NHTSA Complaint #10194085 — 2002 MERCURY SABLE

I DROVE FROM MY HOME TO OXON HILL, MD, A DISTANCE OF APPROXIMATELY 30 MILES AND THE STEERING WAS BUMPY. WHEN I REACHED MY DESTINATION, I DID A VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE TIRES AND NOTHING APPEARED UNUSUAL. AFTER APPROXIMATELY 45 MINUTES, I RESUMED DRIVING. ABOUT 11 MILES LATER AT EXIT 15 (214/CENTRAL AVENUE EAST) ON 95/495 NORTHBOUND, THE SIDEWALL OF THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE BLEW OUT. I WAS TRAVELING AT A SPEED OF ABOUT 65 MPH. I PULLED OFF THE INTERSTATE AND LOOKED AT THE TIRE. THE TREAD HAD SEPARATED FROM THE SIDEWALL AND WAS APPROXIMATELY 3/4 DETACHED. I GOT OFF AT THE 214/CENTRAL AVENUE EAST RAMP AND PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. BY THIS TIME, THE TREAD HAD SEPARATED COMPLETELY FROM THE SIDEWALL. THE TIRE HAD 20,000 MILES ON IT AND WAS A STARFIRE FLITE-LINE IV P21560R16. WE WILL GO BACK TO THE RETAILER WHO SOLD US THE FOUR TIRES AND PLAN TO GET ALL FOUR TIRES REPLACED. *AK