NHTSA Complaint #10160207 — 2000 LINCOLN LINCOLN

ON 2/26/06 AT 12:40PM, MY 2000 LINCOLN NAVIGATOR REAR BEGAN TO VIBRATE BADLY AND THEN A LOUD NOISE OCCURRED. THE RIGHT REAR TIRE TREAD HAD SEPARATED & DAMAGED MY REAR BUMPER WHEEL WELL AND BRACKET. THE TYPE OF TIRES WERE CONTINENTAL GENERAL AW P275/60R17. THE DOT NUMBER FOR THE BAD TIRE WAS ADTO 44T 3802. I IMMEDIATELY WENT TO A LOCAL BATON ROUGE TIRE DEALER (TIRE KINGDOM) WITH THE TIRE AND THE MANAGER STATED THAT THE TIRE HAD A DEFECT AND HE COULD AUTHORIZE INSTALLING A NEW CONTINENTAL REPLACEMENT TIRE. THE TIRE STILL HAD VERY GOOD TREAD LIFE REMAINING. I ASKED HIM ABOUT THE OTHER TIRES AND HE WAS NOT AUTHORIZED TO REPLACE ALL FOUR. SINCE I WAS NOT COMFORTABLE WITH LEAVING THE OTHER TIRES ON MY VEHICLE AND HE DID NOT HAVE A LIKE REPLACEMENT, I REPLACED ALL FOUR TIRES AND FILED A CLAIM WITH CONTINENTAL (CLAIM #6059007). CONTINENTAL REPLIED AND STATED THAT THE TIRE HAD BEEN REPAIRED (FUNNY THAT THE TIRE MAINTAINED AIR PRESSURE EVEN WHEN THE ENTIRE TREAD HAD BEEN BLOWN OFF). THIS IS NOT A FAIR AND RESPONSIBLE SETTLEMENT. I SENT CONTINENTAL THE INVOICE FOR THE COST OF ALL FOUR TIRES ($445.12) AND TWO AUTO REPAIR ESTIMATES FOR THE DAMAGE (~$800.00 AVERAGED). I NOTICED THAT THESE TIRES HAD PREVIOUSLY HAD A RECALL ON THE EXACT TIRE (ID #02T012000) AND CONTINENTAL DID NOT MENTION THIS OR ATTEMPT TO REMEDY THIS SITUATION. I AM FORTUNATE THAT NEITHER ME NOR MY SON WERE KILLED AS A RESULT OF THIS DEFECT WHICH FAILED WHILE WE WERE TRAVELLING ON THE HIGHWAY AT 65MPH. I DO NOT NORMALLY FILE THESE TYPES OF CLAIMS. IN FACT, I CAN'T EVER RECALL EVER FILING ONE PREVIOUSLY. PLEASE HELP WITH THIS CLAIM AND HOLD CONTINENTAL RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR FAULTY PRODUCT BEFORE ANY OTHER TIRES FAILA DN POSSIBLY HURT OR KILL SOMEONE. *JB