Lawsuit Seeks Recall of Firestone Tires

A California lawyer filed a lawsuit demanding Bridgestone Corp.’s U.S. unit recall 27.5 million Steeltex tires that allegedly are prone to tread separation similar to that which led to a massive recall of its tires two years ago.

The suit seeks class-action status. A recall could cost Bridgestone/Firestone Inc., the U.S. unit of Japan’s Bridgestone, as much as $2.75 billion.

A spokeswoman said the Steeltex tires had been tested by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration from September 2000 through April 2002, and no defects were found.