NHTSA Complaint #10075193 — 2003 HYUNDAI SONATA

IN APR 04 I PURCHASED NEW TIRES FOR MY 2003 HYUNDAI SONATA. INSIDE OF THIRTY DAYS, I HAD THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE GO FLAT WHILE DRIVING ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY. I WAS ABLE TO GET TO THE SHOULDER TO CHANGE THE FLAT. I WENT BACK TO NATIONAL TIRE & BATTERY (NTB) WHERE I HAD PURCHASED THE TIRES. THEY COULD NOT FIND AN OBVIOUS CAUSE FOR THE TIRE FAILURE. THEY REPLACED THE TIRE, AND THREE DAYS LATER, THE TIRE WENT FLAT AGAIN WHILE TRAVELLING ON THE HIGHWAY. I EXPIRENCED TWO MORE FLAT TIRES ON THE SAME WHEEL WITHIN THE NEXT TWO WEEKS, AND THEN A FEW DAYS LATER THE LEFT TIRE WENT FLAT. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE VALVE STEM WAS BEING CUT BY THE HUBCAP. NTB SUGGESTED THAT I GO BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP AND HAVE THEM INVESTIGATE THE SITUATION. I WENT TO POHANKA IN FREDERICKSBURG, VA AND THE SERVICE TECHNICIAN SAID THAT THE HUBCAP WAS MAKING CONTACT WITH THE TIRE WHEN THERE SHOULD BE A SMALL GAP SEPARATING THE TWO. THE SUGGESTION FROM THE DEALERSHIP WAS TO CHANGE THE TIRE OR REPLACE THE RIM. I WENT BACK TO NTB, AND THEY CONFERRED WITH BF GOODRICH, THE MANUFACTURER OF THE TIRE, AND THEY SUGGESTED THAT I GO BACK TO THE STOCK TIRE THAT WAS ON THE CAR. I HAD ALSO FILED A CLAIM WITH HYUNDAI, AND THEIR SUGGESTION WAS THE SAME. MY PROBLEM WITH ALL OF THIS, IS FIRST, I SELECTED A TIRE THAT WAS THE PROPER SIZE FOR MY CAR (BF GOODRICH TRACTION T/A 205/65R15). NOWHERE HAD IT BEEN INDICATED BY HYUNDAI OR BFGOODRICH THAT THE SELECTED TIRE WAS NOT SUITABLE FOR MY VEHICLE. SECONDLY, MY LIFE AND THE LIFE OF OTHERS BECAME ENDANGERED BY THIS PROBLEM. THIRDLY, I AM BEING FORCED TO MAKE TIRE SELECTION, BECAUSE NEITHER HYUNDAI, NOR BF GOODRICH HAVE PROVIDED LIMITING INFORMATION ON THE TIRES THAT WILL PROPERLY FUNCTION WITH MY CAR. THIS IS SERIOUS AND NEEDS IMMEDIATED ATTENTION BY SOMEONE, BEFORE THERE IS LOSS OF LIFE OR SERIOUS INJURY TO SOMEONE BECAUSE HYUNDAI'S HUBCAP FOR THE SONATA IS NOT COMPATIBLE WITH THE TIRE SIZE THAT IT HAS INDICATED WITHIN THE OWNER'S MANUAL AND THE LABEL ON THE CAR.*AK