NHTSA Complaint #10029334 — 2002 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA

RICHARD GUNN WROTE TO GOODYEAR; I HAVE A 2002 VW JETTA THAT CAME STOCK WITH GOODYEAR EAGLE RSA TIRES,225/45R17 91H. AT 13,000 MILES ONE OF THE TIRES WENT FLAT BUT DID NOT APPEAR TO HAVE ANY NAILS OR HOLES IN IT WHEN I REMOVED IT, ALTHOUGH THESIDEWALL WAS SPLIT. I TOOK THE TIRE INTO THE CLEM TIRE COMPANY 7907 HIGHWAY 72, MADISON, AL 35758 , 256-837-9151. ONE TIRE WAS PUT ON ORDER AS THESE TIRES ARE AN UNUSUAL SIZE FOR THIS CAR. THE FOLLOWING DAY A SECOND TIRE WENT FLAT. AGAIN THERE WAS NO NAIL OR EXPLAINABLE CAUSE. A SECOND TIRE WAS ORDERED. WHEN THE TIRES CAME IN I WENT DOWN TO HAVE THEM INSTALLED. I ASKED THE SHOP TO LOOK AT THE FRONT TWO TIRES TO SEE THAT THEY WERE OK AS I HAD NOW BECOME SUSPICIOUS OF THESE TIRES. THE SHOP FOUND THE FRONT TWO TIRES WERE SPLIT OUT ON THE INSIDE SIDEWALLS AS WELL. THE SHOP CONTACTED GOODYEAR WHO WAS GOOD ENOUGH TO REPLACE ALL FOUR TIRES FREE AND ASKED TO SEND THE TIRES BACK FOR EVALUATION. THE TIRES THAT ARE BEING RETURNED ARE THE SAME AS WHAT WAS JUST PUT ON MY CAR AND FRANKLY I AM NOT ALL THAT WARM AND FUZZY THAT THEY ARE SAFE TO DRIVE ON. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE FAILURE ANALYSIS REPORT ON THE RETURNED TIRES, COMPLETE WITH CONCLUSION AS TO THE FAILURE MECHANISM. ALSO I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT THE CORRECTIVE ACTION IS TO VERIFY THAT THIS TIRE OR LOT HAS BEEN ISOLATED SO THAT OTHERS MIGHT NOT BE INJURED DUE TO DEFECTS IN THIS TIRE. I SUPPOSE I WAS FORTUNATE THAT I WAS NOT TRAVELING AT HIGH SPEED WHEN MY TIRES FAILED BUT OTHERS MIGHT NOT BE AS FORTUNATE. ADDITIONALLY I THINK THAT VOLKSWAGEN SHOULD BE INFORMED SO THAT THEY CAN MAKE THE CALL ON WHETHER TO NOTIFY THEIR CUSTOMERS OF THIS POTENTIAL ISSUE. I HAVE A COPY OF THE RECEIPT THAT HAS ALL OF THE DETAILS ON IT IF YOU WOULD LIKE ME TO FAX IT TO YOU A CAN DO SO.*AK