these about 6 years ago. Many of us who tow Travel Trailers (Airstreams) have switched to these with excellent results. No history of blowouts with this Endurance tire, and good reports last several years with this tire. A Travel Trailer has different wear characteristics than a Motor Home. The sidewalls endure a significant amount of sideway force since they do not turn/adjust on the highway. I am on my second set of Endurance now, with 50K miles on my 2017 28′ Airstream, and I am very pleased with these after replacing the OEM Marathons. Some folks mention Firestone, or “I am not going back to Goodyear”, which I think is short sighted. Remember, Firestone tires were the ones that caused many accidents years ago with Ford…I was a victim of Firestone tires accident with my Expedition years back, where Ford/Firestone paid insurance money for an accident/rollover that happened to us. Point is, do your homework, keep your tires inflated properly for your vehicle weight, and use a TPMS to help keep track of temps while driving..you just never know when a blowout is about to happen because of an old tire coming apartor a new tire with bad design.
People have short memories. But you are correct about Firestone, yet today’s firestone’s are excellent tires. And my wife demanded that I take brand new Chinese tires off our new horse trailer and put Goodyear Endurance on it. We’ve seen too many China bombs and the result is not pretty.
I read some of the comments that this is old news, but the info regarding age and how to read the date code is very good info. Loyalty to any given brand is a personal thing. Goodyear is a good brand but I personally don’t care for them. I ran Sailuns on my 5th wheel with great results. My best friend ran another brand with no issues. I truly believe most tire issues are less mfg issues (not saying there are not defective tires from all mfg’s) and are more related to age, speed and type of driver you are. I run 60 +\- mph and I get passed by campers doing 70-80 mph (crazy). I avoid hard / tight turns because of the stress it puts on the tires. Interestingly, the biggest concern on some blogs is being able to back the unit at a 90 degree angle (which I avoid like the plague). I think most drivers need to review their driving habits before they blame the tires. Sorry if I am stepping on any toes. Peace
Jennifer– Concerning your article on the Goodyear tires. I’ve been running Goodyear tires on my fifth wheel for more than 7 years now (two sets so far) and have had no problems with them what so ever. Of course I am not running the G159 but are Goodyear G614 and 14 ply. They are great tires and manufactured here in the USA. Your headline of “You May Want To Avoid Goodyear RV Tires, Per Consumer Reports” is misleading and you should have stated the number of the tire in the headline. Thanks for the warning but I’ll stick with my Goodyear G614’s!
I’ve spoken to numerous people who had problems (including blowouts) with the imported Chinese made Gooodyear Marathon trailer tires though I never had more than a flat on our 1 set. I searched the web for G159 and it best I can tell the G159 is NOT the Marathon. Marathons were in wide distribution and many people still have them.
Now Goodyear sells the Endurance, an American made tire which is also NOT the G159. They have a higher speed limit and seem to be a much better tire than the Marathon. I am running a set on my trailer.
In anycase, you can do some research and find this out, though the article maybe could have mentioned it.
This article would be a much better contribution to the RV community if it was mor
I haven’t bought a Goodyear tire since 1988, when my new car (with ~150 miles) had the sidewall blow out and caused over $1500 dollars to the car.
The Goodyear dealer “lost” the defective tire and I was on my own for the damaged.
Never again.
These seem to be only for motorhomes.
NOT the ST tires (such the Goodyear Endurance) most towable RVs have.
This information would make your writing more useful (but wouldn’t have gotten as many clicks).
Please be more specific when possible and easy.
I had the G159 tires as OEM on a 1998 American Tradition, and then replaced them with the same. After 3 blowouts, the last one being the left front which almost took me clear across the median on I-8, I replaced them with Michelin and never had another tire failure on that coach and 2 more coaches. Until reading this I never new the cause of the failures.
May I ask where in Mexico you live ? Too , do you feel it is safe to travel into Mexico ? I would like to visit the Copper Canyon and Baja . Thank you , have a Blessed day .
Hi Alfred, I live in Baja Sur. I have not felt unsafe, even during our 3-day drive down the peninsula. It is a joy to live here!
First off, your “headline” is extremely misleading. This is a known issue with one model of tire that is no longer being manufactured and has not been manufactured since 2003 with last sale two years later. And the litigation has been ongoing between the NHTSA, Goodyear, and the lawyers for more than fifteen years.
While there are probably many vehicles which use this tire, it (according to the Consumer Report article you are copying from) it is related to ONE SPECIFIC SIZE – the 22.5 inch which would be used on motor home class powered vehicles.
The term RV covers a lot of territory. Everything from the smallest tow behind trailer to travel trailers of all lengths to 5th wheels to the motor home classes A, B, and C are considered RVs.
In the future please, if you are going to abridge someone else’s article, do so accurately. My 2021 5th wheel was delivered from the factory with Goodyear Endurance tires. These tires are generally considered to be one of the best RV tires that are currently available.
This article is very misleading. The tires in question have not been manufactured in over 15 years yet your headline says they are still on the market. Goodyear Endurance tires are the best on the market.
Sadly, this biased post fails to mention that Goodyear ST tires are specifically designed for RVs and have higher ratings than the original equipment tires that came on my 2018 Rockwood.
Yep, I had ut 6 new Goodyears on my coach (34′ WindSport). Out of those 6 I had tread seperations on 5 of them. I thought it was me not checking tire pressuire, dragging brakes, wheel bearings heating up etc…. After the 1st seperation on I would always check the pressure when ever I moved the rig. Spent several hunderd dollars on a TPMS and I kept blowing tires. This article makes a lot of sense. I’ve since moved on to Firestone tires and haven’t had any trouble since. Probably will never go back to Goodyear either.
My used Open Range had a mish mash of brands, two of which were Goodyear Marathons. I put a set of the Goodyear Endurance tires on it after doing some research. I am VERY pleased with them. Made in America, too!
During a 6,000 mile trip we had 8 of these tires come apart on us! I will never buy another Goodyear tire.
You may want to avoid their tires across the board. I spent 20 years as an automotive technician – 1 certification away from ASE Master. The far and wide industry joke was that “the name says it all; good for a year.” That was true at a sadly high statistical rate. Sounds like some things never change. I have been using Bridgestones on my trucks and trailers for 30 years with zero failures and only 3 road hazard related flats in more than 2,000,000 miles.
Great article. Tread separations are no joke. We suffered not one but two blowouts in Idaho on our 20′ Pioneer trailer on the way back from a cross-county trip. I’m not sure of the tire manufacture. I always ck pressure and I even go so far as to put jacks under the axles and plywood under the rubber when it is stored in the off-season. The flapping tread wrecked the gray water controls but thank God did not open up the black water onto the I84 freeway!
These were manufactured 1996 – 2003. They were only sold through 2005! Where would you be getting these tires?
I would not take Consumer Reports word for it! They are known for very bias reviews against anything made in America, or American companies!! I speak from experience, I had a subscription to Consumer Reports for years, but after literally every single product they recommended that I bought was the very worst products I had ever bought I cancelled! I never had even one product they recommended that was any good! I go by actual customer reviews now!
Wasn’t there a class action lawsuit filed against Goodyear a couple of years ago? I was aware of the problems reported with Goodyear 275 X 80, 22.5″ tires that came on my 2008 Monaco Diplomat. As such, I changed the steer tires at 6,000 miles, installing Michelins, then changed the drivers at 8,000 miles. Thanks for the info. BJ Ellison, 2018 Tiffin Phaeton 37BH with Michelins all around.
This is a good article, but the title is misleading — other types of Goodyear tires (such as the Endurance for trailers) have had excellent safety records.
Very old information like over ten years
I had 3 blowouts with G159 tires on my American Eagle. Caused some fender well damage.
I replaced all 6 with G670 tires.
Are there any negative report on those?
I concur…I’ve had blowouts on 2 Good Year tires and lousy wear on 2 others on a different RV. We won’t buy from them again…
This is one of those useless articles people put out. Since the tires in question (yes they were bad) were discontinued nobody should be using any tire that was discontinued prior to 2010, that is just too old to be save to use regardless of brand or model.
Your response says it all and anyone running tires over 5 yrs old is gambling. Toyo M154 for me
I have avoided goodyear tires since the 60’s when I got suckered in on the “Polyglass” scam. Some of the worst tires ever. The belts started separating at 3,000 miles and they would not honor the warranty.
Thank you for this article. It has generated some questions that perhaps you can provide some comment.
This article makes me doubt Goodyear as a company. In your opinion, what could possibly motivate a company to put a documented inferior and hazardous product on the market? I can only cone up with profit over safety of their customer. Further, what could motivate an RV manufacturer to install a documented inferior and hazardous product on their product? Further yet, does the RV dealership have no input into what is installed on the product that they sell to their customer? It seems that each entity mentioned above shares a liability in case of a catastrophic failure.
My next thought is about the rest of the Goodyear tire line. If they consciously disregard customer safety with regard to the G159 tire, what about their other tires? I have used Goodyear G670 RV tires on four different coaches spanning 15 years and have had no issues of any kind. Have I just been lucky and need to make a change before a bad incident happens to me?
I’ve had nothing but poor experiences with Goodyear tires, so I won’t have them on any vehicle. If I was in the market for a used rv, I’d insist that the seller pay for tires of my choosing to be installed at the time of sale. You can never know how tires have been taken care of. Long trips at incorrect pressure and storage in direct sun could reduce the reliability of even 2-3 year old tires. Not worth the risk.
Some years ago I drove from Toronto to California, to prepare I had a set of Dunlop tyres mounted on my Impala. When we reached Flagstaff Arizona, the tyres were noisy, so we pulled into service centre and the mechanic told me the tyres were blistering through the treads and needed replacing. I told him they were brand new and he wrote an affidavit to the effect that the tyre were faulty. When we returned to Canada, I contacted Dunlop and was told they could do nothing as I hadn’t sent the tyres back to them, and they would only offer me $10 off my next set of tyres. Don’t buy Dunlop Tyres if you drive any distance, they blister and separate.
If your tires are more than six years old, you should change them. Hopefully there are no tires from the 90’s or before 2014 still being used. You should study up on tires before writing about them. The article is well written but could be misleading.
I would think the NHTSA would issue a recall for these specific Goodyear tires.