NHTSA Complaint #10082838 — 2001 FORD ESCAPE

I WAS DRIVING MY CAR ON I-75 NEAR GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA LAST WEEK. I WAS IN THE PASSING LANE WHEN I HEARD AND FELT THE LEFT REAR TIRE TREAD BEATING ON MY CAR. IT HAD SEPARATED FROM THE TIRE WITHOUT WARNING. IT ALL HAPPENED SO FAST, I IMMEDIATELY ATTEMPTED TO GET ONTO THE SHOULDER SAFELY. MY CAR BEGAN TO PULL TO THE LEFT UNCONTROLLABLY, CRASHED INTO THE GUARD RAIL AT OVER 60 MPH, BOUNCED OFF AND SENT ME SLIDING SIDEWAYS FOR ABOUT 100 FEET. BY THE GRACE OF GOD, MY CHILDREN AND MYSELF WERE NOT PHYSICALLY INJURED. THE DAMAGE TO MY CAR IS ESTIMATED TO BE AROUND $6,000.00. THE TIRES WERE THE ORIGINAL FACTORY TIRES ON MY 2001 FORD ESCAPE AND HAVE ONLY 26,000 MILES ON THEM. FROM WHAT I HAVE READ ON THE INTERNET, THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED CASE BUT APPEARS AS THOUGH THE MANUFACTURERS ARE AWARE OF THE TREAD SEPARATION BUT CHOOSE TO DO NOTHING ABOUT IT. I AM WONDERING IF YOU CAN ADVISE ME TO WHAT RECOURSE I HAVE IN ORDER TO PREVENT THIS FROM OCCURRING TO OTHER UNSUSPECTING MOTORISTS. I WAS FORTUNATE TO HAVE HAD ONLY CAR DAMAGE, I FEAR OTHERS MAY NOT BE SO FORTUNATE AND THIS MATTER NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. *AK