NHTSA Complaint #10240134 — 2008 FORD ESCAPE

RECENTLY BOUGHT A DEALER CERTIFIED USED 2008 FORD ESCAPE WITH 21,800 MILES. IMMEDIATELY NOTICED EXTREMELY ANNOYING NOISE COMING FROM REAR TIRES AT HIGHER SPEEDS. TOOK INTO DEALER AND WAS ADVISED THAT IT IS FROM EXCESSIVE WEAR ON THE INSIDE OF REAR TIRE(S), THOUGH AT FIRST GLANCE THE TIRES APPEAR TO BE IN GOOD SHAPE WITH QUITE A BIT OF "GOOD TREAD" LEFT ON THEM. THEY SAID THAT THERE COULD BE A FEW FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTED TO THIS. THERE WAS NOT MUCH THEY COULD DO BECAUSE THEY DO NOT WARRANTY THE TIRES. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH ONLINE I NOTE THAT THERE ARE QUITE A FEW COMPLAINTS ABOUT EXCESSIVE WEAR ON THE CONTINENTAL TIRES ON THE 2008 FORD ESCAPE. IT IS QUITE OBVIOUS WHY FORD HAS SWITCHED TO ANOTHER TIRE (MICHELIN I BELIEVE) FOR THEIR 2009 TIRES. THEY ADVISE THE SWITCH WAS FOR BETTER "FUEL ECONOMY" BUT I SUSPECT THEY ARE GETTING MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT EXCESSIVE INSIDE WEAR ON THE CONTINENTAL TIRES. IT IS A SHAME THAT FORD DOES NOT COME OUT AND ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM WITH CONSUMERS. IN ANY EVENT, I CONVINCED MY DEALER TO PAY FOR TWO NEW TIRES AND I WILL PAY FOR TWO NEW TIRES. I SIMPLY COULD NOT LIVE WITH THE NOISE COMING FROM THE TIRES. *TR