NHTSA Complaint #10238019 — 2000 TOYOTA CAMRY

MY WIFE WAS DRIVING BACK HOME ON THE TURNPIKE. THE FRONT LEFT TIRES TREAD SEPARATED FROM THE CORE AND ALMOST CAUSED A SERIOUS 2-CAR ACCIDENT. THE TREAD DAMAGED OUR CAR. NO ONE WAS HURT AND THE ONLY DAMAGE WAS TO OUR CAR. THE BAD TIRE DID NOT GO FLAT; IT JUST LOST ALL OF ITS TREAD. I CONTACTED BRIDGESTONE AND USED THEIR PROCEDURE TO CLAIM DAMAGES. I GOT ALL THE ESTIMATES AND SHIPPED THE TIRE TO THEM FOR EXAMINATION. THEY SENT ME A FORM LETTER STATING THERE WAS EVIDENCE OF "OVER DEFLECTION" AND DENIED ANY COMPENSATION. OVER DEFLECTION IS AN UNDER INFLATED TIRE. MY TIRE WAS NOT UNDER INFLATED. I KEPT DETAIL RECORDS OF THE ENTIRE SET OF TIRES. I CHECK INFLATION REGULARLY AND I NEVER LET A CAR LEAVE TOWN WITHOUT CHECKING THE INFLATION. ALL 4 TIRES WERE PROPERLY INFLATED. I HAVE REPLACED ALL THE TIRES (EVEN THOUGH ALMOST HALF THE TREAD WAS STILL LEFT ON THE OTHER 3 TIRES). I REQUESTED THAT THEY SEND ME THE OFFENDING TIRE BACK TO ME--WHICH THEY DID. ON THE INTERNET THERE ARE OTHER STORIES OF TREAD SEPARATING FROM BRIDGESTONE/FIRESTONE TIRES. PEOPLE CONTACT THEM FOR DAMAGE REIMBURSEMENTS AND THEY RECEIVED THE SAME FORM LETTER ABOUT "OVER DEFLECTION". WHAT COURSE DO WE HAVE? WHEN I GOT THE CAR BACK TO TOWN I CHECKED ALL 4 TIRES AND THEY WERE STILL PROPERLY INFLATED. THE TIRE IS A B 420, P195/70R14 DOT 0BRWP 213801. *TR