NHTSA Complaint #10272334 — 1998 JEEP CHEROKEE

DRIVING A VEHICLE WITH 4 MATCHING TIRES BOUGHT IN 10/07, ONLY 6,000 MILES ON THEM. DRIVER WAS ON THE HIGHWAY, HEARD A LOUD NOISE, THOUGHT HIS TRANSMISSION FELL OUT OR SOMETHING AS DRASTIC AND AS LOUD. PULLED OFF THE EXIT, WHICH WAS RIGHT THERE THANK GOD, LOOKED AT CAR, TIRE HAD A 4-6" GAPING RAGGED HOLE IN SIDEWALL. REAR TIRE, DRIVERS SIDE. HE COULD HAVE BEEN INJURED FATALLY. TIRE WAS OBVIOUSLY DEFECTIVE JEEP WAS TOWED TO PLACE OF ORIGINAL PURCHASE. WALMART IN WATERFORD CT. THEY TESTED THE THREAD ON THE OTHER 3 TIRES AND TOLD MY SON THEY'D REPLACE THE BLOWN TIRE AS THE THREAD ON THE OTHERS WAS FINE. I TOLD M SON WE WILL NOT ACCEPT THAT AS: 1. THEY'D ALL COME FROM THE SAME DEFECTIVE BATCH, AND 2, DID NOT WANT MISMATCHING TREAD ON TIRES. MIND YOU, THEY FELT THE SIZE OF THE TIRE WAS GOOD FOR CAR AT PURCHASE, AND THEN ALSO TODAY, THE DAY ONE TIRE BLEW A GAPING HOLE IN SIDEWALL. SON INSISTED, I ALSO TOLD HIM TO SPEAK TO ASST. MANAGER PAT, WHO TOLD ME SHE'D LOOK INTO RECALLS FROM THAT BATCH. THEY THEN AGREED THEY'D REPLACE ALL FOUR. BUT, THEY SAID,(THESE WERE THE SAME TECH'S WHO SOLD THE TIRES AND INSTALLED THEM ON THE JEEP,) THAT THE TIRES WERE TOO WIDE AND RUBBING ON THE BUMPER, THAT'S WHY IT BLEW. REAR TIRES DON'T TURN SO CAN'T RUB. AS I SAID BEFORE THEY WANTED TO PUT 3 MATCHING (NOW INCORRECT SIZE) JUST MINUTES EARLIER. SO. I CAME, TOOK PICTURES OF THE TIRE. 2 CAMERAS TO BE SAFE. IF YOU WANT THEM TO SAVE THE TIRE. IT WAS 3:30 PM WHEN WE LEFT THERE SO THEY MAY STILL HAVE IT. THE DOT # ON THE NEW TIRES IS HHC62U. MAY BE SAME AS OLD ONES.?????? WHEN WE BOUGHT AND HAD THE TIRES INSTALLED AT WALMART THEY CERTAINLY DIDN'T OBJECT TO GOING FROM A 225 TO A 235 AS THEY SAID THE WHEEL COULD HANDLE THAT SIZE. NOW THEY'RE PLACING THE BLAME ON ME FOR BUYING THAT SIZE. THEY SAID IT WAS FINE. I'D LIKE TO ADD I'M AFRAID OF THESE TIRES COMPLETELY. IF I HAD A CHOICE I'D HAVE CHOSEN A DIFFERENT BRAND TO BE SAFE. THEY SHOULD PAY FOR AN ALIGNMENT ALSO. THANKS. *TR