NHTSA Complaint #10242047 — 2005 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN

WHILE ON A TRIP TO ATTEND A WEDDING IN GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN, WE EXPERIENCED A SIDEWALL BLOWOUT OF A BRIDGESTONE TURANZA EL42 (21565R16 98T) ON OUR 2006 DODGE CARAVAN. THE BLOWOUT OCCURRED PULLING INTO A PARKING PLACE AT A LOW ANGLE, AT A LOW SPEED, AND WITH A RELATIVELY LOW CURB HEIGHT' JUST PULLING IN AT WALKING SPEED. THIS IS THE SECOND BRIDGESTONE TURANZA EL42 THAT HAS BEEN REPLACED ON A CAR THAT HAD 13,278 MILES ON THE ODOMETER AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. THE LAST ROUTINE SERVICE (12,000 MILES) WAS AT 10,970 MILES. THE FIRST REPLACEMENT WAS ON 5 NOVEMBER 2007 WITH 7,107 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. THIS TIRE HAD A PRONOUNCED SIDEWALL BUBBLE AND WAS CLEARLY 'AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN.' IT WAS REPLACED BY THE DEALER, MARTY CANCILA DODGE, AT OUR EXPENSE DESPITE THE 'TIRES FOR LIFE SERVICE PLAN' AND EXTENDED WARRANTY WE HAVE ON THE AUTOMOBILE. AT THIS POINT, WE PURCHASED A TIRE SAFETY WARRANTY EXPECTING, OF COURSE, MORE DIFFICULTIES WITH THESE TIRES. UNWILLING TO TRUST NEITHER MY SAFETY NOR THE SAFETY OF ANY OF MY PASSENGERS, I PROCEEDED TO PURCHASE TWO NEW TIRES. I COULD NOT OBTAIN TWO BRIDGESTONE TURANZA TIRES IN THE GRAND RAPIDS, MI, AREA SO I PURCHASED TWO MICHELIN'S OF THE SAME SIZE AND SIMILAR TREAD PATTERN. I DROVE THE CAR HOME WITH THE TURANZAS ON THE FRONT BUT WILL HAVE THE MICHELIN'S SWITCHED TO THE FRONT TO REDUCE THE PROBABILITY OF DEATH, DISMEMBERMENT, OR OTHER PAIN AND SUFFERING DUE TO TIRE FAILURE. TO GET SOME SENSE OF THE PROBLEM WITH THE TURANZA TIRE, I HAVE INCLUDED A RECALL NOTICE THAT I FOUND AT THE FOLLOWING WEB SITE: HTTP://WWW.USAUTOINJURYLAW.COM/CASES/TIRES/FAILUREFIRESTONE.HTM: BRIDGESTONE TURANZA EL41, P19565R15. THE EL42 MAY BE A RENAMED EL41 WHICH WAS NOTORIOUS FOR BLOWOUTS AND IS NOW A SUBJECT OF A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT. IN OTHER WORDS, LIPSTICK MAY NOT TRANSFORM A PIG IT TO A PRINCESS. I KEPT THE FAILED TIRE AND ACTUALLY CARRY THE OTHER TIRE IN THE CAR TO HAVE A REPLACEMENT READILY AVAILABLE. *TR