NHTSA Complaint #10240763 — 2002 JEEP LIBERTY

MY SON AND A COUPLE OF HIS FRIENDS AND I WERE TRAVELING TO A MARLINS GAME ,ABOUT A 2 HR. DRIVE FROM OUR HOUSE. I HAD MADE A VISUAL CK. OF TIRES WHILE FUELING CAR BEFORE GETTING ON I-95. ALL LOOKED FINE. ABOUT 3-4 MILES AS I WAS GETTING ON I-95 THE LEFT REAR TIRE BLEW OUT. I PULLED OFF TO A SAFE AREA AND CHANGED TIRE. SOMETHING SEEMED ODD TO ME SO THE NEXT DAY I INSPECTED THE TIRE TO SEE IF I COULD FIND ANY REASON FOR THE BLOW OUT. TIRES ARE NOT THAT OLD AND THEY APPEARED TO HAVE PLENTY OF TREAD [3/8"]. TO THE UNTRAINED EYE ALL SEEMED NORMAL AS I COULD FIND NOTHING ON THE TREAD AREA THAT WOULD INDICATE ANY DAMAGE TO THAT PART OF TIRE. THE OUTER SIDEWALL WAS SHREDDED AS I HAD TO DRIVE ABOUT A 1/4 MILE TO GET OFF THE ON RAMP TO A SAFE AREA TO CHANGE TIRE , INNER SIDEWALL SHOWED LITTLE DAMAGE. I RECALL HITTING OR RUNNING OVER NOTHING THAT WOULD HAVE CAUSED ANY DAMAGE TO TIRE. MY CONCERN IS THAT I HAVE THESE TIRES ON THE OTHER WHEELS AS WELL AS SPARE TIRE .THIS IS MY WIFE'S CAR AND I WANT TO BE SURE SHE AND MY SON WILL BE SAFE. I'VE HAD TIRES GO FLAT BEFORE BUT AFTER MAKING A POINT OF CHECKING THEM PRIOR TO OUR TRIP AND THE ODD WAY THEY WENT FLAT I BECAME SUSPICIOUS THAT MAYBE SOMETHING IS WRONG HERE. I'LL HAVE TO TAKE THEM BACK TO DEALER FOR REPLACEMENT I'LL SEE IF THEY'LL ALLOW ME TO KEEP TIRE IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO INSPECT IT . THANK YOU JIM DIRKS *TR ..