NHTSA Complaint #10030405 — 2000 CHEVROLET MALIBU

RIGHT FRONT TIRE ON 2000 CHEVROLET MALIBU CAME APART ON OUTER SIDEWALL WHILE DRIVING AT 60 MPH. INITALLY NO CAUSE COULD BE FOUND. THE TREAD AND INNER SIDEWALL APPEARED TO BE OK. AFTER INSTALLING THE SPACE SAVER SPARE AND DRIVING ABOUT 100 MILES HOME AT 50 MPH THE TIRE AND RIM WERE IMMEDIATELY INSPECTED. THE TIRE WAS SO HOT YOU COULD BARELY HOLD YOUR HAND ON IT. THE RIM WAS HOT ENOUGH TO BURN FINGERS. THE BRAKE ON THAT WHEEL WAS NOT COMPLETELY RELEASING AND WAS CAUSING THE EXTREME HEAT BUILD-UP. THE OUTSIDE ON THE TIRE APPEARS TO HAVE GOTTEN SO HOT THAT IT LITERALLY FELL APART. THE BRAKE PADS ON THIS VEHICLE HAD BEEN REPLACED AT ABOUT 38,00 MILES AND THIS SIDE HAD WORN MORE THAN THE OTHER, BUT NO PROBLEMS COULD BE FOUND TO ACCOUNT FOR THE ABNORMAL WEAR. THE BRAKE ON THIS WHEEL APPEARS TO WORK NORNALLY MOST OF THE TIME AND THEN PERIODICALLY NOT RELEASE COMPLETELY AND CAUSE THE HEAT TO BUILD -UP AND THE ABNORMAL PAD WEAR. THERE WAS NO WARNING FROM THE TIRE OR VEHICLE THAT THIS WAS ABOUT TO HAPPEN EXCEPT FOR A SLIGHT HUMMING NOISE FROM THE FRONT OF VEHICLE A COUPLE SECONDS BEFORE FAILURE. I CONSIDER THIS AN EXTREME SAFET HAZZARD BECAUSE IT OCCURS WITH NO WARNING AND THEN IS USUALLY BLAMED ON THE TIRE. EITHER IT WAS DEFECTIVE OR HAD IMPROPER PRESSURE.