NHTSA Complaint #10161352 — 2001 SATURN LS

IN OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2005 WE PURCHASED REPLACEMENT TIRES FROM PEP BOYS. WE WERE TOLD THE TIRES PURCHASED WERE PROPER AND HAD A 65,000 MILE WARRANTY. FIRST OF JUNE 2006 MY DAUGHTER HAD A FLAT TIRE. SHE WENT TO PEP BOYS. THEY ADVISED HER TWO FRONT TIRES WERE BALD AT 20,000 MILES NOT DUE TO HER OR THE CAR BUT THE TIRES SOLD WERE WRONG AND SHOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN PUT ON THE CAR SHE HAS. PEP BOYS REFUSED TO REPLACE AT NO COST BECAUSE THEY SAY THEY ARE NOW USED? USED, YES BUT WRONGLY SOLD. WE WERE REPRESENTED AT THE SALE TO BE PROPER NO MENTION THEY WOULD NEVER HOLD UP. BEFORE THIS FLAT TIRE IN APRIL MY DAUGHTER WAS IN A CAR ACCIDENT. IT WAS IN HEAVY TRAFFIC. WE GOT THE CAR BACK MIDDLE OF MAY 2006. ONLY A FEW WEEKS BEFORE THE FLAT. IT NEVER OCCURRED TO US THAT SHE HAD WRONG TIRES, I TALKED WITH MY LOCAL FIRESTONE DEALER WHO I USED FOR YEARS. HE ADVISED ME THAT THESE TIRES ARE RATED (V) WHICH BY THE STANDARDS IS NOT ALLOWED TO BE PUT ON THIS TYPE OF CAR BECAUSE THEY WILL FAIL AND NEVER HOLD UP THERE HAVE BEEN MANY LAWSUITS FROM ACCIDENTS OVER THIS SAME PROBLEM. MY PROBLEM IS THAT PEP BOYS KNOWING SOLD TIRES THAT WOULD NOT HOLD UP ON MY SATURN, APPARENTLY THERE IS A TIRE STANDARD THAT EVEN DICTATES THIS BUT IT WAS NOT FOLLOWED. I UNDERSTAND NO ONE WARRANTIES V RATED TIRES NOT SURE HOW TRUE. THIS PRACTICE PUTS END USERS AT LIFE SAFETY RISK AS WELL AS OTHERS DRIVING ON THE ROAD. PEP BOYS ATTITUDE IS YOU USED THEM ONLY IN THE CONTENT THEY RECOMMENDED AND PRESENTED THEM AT THE POINT OF SALE AS BEING PROPER FOR MY DAUGHTER??S CAR. NOT THAT THEY WOULD WEAR OUT AT 20,000 MILES AND PUT HERE AND OTHERS AT A LIFE SAFETY RISK. IT APPEARS THEY WANT TO THEN PRORATE TIRES AND CHARGE THE DIFFERENCE TO THE END USER WHO WAS NOT AWARE OF THIS. *JB