NHTSA Complaint #10208411 — 2006 JEEP WRANGLER

I OWN A 2006 JEEP WRANGLER X WITH 9,060 MILES. I HAVE GOODYEAR GS-A TIRES. I AM REPLACING MY SECOND TIRE ON THE JEEP IN LESS THAN TWO YEARS. THIS TIRE HAS A "SIDEWALL FAILURE" AND MUST BE REPLACED. I ALSO HAVE OWNED A 2001 JEEP WRANGLER. I PUT 24,000 MILES ON THAT CAR BUT HAD TO REPLACE 3 GOODYEAR TIRES SIMILAR TO THE GS-A'S. THE LATEST INCIDENT INVOLVING MY JEEP AND GOODYEAR TIRES TRANSPIRED TWO DAYS AGO. I NOTICED THE TIRE WAS LOSING AIR BEFORE I GOT BEHIND THE WHEEL. CONSIDERING I WAS ABOUT TO DRIVE ON A HIGHWAY, IT MAY HAVE BEEN RECIPE FOR DISASTER. I PUT AIR BACK INTO THE TIRE AND WAS ABLE TO DRIVE TO A SEARS AUTOMOTIVE CENTER. THE MECHANICS INFORMED ME THAT THE TIRE HAD A "SIDEWALL FAILURE" AND WAS UNFIXABLE. SEARS DID STATE THAT THE TIRES HAD LITTLE TO NO WEAR ON THEM AND WERE "LIKE NEW". I CONTACTED GOODYEAR PERTAINING TO THE ISSUES. THE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE WAS NOT ENTIRELY HELPFUL. I GAVE MY HISTORY WITH THE GOODYEAR TIRES AND THE JEEP WRANGLER TO GOODYEAR. I WAS TOLD TO SEEK A SECOND OPINION BY GOODYEAR. I HAD ANOTHER GOODYEAR RETAILER LOOK AT THE TIRE WITH THE SAME RESULT. I CONTACTED GOODYEAR AGAIN. GOODYEAR WAS QUITE UNHELPFUL AND I FELT "BLOWN OFF". I SINCERELY HAVE A CONCERN THAT EVERY TIME I GET IN MY JEEP ONE OF MY TIRES MAY BECOME DAMAGED. JEEP WRANGLERS ARE AN SUV, SO THE CHANCES OF ROLLOVER ARE HIGHER. THE FIRST TIRE THAT WENT ON MY CURRENT 2006 JEEP WRANGLER ALMOST CASED ME TO SPIN OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF A BUSY INTERSECTION. THAT INCIDENT TRANSPIRED IN SEPTEMBER OF 2006. I AM HOPING THAT THIS COMPLAINT WILL INSPIRE SOME SORT OF INVESTIGATION INTO THE PRODUCT, GOODYEAR DID NOT SEEM INTERESTED IN DOING SO. EVERYWHERE YOU LOOK THERE ARE JEEP WRANGLERS ON THE ROAD, MANY OF THEM WITH THESE SAME GOODYEAR GS-A TIRES. THAT IS A LARGE NUMBER OF PEOPLE POTENTIALLY AT RISK, ALONG WITH THOSE WHO MAY BE TRAVELING AT THE SAME TIME. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME, I HONESTLY HOPE THIS CAN BE ADDRESSED AND APPROACHED FOR THE POTENTIALLY SERIOUS MANNER THAT IT IS. *TR