A group of California residents filed a lawsuit Tuesday against Bridgestone Corp.'s U.S. subsidiary, Bridgestone/Firestone Inc., seeking the recall of about 27.5 million tires they claim are defective.
The lawsuit, filed with the California Superior Court in Riverside County, east of Los Angeles, seeks class action status, along with a compensation sum that has yet to be disclosed.
The plaintiffs are demanding that Bridgestone/Firestone recall 27.5 million Steeltex R4S, R4SII and A/T tires that allegedly have tread separation problems similar to those of about 6.5 million tires that were recalled in 2000 amid a high-profile business dispute with Ford Motor Co.
Regarding the latest charge, Bridgestone/Firestone said that the safety of the tires is certified through tests by authorities and that there are no problems with the tires.
Sport utility vehicles are often fitted with the tires in question.