Complaint 541521

Complaint Summary

TIRES:TREAD/BELT

Owner Narrative

WHILE ON VACATION JUNE 17,2005 IN OREGON WE HAD ABOUT AN 18 IN. PIECE OF THE TREAD SEPARATE FROM THE TIRE RESULTING IN A BLOWOUT ON THE RIGHT INSIDE DUEL.WE WERE DRIVING OUR 2000 23 J CHATEAU MOTORHOME TOWING A JEEP LIBERTY.FOLLOWED BY OUR FRIENDS IN ANOTHER RIG WE WERE TRAVELING NORTH ON HIGHWAY 97 ABOUT A MILE NORTH OF GILCRIST OREGON. THE TEMP.WAS ABOUT 54 DEGREES AND OVERCAST.WE WERE ABLE TO SAFELY GET OFF THE TWO LANE HIGHWAY ON TO THE SHOULDER.AFTER UN-HOOKING OUR TOW VEHICLE WITH THE HELP OF AN HIGHWAY PATROLMAN WHO STOPPED TRAFFIC WE TURNED AROUND AND LIMPED BACK TO A GILCHRIST SEVICE STATION AND HAD OUR SPARE INSTALLED. AFTER RETURNING HOME IN VANCOUVER WA. I TOOK THE DAMAGED TIRE TO A LOCAL FIRESTONE TIRE AND SEVICE CENTER.THE PERSON I DELT WITH TOLD ME I WOULD HAVE TO LEAVE THE TIRE SO SOMEONE ELSE COULD LOOK AT THE TIRE TO DETERMIN WHAT WOULD BE DONE. AFTER 4 DAYS OF WAITING I WAS TOLD THAT NOTHING WOULD BE DONE BECAUSE THEY FELT THAT IT WAS CAUSED BY THE TIRE BEING UNDER INFLATED AND IT GOT HOT.(B S) I THEN TOOK THE TIRE TO AN ANOTHER (NOT FIRESTONE) TIRE DEALER AND HE TOLD ME THAT THAT WAS POSSIBLE BUT HE DIDN'T THINK THAT WAS THE CASE. THESE TIRES HAVE ONLY 13,000 MILES ON THEM . THE TIRES ARE THE FIRESTONE STEELTEX LT 225/75R-16 M/T LOAD RANGE E . I WILL NOW HAVE TO BUY ALL 7 NEW TIRES AT A COST OF ABOUT $ 1,150.00 BECAUSE I WOULDN'T FEEL SAFE DRIVING ON THESE TIRES AS THEY ARE STARTING TO CRACK ON THE SIDE WALLS.

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