NHTSA Complaint #10262849 — 2003 DODGE DAKOTA

IN LATE FEBRUARY 2009 I HAD A SLIPPED BELT ON ONE OF MY GOODYEAR WRANGLER RT/S TIRES ON MY 2003 DODGE DAKOTA. THIS WAS PARTICULARLY ANNOYING ESPECIALLY SINCE THE TIRES ONLY HAD 33K MILES ON THEM. THE SPARE HAD NEVER BEEN USED SO WE PUT THE SPARE TIRE ON. THAT WAS FIND FOR A FEW WEEKS BUT THEN THE OTHER TIRES STARTED SLIPPING BELTS. AFTER THE INITIAL TIRE I CONTACTED GOODYEAR TO INFORM THEM WHAT HAD HAPPENED TO THEIR GOODYEAR WRANGLER RT/S TIRE AND THEY INDICATED THAT SULLIVAN TIRE IN STRATHAM NEW HAMPSIRE COULD REVIEW THE SITUATION FOR THEM SINCE THEY WERE A TRUSTED DEALERSHIP. TODAY I BROUGHT THE CAR BACK TO SULLIVAN TIRE AND THEY TOLD ME THAT THE BELTS ON THE OTHER TIRES HAD SLIPPED AND WERE ACTUALLY DANGEROUS AND I SHOULD BE CAREFUL ABOUT DRIVING ON THEM. AS A RESULT I HAD THEM REPLACE THE TIRES AND WAS SO MAD ABOUT THIS THAT I HAD THEM PUT DUNLOP TIRES INSTEAD OF GOODYEAR ON THEM. I REALIZE THAT THESE WERE THE ORIGINAL TIRES ON MY 2003 TRUCK ( SULLIVAN TIRE INDICATED THAT THE SERIAL NUMBERS INDICATED THIS) BUT THE TIRES HAD IN EXCESS OF 50% TREADWARE ON THEM. SULLIVAN TIRE TOLD ME THAT BECAUSE THE TIRES WERE ABOUT 7 YEARS OLD THAT GOODYEAR WOULD NO DO ANYTHING. AFTER LEAVING I CHECKED THE TIRE WARRANTY DOCUMENT THAT CAME WITH THE CAR AND THERE WAS NO INDICATION THAT THERE WAS ANY TIME LIMIT ON THE WARRANTY - ONLY TREADWEAR. I AM OUT $587 AND SHOULD HAVE NOT BEEN. I FEEL THAT THESE TIRES WERE DEFECTIVE AND SOMETHING SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE BECAUSE OF THIS. PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF THERE HAD BEEN ANY OTHER COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS SORT OF THING. I HAVE NEVER HAD ANYTHING LIKE THIS HAPPEN TO ME. I AM 62 AND HAVE BEEN DRIVING SINCE I WAS 16 AND AM VERY FAMILIAR WITH CARS SINCE MY DAD WAS A MECHANIC. *TR