Red Jeep Found After 1 Year Missing + California Tire Ban

Jeep Talk Show – Tragic Oregon Jeep Discovery, California's Tire Ban (2029/2033), Shopping Cart Roundtable & More

Well hey Jeepers, welcome back to another jam-packed episode of the Jeep Talk Show with Tony and Josh. We open on a somber note with the recent discovery of a crashed 2005 red Jeep Wrangler off Highway 6 in Oregon's Tillamook area. Loggers/ODF personnel found the vehicle (linked to a September 2025 missing persons case out of Beaverton) along with skeletal remains believed to be those of Eddie Hair (Hare) and Scott Smith, both in their late 60s. Official identification is pending (dental records/personal effects), but the registration and circumstances point strongly to the two men who never returned from an outdoor/wheeling trip. We discuss the tragic accident angle, the "red Jeep curse" running joke since 2020, and some classic banter about James Dean and why red Jeeps seem to stick in people's memories.

Then we dive deep into California's brand-new Replacement Tire Efficiency Program (approved by the CEC in mid-August 2026). Starting with tires manufactured on or after January 1, 2029, replacement passenger and light-truck tires sold in California must meet a maximum rolling resistance of roughly 9.0–9.1 N/kN (with a minimum wet-grip requirement). Phase 2 tightens it further to about 7.1–7.2 N/kN beginning January 1, 2033. Industry estimates suggest this could eliminate ~70% of current tire models from California shelves.

Listener voicemails follow (including DR in Utah checking in after a long absence and sharing updates on the Jeep Scrambler/IFS talk plus personal notes, and Nicky G with a string of classic dad jokes).

Then it's Round Table time: When (and why) do you put the shopping cart/basket/buggy back? Tony fires off a rant about free labor and shaming stickers; the crew (Glenn, John Lee, Rick, Bob, Travis and others) share honest takes ranging from "always, respect/karma/old-school raising" to "only if it's right next to me—I'm not working for the store." Robots, Walmart in-home delivery, and future trail-side parts robots even make an appearance.

We close the "F*CK You, You F*CK" segment with a heated takedown of drivers who come to a near-complete stop to turn into a strip-mall, Burger King, or driveway—white-knuckle, wedding-cake-in-the-trunk style. Pit maneuvers and cow-catcher fantasies ensue.

Timestamps:

00:00 – Oregon Jeep Crash Linked to Missing Persons Case 02:46 – Red Jeeps and the Fatality Legend 05:57 – California