NHTSA Complaint #10093858 — 2001 FOREST RIVER GEORGETOWN

I RECENTLY EXPERIENCED (09/03/04) CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF TWO CARLISLE TIRES (ABOUT 80 MILES BETWEEN FAILURES) ON MY TRAVEL TRAILER. THE TRAILER WAS PURCHASED NEW ON 09/14/01 (FLAGSTAFF SUPERLITE 25 LD) AND THE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 3,000 MILES. I WAS NOT AWARE OF THE FIRST FAILURE (CURB SIDE REAR) UNTIL I STOPPED FOR GAS. ALL THAT WAS LEFT OF THE TIRE ON THE WHEEL WAS THE TWO SIDE WALLS. FORTUNATELY THE FRONT TIRE ON THE CURB SIDE DID NOT FAIL. WE INSTALLED THE SPARE TIRE AND CONTINUED. ABOUT 80 MILES FARTHER THE FRONT TIRE ON THE DRIVERS SIDE FAILED IN THE SAME MANNER. I RETRIEVED A CHUNK OF THE TIRE TREAD FROM THE HIGHWAY. LATER I FOUND ANOTHER PIECE UNDER THE BATH TUB. THE DAMAGE TO THE TRAILER WAS REPAIRED FOR $142.13 (NEW INNER FENDER $49.95, NEW TAIL LIGHT ASSEMBLY FOR LICENSE PLATE $12.18, REPLACEMENT PLATE $5.00 AND LABOR $75.00). WITH TWO FAILURES WITHIN 100 MILES, WE DECIDED TO REPLACE ALL FIVE TIRES. THE FAILED TIRES WERE CARLISLE RADIAL ST, ST175/80R13 LOAD RANGE C. OTHER NUMBERS ON THE SIDE WALL OF THE SPARE TIRE WHICH I KEPT UNMOUNTED ARE: CR9579-2, AND DRCD80-A-EFS. I PHONED CARLISLE TIRE AND TOLD MY STORY TO THEIR SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE. SHE SAID THE TIRE WARRANTY WAS FOR TWO YEARS. I SAID I WAS UNHAPPY WITH CARLISLE TIRES AND THE FACT THAT THEIR CATASTROPHIC FAILURE DAMAGED MY TRAILER. SHE SAID SHE HAD NOTED THE TIRE TYPE AND SIZE THAT FAILED. SHE DID NOT TAKE ANY OF MY PERSONAL INFORMATION. *NM