NHTSA Complaint #10150871 — 1986 BMW 535I

IN EARLY JANUARY OF 2006, I PURCHASED 4 NEW PIRELLI P-ZERO NERO 225/50/16 M+S TIRES. I DROVE THE CAR FOR LESS THAN 7 DAYS AND PUT ON ABOUT 100-150 MILES ON SUBURBAN STREETS AND HIGHWAYS. WHEN MY TIRE DEALER REMOUNTED THESE NEW TIRES ON NEW WHEELS HE DISCOVERED THAT 3 OF THE 4 TIRES HAD DANGEROUS SIDEWALL BUBBLES. SO FAR THE DISTRIBUTOR AND THE MANUFACTURER CLAIM THE TIRES WERE DAMAGED DUE TO A POT HOLE (3 TIRES ON TWO DIFFERENT SIDES OF THE VEHICLE). MY TIRE DEALER AND LONG TIME AUTOMOTIVE TECHNICIAN (TECHNICAL ADVISOR TO THE BMW CAR CLUB OF AMERICA) SAY IT IS VIRTUALLY IMPOSSIBLE FOR 3 OF THE 4 TIRES TO HAVE BEEN DAMAGED BY A POT HOLE OR ROAD HAZARD. FURTHERMORE, WHEN THE TIRE DEALER INSPECTED THE TIRES BEFORE REMOUNTING THEM, HE FOUND THEM ALL TO BE PHYSICALLY PERFECT--NO SIGNS OF BRUISING, PUNCTURES OR GLASS DAMAGE. THE TIRE DISTRIBUTOR AND MANUFACTURER SAY THERE IS EVIDENCE OF ROAD HAZARD DAMAGE INSIDE THE TIRE WHERE THERE IS A SPLIT. THE TRUTH IS THAT WHAT THEY HAVE FOUND IS EVIDENCE THAT THREE OF THEIR 4 TIRES FAILED AFTER BARELY A FEW DAYS OF NORMAL USE ON REGULAR NEW YORK STATE ROADS. PIRELLI EMPHASIZES THAT THESE TIRES WERE SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED FOR THE NORTH AMERICAN MARKET. THEN ONE WOULD THINK THEY COULD LAST MORE THAN A WEEK ON NORTH AMERICAN ROADS. THE TIRE DISTRIBUTOR SO FAR REFUSES TO REPLACE MY 3 TIRES AND THE MANUFACTURER SO FAR AGREES WITH THE DISTRIBUTOR. I HAVE REVIEWED HUNDREDS OF OWNER REVIEWS FOR THE TIRES I PURCHASED ALONG WITH SIMILAR MODELS FROM THIS COMPANY AND I FOUND MANY REPORTS OF SIMILAR SIDE WALL FAILURES. GIVEN THE PROPENSITY OF THESE TIRES TO DEVELOP DANGEROUS DECOMPOSITION OF THE SIDEWALLS WITH NORMAL USE WITH LOW MILEAGE,I AM ASKING THAT YOUR AGENCY INVESTIGATE THESE TIRES AND CONSIDER A NATIONAL RECALL TO PROTECT THE PUBLIC. *NM