NHTSA Complaint #10214305 — 2002 FORD F-350 SD

IN NOVEMBER 2007 MY RIGHT FRONT TIRE EXPLODED WITHOUT WARNING. TWO YEARS AGO THE LEFT FRONT TIRE EXPLODED. THANK FULLY THERE WAS NO TRAFFIC ON THE HIGHWAY EITHER TIME, WHICH PREVENTED AN ACCIDENT AND DAMAGE TO OTHERS. MY TRUCK DAMAGE TOTALED ABOUT $ 3500 TO $ 4000 FOR EACH EVENT. THE FENDER AND RUNNING BOARD AND OTHER ITEMS ON THE TRUCK WERE DAMAGED BY THE EXPLODING TIRE / TREAD THAT CAME APART. THE TIRES WERE OEM, GENERAL GRABBER TR, 235 85R16 LOAD RANGE E. THE VEHICLE IS A 2002 F 350 DUALLY. BOTH HAPPENED ON THE HIGHWAY AT 70 MPH. I SENT THE LAST FAILED TIRE TO GENERAL AND THEY CLAIM THAT THE TIRE WAS DAMAGED DUE TO AN IMPACT, NOT A MANUFACTURING DEFECT. I DISAGREE, THE TIRE JUST UNZIPPED ITSELF. THE TRUCK HAS ONLY BEEN DRIVEN ON HIGHWAYS AND LOCAL STREETS. I HAVE NOT HIT ANY POTHOLES. THOUGH WE ALL GO OVER SPEED BUMPS, A LOAD RANGE E TIRE SHOULD BE ABLE TO GO OVER A SPEED BUMP AT SLOW SPEED. TIRES WERE PROPERLY INFLATED TO 60 PSIG. TREAD LIFE ON THE TIRES IS EXCELLENT. FOR TWO FAILURES FOR ME, A SIMILAR FAILURE FOR A CO-WORKER AND SEVERAL COMPLAINTS ON DIESEL TRUCK MESSAGE BOARDS, THERE APPEARS TO BE A TREND OF EXPLODING 10 PLY GENERAL TIRES. I THINK THIS SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED. THE COMPANY NO LONGER MANUFACTURERS THIS SPECIFIC TIRE. *TR