Cooper tires - sidewalls optional?

This is (was) a good condition Cooper Discouverer AT3s. Blew out entirely while my wife was highway driving. Our off road usage only goes as far as well-travelled logging roads.

I read there was a recall on these tires from 2018/2019 for sidewall problems. Anyone else experience this? Thinking of swapping all four for a more reliable brand.

 

woah what the hell. Hope you guys are alright. That's a wild looking failure.

 

I’ve seen others have the same issue as you, Cooper definitely had some quality control issues for a bit. Glad you guys are safe after that.

 

I've had 5 sets of these tires since 2017 (although they revamped the line around the time you described) and never once experienced anything like this. I had one flat after a nail in the road struck the thinnest part of the tire, but that's it.

That being said, I plan to swap to Goodyears this fall. I have some cracking even though the tires are from 2020. They also have a lot of heat cycles and over 70k miles so that's probably a lot to do with it.

Glad everyone is ok.

 

Thanks folks, fortunately my wife is fine. It was the rear passenger tire that popped, so she was able to pull over no troubles.

 

@Rliebs it is apparent from what you described that you may find damage in the tread area (nail, hole) that caused loss of air and the end result of being driven on at highway speed caused run flat damage to the sidewall. That's why its such a clean cut. I would not worry about the other 3 its not likely a defect. Blowouts on the freeway are scary, glad your wife came out of it unharmed.

 

Thanks for the perspective and video. I didnt see anything in the tread on first pass but will look again.

 

It could simply be a hole. Mine had nothing in the tire, but a hole clean through the center of the deepest groove.

 

Woah! i would definitely replace all of them!