NHTSA complaint: 2004 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN — TIRES
WE WERE DRIVING SOUTHBOUND ON US HWY 131 JUST NORTH OF KALAMAZOO, MI. OUR WILDERNESS AT P255/70R16 SHREDDED AND ALMOST CAUSED US TO ROLL OVER. THE DAMAGE DONE TO THE VEHICLE WAS APPROXIMATELY $2400 PLUS $197 FOR TWO TIRES. WE BOUGHT SUBURBAN FROM A FORD DEALER IN WI IN DECEMBER 2011. THE TIRES WERE ON THE VEHICLE. WE FOUND OUT THAT THEY WERE RECALLED AND ALSO WERE 14 YEARS OLD. WE WENT TO THE FORD DEALER TO SEE ABOUT BEING REIMBURSED FOR THE TWO TIRES THAT THEY KNOWINGLY PUT ON THE SUBURBAN. THEY ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THEY PUT THE TIRES ON BUT CLAIMED IT WASN'T THEIR FAULT AND THEY DIDN'T HAVE TO KNOW ALL THE TIRES THAT HAVE BEEN RECALLED. WE THEN FILED A COMPLAINT WITH FIRESTONE. NINE MONTHS AFTER WE FILED THE COMPLAINT, SENT THE EVIDENCE, ALL PAPERWORK, THE TIRE WITH SHREDDED PIECES, AND COST OF REPAIRS, WE RECEIVED A NOTE THAT FIRESTONE WAS NOT LIABLE, THAT THE TIRE WAS 14 YEARS OLD, AND THAT THEY WOULD ONLY PAY FOR ONE TIRE. THEY SAID THAT THE TIRE WAS NOT PROPERLY INFLATED. WE TOOK THE AIR OUT WHEN IT WAS SENT BECAUSE UPS WOULDN'T TAKE IT WITH AIR IN IT. WE CURRENTLY HAVE THE SECOND TIRE. IT HAS EXCELLENT TREAD. THERE IS NO WAY OF KNOWING FROM LOOKING AT IT THAT IT IS A HAZARD. SHOULDN'T A TIRE COMPANY THAT RECALLED TIRES HAVE TO REPLACE THEM EVEN IF THEY ARE OLD? WE HAVE PICTURES TO SHOW THAT THE TIRE WENT COMPLETELY BALD AND NEVER WENT FLAT. *TR
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — Office of Defects Investigation