NHTSA Complaint #10239615 — 2007 K-Z MONTEGO BAY

TWO ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT NANKANG TRAILER TIRES ON KZ 5TH WHEEL CAMPER (MONTEGO BAY) BLEW OUT WITHIN 100 MILES OF EACH OTHER AT ABOUT 3500 TOTAL MILES DRIVEN. $5,050 IN TOTAL DAMAGES AFFECTED BOTH RIGHT AND LEFT SIDES OF THE TRAILER. THE DISTRIBUTOR TIRECO, INC. ACKNOWLEDGED THE TIRES WERE AT FAULT, GAVE SOME CREDIT ON 2 TIRES AND REPAIRED COACH DAMAGE. NO CREDIT WAS GIVEN FOR THE THREE TIRES REMAINING. THE NANKANG TIRES WERE RATED AT LOAD RANGE E WITH MAXIMUM LOAD 3520 @ 80 PSI. THE VEHICLE'S GVWR IS 16,000 LBS. I DROVE 60-65 MPH AND KEPT THE PRESSURE AT THE RECOMMENDED 80 PSI. AFTER THE BLOWOUTS I REMOVED THE NANKANG TIRES AND INSTALLED FOUR GOODYEAR STEEL BELTED G-RATED TRAILER TIRES WHICH HAVE ALL STEEL BELTS. THE NANKANG SIDEWALL CONSTRUCTION IS POLYESTER (2); THE TREAD IS POLYESTER (2), STEEL (2) AND NYLON(1). DESPITE THE E RATING AND THE 3520 LOAD RATING THE NANKANG TIRES ARE NOT SAFE AND OF SUFFICIENT QUALITY FOR THE LOAD INDICATED ON THE TIRE. THEY SHOULD NOT BE INSTALLED ON 5TH WHEEL TRAILERS IN THE U.S. *TR