NHTSA complaint: 2001 MONACO COACH WINDSOR — TIRES
RELATIVELY NEW GOODYEAR TIRES (22,000 MILES), INFLATED TO 116 LBS PER MFG INSTRUCTIONS. SPEED 65 MPH. 33,000 LB MONACO MOTOR HOME. TRAVELING EAST ON INTERSTATE 59 IN MERIDIAN, MS, LEFT FRONT TIRE ON 38 FT MONOCO MOTOR HOME EXPLODED. CROSSED CENTER DIVIDER AND WESTBOUND LANES OF I-59. NO APPARENT CAUSE FOR BLOW-OUT. MOTOR HOME RECEIVED SOME DAMAGE. REPLACED TIRE AND CONTINUED TRIP AT MUCH REDUCED SPEED. APPROXIMATELY 150 MILES FURTHER IN SMYRNA, GA, RIGHT FRONT TIRE EXPLODED. AGAIN TIRE PRESSURE 116 LBS, SPEED APPROXIMATELY 50-55 MPH. VEHICLE HIT GUARD RAIL CAUSING MORE EXTENSIVE DAMAGE. NO APPARENT CAUSE FOR BLOW-OUT. THESE TIRES WERE THE SUBJECT OF A GOODYEAR/MONACO PRIVATE RECALL DUE TO "USERS REDUCING TIRE PRESSURE TO OBTAIN A BETTER RIDE". THE SUBJECT TIRES WERE INFLATED TO FULL MFG RECOMMENDED PRESSURE. GOODYEAR REPLACED ALL SIX TIRES ON THE VEHICLE WITH NEW HEAVIER DUTY TIRES AND STATED, "MONACO USED UNDER RATED TIRES ON THIS VEHICLE". CONTINUING PROBLEM: THE NEW HEAVIER DUTY TIRES THAT GOODYEAR HAS BEEN PROVIDING ONLY HAVE 3/8" CLEARANCE FROM THE REAR VEHICLE SUSPENSION. THERE ARE PROBABLY HUNDREDS OF THESE MOTOR HOMES WITH BOTH THE OLDER "UNDER-RATED" TIRES AND NEW HEAVY DUTY TIRES WITH MINIMAL CLEARANCE ON THE ROAD AT THIS TIME. *LA
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — Office of Defects Investigation