# 2003 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN — TIRES
> NHTSA complaint `462176` · 2004-03-23 · General Motors, LLC
## Severity
- **Deaths:** 0
- **Injured:** 0
- **Fire:** No
- **Crash:** Yes
- **Police report:** Yes
- **Medical attention:** No
- **Vehicle towed:** No
## Vehicle
- **Make:** CHEVROLET
- **Model:** SUBURBAN
- **Year:** 2003
- **Manufacturer:** General Motors, LLC
- **Component:** TIRES
- **Miles at failure:** 12,000
- **Speed:** 60 mph
## Narrative
I RECENTLY PURCHASED A 2003 CHEVY SUBURBAN EQUIPED WITH FACTORY INSTALLED WRANGLER AT 265/70/17 TIRES.WHILE TOWING A BOAT IN A SNOW SQUALL,I LOST ALL TRACTION ON AN OVERPASS RESULTING IN THE LOSS OF THE BOAT,MOTOR AND TRAILER UPSIDE DOWN IN A DITCH.FORTUNATELY THE VEHICLE AND WE SURVIVED,BUT THE $15,000 BOAT WAS A TOTAL LOSS.ALSO WHILE BACKING DOWN A BOAT RAMP THAT WAS SLIPPERY,WE ALMOST ENDED UP IN THE RIVER AS WE SLID MOST OF THE WAY DOWN THE RAMP.AFTER I EXITED THE VEHICLE,IT SLID ANOTHER 5 FEET ONLY STOPPING WHEN IT HIT THE SAND AT THE WATER'S EDGE.AFTER PUTTING LARGE STONES BEHIND THE REAR WHEELS,WE WERE ABLE TO GET THE BOAT ON THE TRAILER,ONLY TO EXPERIENCE NO TRACTION AT ALL EVEN IN FOUR WHEEL DRIVE WHILE TRYING TO GET UP THE RAMP.AFTER MUCH TIRE SPINNING WE WERE FINALLY ABLE TO INCH OUR WAY UP THE RAMP.WE SEEMED TO BE ONLY ONES HAVING THIS MUCH TRACTION PROBLEMS AS A FEW VEHICLES LAUNCHED AND RETRIEVED BOATS AFTER US WITH LITTLE DIFFICULTY.THESE TIRES MAKE NO SENSE ON A VEHICLE THAT SPENDS THE MAJORITY OF THE TIME ON THE HIGHWAY AND NOT IN A MUD HOLE,THE TRACTION SEEMS TO DISAPPEAR ON WET OR SLIPPERY SURFACES.I HAD TWO SETS OF FIRESTONE STEELFLEX TIRES ON MY PREVIOUS SUBURBAN AND NEVER ONCE HAD PROBLEMS WITH TRACTION LIKE I DO NOW.*AK
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*Source: [NHTSA ODI](https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/downloads/) · AI Analytics · CC0 1.0*