NHTSA Complaint #10074756 — 1995 NISSAN 200SX

I TRIED TO PURCHASE TWO FRONT TIRES AT COSTCO, BUT WAS TOLD BY THE GENERAL MANAGER 'CHRIS MOORE' THAT THEIR POLICY IS ONLY TO MOUNT ONE OR TWO TIRES WHEN PURCHASED ON THE REAR. THEY REFUSED TO MOUNT THE TIRES ON THE FRONT AND INSISTED THAT THEY MOUNT MY TWO REAR TIRES BY DIFFERENT MANUFACTURERS ON THE FRONT. ONE TIRE IS A GOODYEAR RS AND THE OTHER A MICHELIN X, BOTH 185X65X14 ON A FRONT WHEEL DRIVE NISSAN SE. I INSISTED THAT TWO DIFFERENT BRANDS WITH POORER TREAD WOULD AFFECT STEERING AND HANDLING, BUT COSTCO REFUSED TO SELL AND MOUNT THE TIRE. I OFFERED TO SIGN A WAIVER BUT WAS TOLD BY THE STORE MANAGER THAT MICHELIN HAD A POLICY AND THAT THEY HAD TO HONOR IT FOR SAFETY. I GUESS THAT COSTCO OR ANY STORE CAN SET NHTSA POLICY THESE DAYS. ON THE COSTCO WEB SIGHT, IT STATES THE FOLLOWING: "WHEN BUYING JUST TWO NEW TIRES, SHOULD THEY BE PUT ON THE FRONT OR REAR? WHEN YOU SELECT A PAIR OF REPLACEMENT TIRES IN THE SAME SIZE AND CONSTRUCTION AS THOSE ON THE CAR, YOU MUST PUT THEM ON THE REAR AXLE. A SINGLE NEW TIRE MUST BE PAIRED ON THE REAR AXLE WITH THE TIRE HAVING THE MOST TREAD DEPTH OF THE OTHER THREE." COSTCO GENERAL MANAGER 'CHRIS MOORE - 410-379-3103; FAX 379-3117 THIS WAS AT THE 7077 ARUNDEL MILLS CIRCLE STORE IN HANOVER, MD 21076. PLEASE ADVISE IF THIS IS SANCTIONED BY DOT. THIS IS CONTRARY TO TIRE POLICY FOR MANY YEARS IN THE PASS AND MY MANY YEARS OF PERSONAL DRIVING EXPERIENCE CONCLUDES THAT STEERING TRACTION AND BALANCE OUT WEIGHS OTHER CONSIDERATIONS. I IMMEDIATELY WENT TO SAMS CLUB AND PURCHASED THE 2 MICHELIN X TIRES AND MOUNTED THEM ON THE REAR WITHOUT QUESTION. WALMART ALSO WILL MOUNT TIRES WHERE THE CUSTOMER WANTS. THE COSTCO POLICY APPEARS TO TRY AND FORCE CUSTOMERS TO BUY 4 TIRES WHEN ONLY 2 ARE REQUIRED. *JB