NHTSA Complaint #10173301 — 2006 4-STAR TRAILERS HORSE TRAILER

WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH IN HEAVY HIGHWAY TRAFFIC, THE FRONT RIGHT TIRE (KENDA USA LOADSTAR) ON OUR APPALACHIAN 22 FOOT DECKOVER TRAILER BLEWOUT. THE TIRE RUBBER PEELED AWAY FROM THE NYLON CORDS AND LEFT A VERY LARGE HOLE IN THE SIDEWALL. WHILE CHANGING THIS TIRE, IT WAS NOTICED THAT ONE OF THE OTHER TIRES HAD AN EGG SHAPED BUBBLE. DUE TO THE CONDITION OF THE OTHER TIRE, WE DIDN'T FEEL THAT IT WOULD BE SAFE FOR US TO CONTINUE OUR TRIP. (WE DIDN'T HAVE AND COULDN'T GET ANOTHER SPARE.) ONCE HOME, WE LOOKED MORE CLOSELY AT ALL OF THE TIRES AND NOTICED THAT NOT ONE, BUT TWO OF THE OTHER TIRES HAD AN EGG SHAPED BUBBLE IN THEM. THE TRAILER DEALER ASSURED US THAT WE WOULD BE TAKEN CARE OF, BUT THAT IT WAS A MANUFACTURER PROBLEM. WE CONTACTED KENDA USA (RODGER)... HE SAID "WE'RE GOING TO GET YOU COMFORTABLE" AND TO GO AHEAD AND HAVE THE FAULTY TIRES REPLACED? THEY WOULD REIMBURSE US AT REPLACEMENT COST OF $85 PER TIRE. WE DECIDED THAT IT WOULD BE BEST FOR US TO REPLACE ALL OF THE TIRES RATHER THAN TAKING OUR CHANCES THAT THEY WERE ALL DEFECTIVE. WHEN WE BROUGHT THE TIRES INTO OUR LOCAL TIRE DEALER TO BE REPLACED, THEY NOTED THAT ALL OF THEM WERE DEFECTIVE? YOU COULD SEE THE CORDS AROUND THE BEAD AREA. WE NOW HAVE FIVE AFFIDAVITS FROM DEALERS AND MANUFACTURERS SAYING THAT THESE TIRES SHOULD HAVE NEVER BEEN INSTALLED ON RIMS IN THE FIRST PLACE. WHEN WE SENT THE BILL TO KENDA, THEY DECIDED THAT THEY WERE NOT GOING TO REPLACE THE TIRES UNTIL THEY HAD THEM FOR FURTHER INSPECTION. WHEN I WENT TO SEND THEM THEY THEN SAID TO GO TALK TO THE TRAILER MANUFACTURER AND THAT IT WASN'T THEIR PROBLEM (EVEN THOUGH THEY HAVE THE STATEMENTS MENTIONED ABOVE AS WELL AS SEVERAL PICTURES THAT WE SENT TO THEM AT THE BEGINNING). I CALLED APPALACHIAN TRAILERS WHO SAID THAT IT WASN'T THEIR PROBLEM I HAD TO TALK TO THE MOUNTING COMPANY... AMERICANA. AMERICANA HAS REPEATEDLY TOLD ME THAT THEY WOULD GET BACK TO ME. NOW, FIVE WEEKS LATER THEY HAVE YET TO CALL ME BACK. *JB