Tire Recall Reform: Blockchain and Shared Responsibility
This paper examines the systemic failures in the U.S. tire recall process and proposes a multi-stakeholder framework for reform. Drawing on the Firestone recall scandal and investigative reporting by ABC News, the paper argues that tire manufacturers, retailers, government agencies, and consumers each bear responsibility for ensuring that recalled tires are removed from circulation. The author proposes using blockchain technology as a chain-of-custody ledger for tracking individual tires from manufacture through sale, paired with a government-maintained public recall database. Together, these tools would enable real-time notification across the supply chain and reduce the risk of recalled tires reaching unsuspecting consumers.
- The Tire Recall Problem and the Case for Reform: No tracking system exists for recalled tire removal
- Using Blockchain Technology to Track Tires: Blockchain ledger proposed as chain-of-custody solution
- The Role of Retailers in Monitoring Recalls: Retailers must monitor recalls and sync with databases
- Government Responsibilities in Tire Safety: Government should build and maintain public recall database
- Consumer Responsibilities and Self-Protection: Consumers must register purchases and stay informed
- Shared Responsibility When Recalled Tires Remain in the Supply Chain: Retailers and consumers share blame for recalled tires missed
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What makes this paper effective
- Organizes a complex, multi-party problem by assigning clear responsibilities to each stakeholder — manufacturers, retailers, government, and consumers — giving the argument a logical, systematic structure.
- Grounds its policy proposals in a concrete real-world scandal (the Firestone recall) and a documented legal outcome (Walmart lawsuit), which adds credibility to the reform argument.
- Introduces blockchain technology as a practical solution, linking it to an academic/technical source, which elevates the paper beyond a simple opinion piece.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper demonstrates stakeholder analysis as an argumentative framework. Rather than making a single monolithic claim, the author systematically identifies each party with a stake in tire safety and constructs a distinct but interrelated argument for each one's obligations. This technique is effective in policy and ethics writing because it acknowledges real-world complexity while still arriving at actionable recommendations.
Structure breakdown
The paper opens by identifying the core problem — the absence of a reliable tire recall tracking system — and immediately proposes blockchain as a technological solution. It then moves stakeholder by stakeholder (retailers, government, consumers) before closing with a shared-responsibility argument covering scenarios where recalls fail. Each paragraph functions as a mini-argument, making this a useful model for short policy essays at the undergraduate level.
The Tire Recall Problem and the Case for Reform
The problem with tire recall is that there is no system in place — as of 2014 — to track and monitor tires among retailers who might determine at a glance whether a specific tire is part of a recall. As ABC News has shown, there is a real and serious need for system reform because of the invisible hazard that exists when unsafe, recalled tires are sold to an unsuspecting public. Tire manufacturers have a responsibility to be part of that reform and to develop an adequate method of tracking where all tires are delivered and to whom they are sold, so that in the case of a recall, those tires may be effectively removed from circulation.
Once a recall is issued, the tires should be located by contacting both retailers and consumers who purchased them, so that no tires are "lost." The steps necessary to accomplish this would include establishing a chain of custody for every tire sold, creating a clear paper trail that identifies where the tires have gone so that the current owner may be alerted.
Works Cited
ABC News. "Recall Roulette: Americans Could Be Driving on Bad, Dangerous Tires." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgZRF8_1Ybo
Mizrahi, Alex. "A Blockchain-based Property Ownership Recording System."
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