NHTSA Complaint #10086949 — 2000 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE

THE RIMS ON MY 2000 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE WERE STARTING TO BEND. PARTICULARLY THE FRONT DRIVERS SIDE RIM WHICH ON ONE SIDE BECAME ALMOST FLAT IN ONE AREA. AFTER ONE OCCASION OF DRIVING MY VEHICLE I NOTICE THAT I HAD A SLIGHT BUMP IN THE TIRE OF THAT RIM. IT WAS LARGE ENOUGH TO CAUSE THE TIRE TO PEEL OFF FROM THE RIM. MY FATHER AND I THEN REMOVED THE WHEEL AND LET SOME AIR OUT OF THE TIRE TO TRY AND PUSH INTO PLACE. HOWEVER THAT WASNT WORKING SO WE GOT OUT A HAMMER AND FORCABLY BENT THE RIM BACK INTO PLACE. THE TIRE WAS STILL BULGING SO THE NEXT DAY WE TOOK IT TO A TIRE SHOP AND AN EMPLOYEE IDENTIFIED IT AS AN IMPACT BLUGE IN THE TIRE. HE SAID IT OCCURS WHEN EVER THE TIRE IS SUBJECT TO LARGE POTHOLES AND OTHER THINGS THAT WOULD CAUSE THE TIRE TO BE HIT HARD. I TOLD ME HOW I NEVER HIT A POTHOLE LARGE ENOUGH FOR ME TO NOTICE ON MY TRIP THAT HAD CAUSED THE POTHOLE. HE SAID THAT OF COURSE ANY POTHOLES DAMAGE WOULD BE INTENSIFIED BY POOR RIM PROTECTION WHICH OF COURSE I HAD SINCE THE BULGE OCCUR RITE ABOVE WHERE THE BEND IN THE RIM HAD FORMED. SO I HAD TO HAVE THE TIRE REPLACED WHICH COST ME AROUND $125. *AK