NHTSA Complaint #10030433 — 2002 SATURN LS

THE TIRES ON MY 2002 SATURN LW300 WORE OUT AT AN EXCESSIVE RATE, REQUIRING REPLACEMENT AT 22,000 MILES. I BROUGHT MY CAR INTO THE DEALERSHIP DESCRIBING STEERING WHEEL VIBRATION AT HIGH SPEED AND EXCESSIVELY WORN TIRES. ALTHOUGH THE SYMPTOMS I DESCRIBED MET THE SYMPTOMS IN EXISTING TSBS FOR MY VEHICLE, THE SATURN DEALER IGNORED THESE AND UNTIL I DID RESEARCH TO FIND THE TSBS, WAS NOT GOING TO COVER THIS UNDER WARRANTY. FROM MY RESEARCH, THE EXCESSIVE WEAR ON THE TIRES IS FAR FROM AN ISOLATED INCIDENT AND ADVERSELY AFFECTS THE PERFORMANCE, AND THEREFORE SAFETY, OF THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER ALSO INFORMED ME THAT THERE WAS "CUPPING" ON MY REAR TIRES MAKING THEM OUT OF ROUND.WHILE THERE IS A TSB OUT FOR THIS INCIDENT, CERTAIN SATURN DEALERS ARE CHOOSING TO IGNORE THIS EVEN WHEN CUSTOMERS REPORT THE PROBLEMS DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE TSBS. SINCE THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE TO SATURN AND IS RELATED TO THE CONFIGURATION OF THE SUSPENSION AND SATURN'S SELECTION FOR TIRES (FIRESTONE AFFINITY HPS), THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL ON THE VEHICLE TO CORRECT THE MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT, AND AVERT FUTURE SAFETY ISSUES RELATING TO LOW TIRE TRACTION. FURTHERMORE, THE FACT THAT THIS TIRE WEAR OCCURS AT SUCH AN EARLY PERIOD IN THE CAR'S LIFE THAT MANY CONSUMERS WILL NOT EVEN KNOW THAT THEY HAVE WORN OUT TIRES UNTIL THEY HAVE A FAILURE LEADING TO AN ACCIDENT. THANKFULLY THAT DID NOT HAPPEN IN MY CASE BUT TREAD LIFE IS NOT SOMETHING I WOULD NORMALLY BE CHECKING ON A CAR WITH 22,000 MILES BECAUSE THERE IS NO REASON FOR TIRES ON A NEW CAR TO WEAR OUT AT 22,000 MILES.*AK