NHTSA Complaint #10186601 — 2004 PONTIAC GTO

I DROPPED OFF MY 2004 PONTIAC GTO AT THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP ON ABOUT 3/21/07 FOR A NUMBER OF WARRANTY ISSUES. ONE OF THE "ISSUES" TO BE CHECKED WAS A SLIGHT VIBRATION IN THE STEERING WHEEL. THE DEALERSHIP STATED THE PROBLEM WAS DUE TO WHEEL ALIGNMENT AND ALL FOUR TIRES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. I DON'T DRIVE THE CAR IN INCLEMENT WEATHER, AVOID POTHOLES, AND THERE WAS NO PULLING TO EITHER SIDE. AS I HAD ONLY 15,589 MILES ON THE VEHICLE, I DECLINED THE ALIGNMENT & TIRES WHEN CALLED BY THE SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE. UPON PICKUP, THE REP INDICATED THE TIRE WERE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND POINTED OUT HOW THE STEEL BELTS WERE SHOWING ON THE INSIDE OF THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE. THE REP INDICATED THAT TIRE REPLACEMENT ON THIS VEHICLE WAS COMMON FOR THAT MILEAGE. RESEARCHING ON THE INTERNET DISCLOSED THESE TIRES HAVE A 35,000 WARRANTY AND THAT THERE HAD BEEN OTHER COMPLAINTS RELATED TO PREMATURE TIRE WEAR ON 2004 AND 2005 GTOS. COMPLAINTS HAVE BEEN FILED STATING THE TIRES WERE RUBBING THE STRUTS, PRIMARILY FRONT LEFT, CAUSING THE PREMATURE FAILURES. TODAY, MARCH 30, I PULLED THE FRONT LEFT TIRE OFF THE VEHICLE TO LOOK AT THE TIRE AND STRUT. THERE ARE OBVIOUS WEAR MARKS ON THE STRUT AND A GROOVE CUT INTO THE INSIDE OF THE TIRE. ALL FOUR TIRES HAVE EXCESSIVE WEAR ON THE INSIDE DUE TO REGULAR TIRE ROTATION. IT APPEARS GM MISALIGNED THE WHEELS AT THE FACTORY AND INSTALLED TOO LARGE OF TIRES CREATING A SITUATION OF INADEQUATE SPACING BETWEEN THE STRUTS AND THE TIRES. I HAVE REQUESTED GM RECTIFY THE SITUATION AND AM WAITING FOR ITS REPLY. I AM FILING THIS COMPLAINT WITH NHTSA BECAUSE THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN THAT MAY RESULT IN FATAL ACCIDENTS DUE TO TIRE BLOWOUTS CAUSED BY INACCURATE ALIGNMENT AND INSUFFICIENT CLEARANCE. PLEASE INVESTIGATE THIS ISSUE AND REQUIRE THE MANUFACTURER TO RECALL 2004 AND 2005 GTOS AND RECTIFY THIS DANGEROUS SITUATION. *JB