NHTSA Complaint #10181710 — 2004 FORD F-650 SD

HANKOOK TIRES ARE BEING INSTALLED ON VEHICLES WHICH REQUIRE A LOAD RANGE HIGHER THAN A PASSENGER TIRE P235/R16 SL. THESE VEHICLES WEIGH IN AT 24,000 LBS GVW AND AT TIMES CAN BE OVERLOADED. THEY ALSO DO NOT TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE 5% SAFETY FACTOR SINCE THE REARS ARE ON DUALS. TIRES WERE WEARING EXTREMELY FAST AND SOME WERE DEVELOPING SEPARATIONS IN THE TREAD AND SIDEWALL AREAS AS WELL AS A NUMBER OF THEM BLEW OUT. IT WAS RECOMMENDS THEY MOVE TO A RADIAL TRUCK TIRE LR E AND THEY WERE CONVINCED THIS WAS THE WAY TO GO SINCE THEY WOULD HAVE A RETREADABLE CASING AND MORE CARRYING CAPACITY. I INSTALLED GOODYEAR RADIAL LT ON ALL SIX POSITIONS. I WAS CHASTISED ALONG WITH MY ASSISTANT FOR DOING SO BY (SHAWNEE MISSION FORD) FOR PUTTING RADIAL TRUCK TIRES ON WHICH WOULD LAST THREE TIMES AS LONG AND CUT INTO THEIR PURCHASES WHICH THEY HAD A QUOTA BASED ON A FORD MOTOR COMPANY PROGRAM THAT PUSHED TIRE SALES. FAILURE TO MEET THE OBJECTIVE CREATED CONSTERNATION WITHIN THE LOCAL DEALER AS THEY SOLD THIS ACCOUNT MORE TIRES THAN ANY OTHER AND IT WOULD CUT INTO THEIR TIRE SALES BY 1/3 ACCORDING TO THE SERVICE MANAGER. THEIR GOAL AND I QUOTE "WE ARE HERE TO SELL AND YOU [XXX] WELL BETTER NEVER PULL A STUNT LIKE THAT AGAIN." THE ACCOUNT USING THE TIRES WAS RUNNING BOX VANS USED FOR DELIVERY OF MAGAZINES VIA INTERSTATE AND STATE HIGHWAYS. I ADVISED THEM THIS WAS NOT APPROVED AND COULD PROVE HAZARDOUS. THEY SAID WE LET SHAWNEE MISSION FORD HANDLE OUR VEHICLE NEEDS AND TRUST THEY ARE PUTTING ON ADEQUATE TIRES. THEY WERE NOT AND ARE STILL NOT. I WILL HAVE PICTURES OF VEHICLES AND TRUCKS WEDNESDAY VIA E-MAIL TO YOU. *NM INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR