Complaint 1551651

Complaint Summary

WHEELS

Owner Narrative

RE: AUGUST 7,2018 15690 SCENIC LANE BURNSVILLE, MN 55306 TIRE TYPE: GLADIATOR 215/75 R 17.5 QR55ST DOT TT5H GLADIATOR TIRE WARRANTY AMERICAN PACIFIC INDUSTRIES 8320 EAST HARTFORD DR SCOTTSDALE, AZ ON, JUNE 8TH WHILE HAULING A BOBCAT ON MY 11- MONTH OLD TRAILER, STILL UNDER WARRANTY, A TIRE 'BLEW-OUT' WHILE TRAVELLING ON A FREEWAY. THERE WAS NO IMPACT INVOLVED OR ANYTHING TO PRECIPITATE THE TIRE TO BLOW. THE INCIDENT HAPPENED AT 10:30PM IN AN OUTLYING AREA IN MINNESOTA AND THE ONLY SERVICE AVAILABLE WAS POMP'S TIRE SERVICE WHO CHARGED $679 FOR THE TIRE REPLACEMENT AND LABOR. THE TIRE TECHNICIAN SAID THEY WERE JUNK TIRES MADE IN CHINA. I WAS UPSET TO HEAR THAT BECAUSE I HAD PAID AN EXTRA $1000 TO UPGRADE TO A BETTER TIRE WHEN I PURCHASED THE TRAILER IN JULY 2017. WITHIN 150 MILES A SECOND TIRE BLEW OUT IN THE SAME FASHION AS THE FIRST. THIS TIME I UNLOADED THE EQUIPMENT AND AGAIN DROVE A FEW MILES ON THE FREEWAY TO THE EXIT WHERE I LEFT THE TRAILER AND EQUIPMENT AT A RESTAURANT FOR MORE THAN 24HRS WHILE I SECURED ANOTHER TIRE. AGAIN, NOT A CONVENIENT LOCATION AND FAR FROM HOME. ANOTHER DAY DOWN FROM WORK PRODUCTIVITY. MY ASSUMPTION AT THIS POINT WAS THAT THE TIRES WERE DEFECTIVE, AND I COULDN'T RISK ANY MORE DOWN TIME DEALING WITH BLOWN TIRES. A SITUATION I WAS COMPELLED TO AVOID AGAIN. THE TIRE PRESSURE IN THE REMAINING TIRES WAS VERIFIED TO BE CORRECT AFTER THE FIRST TIRE BLEW OUT. SPARKS TRAILER IN AVON, MN, WHERE THE TRAILER WAS PURCHASED, REFERRED ME TO LOAD TRAIL TO PURSUE THE WARRANTY ISSUE, WHO REFERRED ME TO API WHO SUPPLIES GLADIATOR TIRES. AFTER LISTENING TO THE HISTORY OF THE INCIDENTS, JESSICA AGREED WITH MY CONCERN THAT IT WAS NOT WORTH THE RISK OF AN ACCIDENT OR ANOTHER BREAKDOWN. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).' *PM

Owner-submitted narrative on file with NHTSA. Complaint narratives are self-reported and have not been verified.