NHTSA Complaint #10279798 — 2001 NISSAN SENTRA

NEW MICHELIN HARMONY TIRES INSTALLED 1/07 BY REPUTABLE DEALER; TIRES REGULARLY CHECKED/ROTATED BY DEALER. DRIVING FINE, WAS PARKED, CAME OUT TO LEAVE AND CAR SOUNDED FUNNY...PULLED OVER ON SAME PARKING LOT AND DISCOVERED FLAT TIRE. TIRE DEALER REPORTS "BAD VALVE...THERE IS A SILENT RECALL". OTHER DEALER WHO INSTALLED THE TIRES FOUND THIS HARD TO BELIEVE; HE'D NOT HEARD ABOUT IT...TOOK BAD TIRE OUT TO HIM, AND ALSO FOUND RECALL INFO ON LINE BY GOOGLING "TIRE VALVE RECALL". THEY DETERMINED THERE WAS SIDEWALL DAMAGE AND TIRE SHOULD BE REPLACED FOR SAFETY REASONS. ROAD HAZARD GUARANTEE NOT APPLICABLE DUE TO DETERMINATION THAT "TIRE WAS RUN FLAT". ONLY WAS DRIVEN ON PARKING LOT A ABOUT 100 YARDS AT MOST. INFO ON NET INDICATES TIRES COULD LOSE PRESSURE RAPIDLY AND IT WOULD NOT BE VISUALLY EVIDENT; DRIVING ON LOW PRESSURE WOULD CAUSE SUCH DAMAGE AS I HAD. NEVER WAS NOTIFIED BY TIRE RETAILER; DID NOT KNOW ABOUT THIS. HAD TO REPLACE TIRE AND ENDURE MUCH LOST TIME AND INCONVENIENCE AS WELL AS EXPENSE. SAW THAT MANY OTHERS HAVE HAD SAME PROBLEM PER ARTICLES ON CONSUMER REPORTS BLOG. ALSO PURCHASED NEW VALVES AND HAD THEM ALL REPLACES ON MY CAR...NAPA STORE SELLS SHRADER WHICH HAD BEEN MADE IN US UNTIL ABOUT 5 YEARS AGO I LEARNED. *TR