NHTSA Complaint #10098734 — 2000 GMC YUKON XL

MY 2000 GMC YUKON XL CAME WITH DEFECTIVE FIRESTONE STEELTEX R4S TIRES. I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND ONE OF THE FOUR TIRES BLEW OUT. UPON EXAMINATION OF ALL FOUR TIRES ON THE CAR BY MY MECHANIC HE FOUND ALL FOUR TIRES HAD SIGNS OF VERTICAL SEPARATION OF THE SIDEWALL AND PARTIAL TREAD SEPARATION OF THE LEFT REAR TIRE AND BIZARRE WEAR. THE TIRE THAT BLEW OUT HAD COME APART ON ONE OF THESE VERTICAL SEPARATIONS. I REPLACED THE TIRE WITH THE SPARE AND DROVE IT TO A FIRESTONE DEALER. I WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WERE NO PROBLEMS WHAT-SO-EVER WITH THESE FIRESTONE TIRES AND THAT THE ALIGNMENT OF MY SUV WAS THE PROBLEM. I TOLD HIM HE WAS CRAZY AND THAT I WOULD NOT HAVE AN ALIGNMENT DONE AND I WANTED IT IN WRITING. THE MANAGER GAVE ME IT IN WRITING, AND HAD THE TIRES REPLACED BUT CHARGED ME OVER $200 AND GAVE ME MORE OF THE SAME BRAND OF TIRE ON THE VEHICLE. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO MY GMC DEALER AND HAD HIM CHECK TO SEE IF AN ALIGNMENT WAS NEEDED AND I WAS EXPLAINED IN WRITING THAT AN ALIGNMENT WAS NOT NEEDED. *JB