NHTSA Complaint #10169553 — 2004 NISSAN QUEST

10/04 PURCHASED A NISSAN QUEST SL MINIVAN. TIRES ON IT ARE GOODYEAR EAGLE LS2 SIZE 225/65-HR16. LATE 12/04 OR EARLY 1/05 NOT ABLE TO NAVIGATE A 15 DEGREE GRADE IN 3 INCHES SNOW. CONTACTED DEALER TO NO AVAIL. CONTACTED NISSAN. TOLD TO CONTACT GOODYEAR. GOODYEAR SAID THEY WOULD REPLACE THE TIRES WITH A BETTER TIRE, BUT IN A DIFFERENT SIZE, AS ONLY TIRE MADE IN THE ORIGINAL SIZE WAS AND IS A GOODYEAR EAGLE LS2. THIS ACTION HOWEVER HAD TO HAVE BLESSING OF NISSAN. NISSAN BALKED STATING IF I CHANGED TIRE SIZE AND ANYTHING HAPPENED THAT THEY DETERMINED WAS CAUSED BY TIRE SIZE CHANGE, THE "WARRANTY" WOULD BE VOID ON THE VEHICLE. I WAS NAIVE AND BOUGHT THIS. BUT ALL THE WHILE, THE DEALER, NISSAN AND GOODYEAR SAID THEY HAD NO SUCH PROBLEMS WITH THIS TIRE. NOW TWO YEARS DOWN THE ROAD I FIND HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS REGARDS THIS ISSUE AND MORE, ONE OF WHICH THE TIRES WEAR OUT PREMATURELY, AND AND "H" RATED TIRE ON A MINIVAN IS REDUNDANT. FIRST TIME THIS HAPPENED MY WIFE WAS IN HEAVY TRAFFIC. SHE COULD HAVE BEEN INJURED OR KILLED. YET NISSAN AND/OR GOODYEAR ARE NOT BEING HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR AN ENGINEERING/DESIGN FLAW, THAT NEEDS TO BE CORRECTED. GOODYEAR SHOULD HAVE TO MANUFACTURER OTHER TIRES IN THIS SIZE AND IN AN "H" RATING SO BUYERS/OWNERS PRESENT AND PAST HAVE A CHOICE WHEN REPLACING. WE CAN GO TO A 235/60-16 IN A "T" RATED TIRE THAT HAS MUCH BETTER RATINGS THAN THE ORIGINALS AND/OR OTHER "H" RATED TIRES IN THE NEW SIZE. BUT DEALERS AND TIRE MANUFACTURERS THROUGH COLLUSION ARE TRYING TO DISCOURAGE REPLACING THESE WITH "T" RATED TIRES. INSTEAD INSISTING THEY BE REPLACED WITH "H" RATED TIRES, THAT ARE MUCH MORE EXPENSIVE, AND HAVE ONLY SIMILAR TRACTION RATINGS WITH REGARD TO HYDROPLANING, WET, LIGHT AND HEAVY SNOW THAT DO THE ORIGINALS. THE NHTSA SHOULD HAVE ALREADY BEEN ON THIS LIKE STINK ON CRAP, BUT I FAIL TO SEE ANY MENTION OF ANY SUCH INVESTIGATION ON YOUR WEB SITE. COME ON, DOESN'T OUR TAX DOLLARS PAY FOR THIS? *JB