NHTSA Complaint #10243333 — 2000 FORD E-450

I HAVE A 2000 CHATEAU MOTOR HOME BUILT ON A FORD E450 CHASIS WHICH CAME WITH OEM TIRES - FIRESTONE STEELTEX 256/75 R16 TIRES. AS OF THE DATE OF THIS COMPLAINT, THE VEHICLE AND TIES HAVE APPROXIMATELY 5,500 MILES ON THEM. IN APPROXIMATELY 2004, I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE FIRESTONE COMPLETE AUTO CARE STORE LOCATED AT 655 COURTHOUSE ROAD, GULFPORT, MS 39507 (228.897.1423) TO GET THE STATE SAFETY INSPECTION AND TO LOOK AT UNUSUALLY CRACKING IN THE SIDE WALLS OF THE EQUIPMENT TIRES. I WAS GIVEN THE STATE SAFETY INSPECTION AND TOLD THAT THE CRACKING IN THE SIDE WALLS WAS NORMAL AND THERE WAS NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT. AFTER NOT DRIVING THE VEHICLE MUCH AS WE LIVED IN IT IMMEDIATELY AFTER HURRICANE KATRINA FOR OVER A YEAR WHILE WE AWAITED OUR HOUSE TO BE REPAIRED, I DEPARTED IN IT FOR AN APPROXIMATELY 200 MILE TRIP IN RESPONSE TO EVACUATION FOR HURRICANE GUSTAV. UPON THE RETURN FROM OUR EVACUATION ON SEPT 2ND, 2008, AFTER DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 150 MILES AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, THE OUTER REAR PASSENGER SIDE DULLY EXPERIENCED A TREAD SEPARATION WHERE THE TREAD OUTER TREAD SIMPLY SEPARATED FROM THE TIRE. AS I WAS TRAVELING AT A VERY LOW SPEED, THE TREAD DID NOT COME COMPLETELY OFF THE TIRE BUT JUST RATHER SEPARATED FROM THE TIRE AND THUS CAUSED IT TO GO FLAT. THIS DID HOWEVER CAUSE ADDITIONAL DAMAGE TO THE TIRE HUB-CAP. I EMAIL FIRESTONE/BRIDGESTONE THE NEXT DAY VIA THEIR ON LINE CONTACT FORM AND WAS CONTACTED THE NEXT DAY. I WAS ASKED TO TAKE THE TIRE TO THE LOCAL FIRESTONE COMPLETE AUTO CARE (REFERENCED ABOVE) TO HAVE IT INSPECTED. I TOOK THE TIRE THEIR THE NEXT DAY AND THE STORE MANAGER STATED THAT HE HAD NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THE FAILURE OF THIS TIRE AT IT LOOKED AS IT WAS A RE-TREAD. I REMINDED HIM THAT ALL TIRES WERE EXPERIENCING SIMILAR CRACKING ON THE SIDE WALLS WHERE THE TREAD ATTACHES TO THE TIRE. THE STORE MANAGER THEN SAID HE WOULD REPLACE ALL 7 TIRES BUT AFTER TAKING THE VEHICLE BACK TO HIS SHOP, HE HAS NOW DECLINED TO DO SO BASED ON ADVICE FROM FIRESTONE. *TR