NHTSA Complaint #10198972 — 2006 HARLEY-DAVIDSON FLHTCUI

I AM WRITING ABOUT A BRAND NEW DUNLOP D402 MU85B16 SW TIRE I BOUGHT FOR MY 2006 (HARLEY DAVIDSON) FLHTCUI IN PREPARATION FOR A NEARLY 3700 MILE ROAD TRIP. THE TRIP WENT JUST FINE, FOR ABOUT THE FIRST 450 MILES. AT THAT POINT THE TIRE, WHICH HAD LESS THAN 500 MILES TOTAL USE, SELF- DESTRUCTIVE. THE TIRE TREAD SEPARATED FROM THE INNER CORE ( PHOTOGRAPHS CAN BE PROVIDED). THE RUBBER TREAD ?FLAPPING? AGAINST THE WIRING HARNESS UNDER THE REAR FENDER ENTIRELY SEVERED THE WIRING. BY SEVERING THE WIRING HARNESS, OF COURSE, THE TAIL LIGHTS, BRAKE LIGHTS AND INSTRUMENT PANEL (SPEEDOMETER, TACHOMETER AND ODOMETER) WERE DISABLED. THE DUNLOP TIRE REPRESENTATIVE WOULD NOT ACCEPT ANY RESPONSIBILITY SINCE WE DID NOT SHIP THE TIRE TO THEM TO DETERMINE IF THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO MATERIAL AND/OR WORKMANSHIP. I AM WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF THERE IS ANY RECOURSE FOR BUYING A TIRE THAT SELF-DESTRUCTS. WE ARE FORTUNATE THAT THE TIRE DID NOT BLOW OUT WHEN THE TREAD SEPARATED. CONSIDERING THE TREAD SEPARATION OCCURRED ON AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY, THE CONSEQUENCES OF A BLOWOUT COULD HAVE BEEN SEVERE INJURY OR DEATH TO EITHER MYSELF, MY WIFE (WHO WAS A PASSENGER), OR BOTH. *JB