NHTSA Complaint #10090929 — 1997 WINNEBAGO MINNIE WINNIE

PURCHASED ONE OWNER 1997 29 FT. USED CLASS C WINNEBAGO MOTORHOME PRIVATELY FROM ELDERLY COUPLE (30,000 MILES) PREVIOUSLY SERVICED BY DEALER, LAST APRIL. WE HAVE USED THIS VEHILCLE 2000 MILES THIS YEAR. APPROXIMATELY TWO MILES AFTER GETTING ON THE HIGHWAY, TREAD AND OUTER BELT SEPERATED WITHOUT WARNING TO STEEL BELT AT INSIDE CORNER 3 INCHES WIDE X 1/4 TO 1/3 CIRCUMFERENCE FROM FIRESTONE STEELTEX R4S LOAD RANGE E TIRE ON PASSENGER REAR AT 58 MPH ALONG SMOOTH ROUTE 95, MYSTIC, CT, DRY, SUNNY 75 DEGREE DAY WITH FAMILY AND DOG ABOARD, UNDERWEIGHT. CAUSING A SEVERE VIBRATION. ALL TIRES WERE INFLATED PROPERLY AND ROUTINELY CHECKED BY ME. I AM THE ONLY DRIVER OF THIS VEHICLE. THERE IS NO EVIDENCE OF IMPACT, CRACKING, OR HEAT CHECKING ON ANY OF THE TIRES. I WORKED AS A TIRE SALESMAN IN MY YOUNGER YEARS. I AM 48 YEARS OLD, WORK AS A MECHANICAL INSPECTOR IN THE AEROSPACE INDUSTRY AND HAVE RACED SPORTSCARS. I HAVE CONSIDERABLE EXPERIENCE WITH NUMEROUS DIFFERENT BRANDS OF TIRES. EVEN WHEN CONSIDERING THE AGE OF THESE TIRES, THIS SHOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED. I CONTACTED MY LOCAL FIRESTONE DEALER WHO INFORMED ME THAT THERE IS NO RECALL ON THIS LOAD RANGE. *AK