Hankook Tire quality in question

韩泰轮胎被曝存在质量问题

Just a little over a month after Kumho Tire Co. recalled 300,000 faulty tires produced at its plant in China's northeastern Tianjin municipality, another South Korean tire manufacturer has found itself embroiled in a product quality scandal.

The spotlight turned to Seoul-based Hankook Tire Co. this week after a tire dealer in southeast China’s Guangdong Province reported more than 30 percent of a January shipment of the company’s tires was faulty.

The dealer contacted the manufacturer after eight of twenty Hankook tires sold at its Daoyan Town store burst while driving. Upon inspection, Hankook found more than 30 percent of the 100-tire January shipment showed problems.

The tires burst due to uneven thickness of the tire walls, which cause thinner, weaker parts of the tire wall to inflate with air while driving, the dealer said.

Both Kumho and Hankook have been the subject of regulatory scrutiny before. In 2009, China's General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine criticized the two companies for frequent swelling problems with their tires.

Flawed automobile products problems in China have grown in recent years. The country’s quality regulator received 2933 valid car complaints in 2008, up 36.8 percent from 2007. Auto parts, in particular, have caused particular concern. The regulator reported 495 flawed tire cases last year, including swelling and side crack issues with Kumho tires and swelling problems with Hankook tires.

Chinese media reported on quality concerns at Hankook as early as September last year after consumers repeatedly complained about serious accidents caused by defects with the tires.

The limited recall of Kumho tires last month was China’s first tire recall. Insiders hope it will set a precedent for more serious regulation of the auto industry.

Regulations governing auto product recalls may be released within the year, they said.