NHTSA Complaint #10141479 — 2002 FLEETWOOD DISCOVERY

MULTIPLE TIRES EXPERIENCED SIDEWALL BLOW-OUT ON MICHELIN 255/80 R 22.5 XRV. I HAVE A 2002 FLEETWOOD DISCOVERY MOTORHOME WHICH I PURCHASED NEW. IT HAS JUST OVER 17,000 MILES ON IT. TO DATE I HAVE EXPERIENCED FOUR OUT OF SIX TIRE SIDEWALL FAILURES WHICH MICHELIN DESCRIBES AS A "ZIPPER RIP". THE FIRST BLOW-OUT WAS ON THE LEFT FRONT ON 5/13/2005 @ 15,025 MILES. THE MOTORHOME WAS PARKED IN THE GARAGE UNTIL MY MOST RECENT TRIP. ON THIS TRIP I EXPERIENCED THREE MORE BLOW-OUTS WITHIN 36 HOURS OF WHICH 11 HOURS WERE SPENT STRANDED ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AWAITING SERVICE AND 5 HOURS SLEEPING. THE SECOND BLOW-OUT WAS THE INSIDE LEFT REAR WHICH OCCURRED ON 10/30/2005 @ 17,133 MILES, THE THIRD BLOW-OUT WAS THE INSIDE RIGHT REAR WHICH OCCURRED ON 10/30/2005 @ 17,483 MILES AND THE FOURTH BLOW-OUT WAS THE OUTSIDE LEFT REAR WHICH OCCURRED ON 10/31/2005 @ 17,760 MILES. TO PREVENT A LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL I ROTATED THE "NEW REPLACEMENT" FOR THE RIGHT REAR (INCIDENT #3) TO THE RIGHT FRONT TO PREVENT A FRONT TIRE FAILURE. EACH BLOW-OUT RESULTED IN DAMAGE TO MY MOTORHOME. I HAVE SUBSTANTIAL PHYSICAL DAMAGE TO BOTH REAR FENDER SKIRTS AND A CARGO BIN. ONE INSTANCE CAUSED ME TO GO ONTO THE SHOULDER AND HIT A MILE MARKER WHICH SCRATCHED THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE COACH FOR SEVERAL FEET. THE SAME INCIDENT KNOCKED OUT MY INSTRUMENTATION ON THE DASH RENDERING ALL GAUGES INOPERABLE. I KEEP THIS MOTORHOME IN AN ENCLOSED GARAGE AND AM VERY PROFICIENT AT MAINTAINING PROPER TIRE INFLATION. AFTER THE FIRST INCIDENT I WEIGHED MY MOTORHOME FULLY LOADED ON A CAT CERTIFIED SCALE TO ENSURE PROPER LOAD. BASED ON THE TIRE AND THE MOTORHOME MANUFACTURER'S WEIGHT RESTRICTIONS I WAS WITHIN LOAD SPECIFICATIONS. I CONTINUE TO HEAR NUMEROUS REPORTS FROM FELLOW RV ENTHUSIASTS CONCERNING THE XRV AND XZE TIRES FAILING AS DESCRIBED. I BELIEVE THIS PRODUCT TO BE A POTENTIAL SAFETY HAZARD. *NM