DIO Û¢ Û¢ åÇ		IS 0 ! 1 & hn	Saturday, December 13,1986
m Mattel Inc., the nationÛªs second-largest toy maker, predicted yesterday that it would post a fourth-quarter loss because of lower-than-expected U.S. sales, including during the crucial Christmas season.</br></br>The announcement followed third-quarter losses in MattelÛªs domestic operations that triggered an undisclosed number of layoffs. The toy maker, which is based in Hawthorne, Calif., issued a two-sentence statement attributing the anticipated fourth-quarter shortfall ÛÏprincipally to a generally weak U.S. toy retail environment.ÛªÛª</br></br>Mattel spokesman Spencer Boise said he could not elaborate or give a dollar figure for the projected losses. But he said the expected fourth-quarter loss would reflect a disappointing Christmas buying season. ÛÏI think that thereÛªs no big blockbuster toy like there has been in the past,Û he said.</br></br>ÐÊ	General Motors Corp. confirmed yesterday that it has been replacing radial tires on some 1985 and 1986 model vehicles because improper alignment at the factory caused them to wear out prematurely.</br></br>The Center for Auto Safety in Washington said that as many as 5 million vehicles are affected and that tires on some cars were showing major wear after as little as 7,000 miles.