NHTSA complaint: CARLISLE CARLISLE — TIRES
I HAVE A ROADMASTER TOW DOLLY AND ONE DAY, WHILE JUST SITTING THERE, I FOUND A THICK PIECE OF THE TREAD HAD SEPARATED, SHOWING WIRES UNDERNEATH. I FIGURED THE OTHER TIRE MAY DO THE SAME THING SINCE IT WAS IDENTICAL BUT MY INSPECTIONS REVEALED NOTHING'..THE TIRE LOOKED LIKE NEW. UNFORTUNATELY THE OTHER TIRE EVENTUALLY GAVE AWAY ON THE FREEWAY WHILE I HAD A CAR IN TOW. LUCKILY AT THE TIME I WASN'T SURROUNDED BY THE HEAVY TRAFFIC THAT SEEMED TO ACCOMPANY ME THAT DAY BECAUSE ALL OF A SUDDEN THE TOWED VEHICLE STARTED DRAGGING ME ACROSS ALL THE LANES, FROM ONE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY TO THE OTHER BUT THE SCARIEST PART WAS WHEN I WAS STARING DOWN AT TRAFFIC UNDER THE OVER PASS. AFTER PULLING OVER I DISCOVERED MY THICK FENDER HAD CRUSHED INWARD AT THE REAR'..TOTALLY SWALLOWING MY TAILLIGHT AND EFFECTIVELY ACTING AS A BRAKE. THE TIRE WAS STILL INFLATED BUT THE ENTIRE THICK TREAD WAS MISSING'..JUST THE WIRES WERE LEFT. THE TIRE MUST HAVE SEPARATED AND THE FENDER ACTED LIKE A PEELER BUT CRUSHED IN AT THE SAME TIME. IT ALL HAPPENED REAL FAST. THIS EVENT COULD HAVE BEEN VERY UGLY. A CANTON POLICE OFFICER ASKED IF I NEEDED ASSISTANCE BUT I SAID I'D JUST PULL OUT THE FENDER AND PUT MY SPARE ON. *TR
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — Office of Defects Investigation