NHTSA Complaint #10207274 — 2000 FLEETWOOD TIOGA

THE INSIDE DUAL CLASS D TIRE OF A 23 FOOT MOTORHOME (APPROXIMATELY 10,000 POUNDS) WENT FLAT DUE TO CRACKING FAILURE OF THE VALVE STEM. INSTEAD OF REMAINING INTACT, SINCE IT WAS SUPPORTED BY THE OTHER DUAL TIRE, THE FLAT TIRE DEVELOPED A 12 INCH SIDEWALL SPLIT WHERE IT MEETS THE TREAD. ABOVE THE MID-RANGE OF THE SPLIT THE TREAD SEPARATED FROM THE TIRE EXPOSING A 3X6 INCH SECTION OF STEEL BELTS. I OBSERVED ON THE INSIDE OF THIS TUBELESS TIRE FLEX FRACTURES, THAT HAD SEVERED THE CORD OF THE SIDEWALL BUT NOT THE OUTER RUBBER, EXTENDING SEVERAL INCHES BEYOND THE ENDS OF THE SPLIT. THE CORD AND RUBBER OF THIS TIRE SEEMS TO BE BRITTLE AND COULD NOT HOLD UP EVEN UNDER THE STRESS OF DUAL TIRE USE. THE TIRE HAS THE DOT UT1L B3C 3705, SO THIS SPLITTING AND TREAD LOSS WAS NOT DUE TO AGE OR EXCESSIVE USE. *TR