NHTSA Complaint #10241684 — 2004 ACURA TL

FORTY EIGHT DAYS AFTER PURCHASING A NEW SET OF PIRELLI P6 FOUR SEASON TIRES P235/45R17 FOR OUR 2004 ACURA, MY HUSBAND AND I WERE CROSSING THE CHESAPEAKE BAY BRIDGE, GOING APPROXIMATELY 35 MILES AN HOUR. ABOUT 3/4'S OF THE WAY ACROSS THE BRIDGE, WE HEARD A LOUD BANG AND THE CAR INSTANTLY BECAME MORE DIFFICULT TO CONTROL. MY HUSBAND WAS DRIVING, AND AS THERE IS NO PLACE TO STOP ON THE BRIDGE, SLOWED DOWN TO A CRAWL AND CONTINUED ABOUT A MILE UNTIL HE COULD SAFELY PULL OVER. THERE WAS NOTHING BUT THE REMAINS OF SIDEWALL ON THE RIM. THE POLICE OFFICER AND THE TOW TRUCK DRIVER SAID THEY'D NOT SEEN ANYTHING LIKE IT BUT THAT WE WERE CORRECT IN NOT STOPPING ON THE BRIDGE. UPON RESEARCH, WE FOUND THAT THIS COMPLAINT OF A SUDDEN BLOW-OUT HAS COME UP SEVERAL TIMES WITH THIS PARTICULAR TIRE. I AM GLAD THAT IT DID NOT HAPPEN AT A HIGHER SPEED OR IN A SITUATION WHERE THE OUTCOME COULD HAVE BEEN WORSE. AS IT WAS, WE WERE JUST DELAYED ON OUR TRIP BY A FEW HOURS. FORTUNATELY, THE STORE WHERE WE PURCHASED THE TIRES A FEW WEEKS BEFORE (AT ALMOST $900.00) REPLACED ALL FOUR TIRES WITH YOKOHAMA, THE BRAND THAT IS ORIGINAL TO OUR CAR. THE CAR IS DEALER MAINTAINED AND I AM CAREFUL TO CHECK AIRPRESSURE WHEN I FILL UP THE TANK. AT ANY RATE, THE SUDDEN DEFLATION WAS EXTRAORDINARY, AND AS NO OTHER VEHICLES SEEMED TO BE HAVING THE PROBLEM, I DOUBT THAT THERE WAS SOMETHING IN THE ROAD THAT CAUSED IT. THE TIRES ONLY HAD 2,000 MILES ON THEM, AND THEY HAD A 60,000 MILE WARRANTY. THIS WAS NOT A UNIQUE EXPERIENCE AND I WOULD HOPE THAT A RECALL IS FORTHCOMING BEFORE SOMEONE GETS HURT OR WORSE. *TR