NHTSA Complaint #10038753 — 2002 NISSAN QUEST

I RECENTLY EXPERIENCED COMPLETE AND PARTIAL TIRE WALL SEPARATION ON 3 OF 4 CONTINENTAL TOURING CONTACT A/S P215/65R-16 TIRES DURING ONE 1200 MILE TRIP. THE TIRE WALL SEPARATION OCCURRED ON MY 2002 NISSAN QUEST WHICH HAD ONLY 9500 MILES ON THE VEHICLE. THE THREE TIRE WALL SEPARATIONS OCCURRED SUDDENLY WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED RESULTING IN TWO NEAR-SERIOUS ACCIDENTS AND COLLISIONS. UPON INSPECTION BY A NISSAN SERVICE CENTER AND LOCAL TIRE DISTRIBUTOR, TWO TIRES WERE FOUND TO HAVE VERY OBVIOUS AND TOTAL TIRE WALL SEPARATION AND ONE TIRE WAS FOUND TO HAVE PARTIAL SEPARATION. THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF ANY TIRE PUNCTURES OR OBVIOUS DAMAGE THAT MAY HAVE CAUSED THE TIRE WALL SEPARATIONS. DESPITE THE VEHICLE BEING UNDER FACTORY WARRANTY, THE DEALERSHIP WAS UNWILLING TO ASSUME ANY RESPONSIBILITY ASSOCIATED WITH CONTINENTAL TIRE FAILURE. UPON CONTACTING THE CONTINENTAL CUSTOMER SERVICE HOTLINE, CONTINENTAL TIRE WAS UNWILLING TO OFFER ANY FORM OF REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE DEFECTIVE TIRES THAT LEFT ME STRANDED IN TWO STATES BECAUSE THE REPLACEMENT TIRES WERE REPLACED WITH NON-CONTINENTAL TIRES AND REPLACED AT AN UNAUTHORIZED CONTINENTAL DEALER. THE ONLY COMPROMISE THAT THEY WERE WILLING TO MAKE WAS TO REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE TIRES WITH ANOTHER CONTINENTAL BRAND TIRE IF AN AUTHORIZED CONTINENTAL TIRE DEALER VERIFIED THE TIRE WALL SEPARATION. DUE TO THE OBVIOUS DEFECTIVENESS OF THIS BRAND OF CONTINENTAL TIRES, I WAS UNWILLING TO JEOPARDIZE MY FAMILY'S SAFETY BY PLACING ANOTHER CONTINENTAL BRAND TIRE ON MY VEHICLE. *PH