NHTSA Complaint #10279863 — 2007 FORD F-150

TUESDAY MORNING WHEN I WENT OUT TO MY TRUCK THE TIRE LOOKED TO ME TO BE LOW ON AIR AND LOW PRESSURE LIGHT WAS ON IN THE TRUCK. I DROVE TO MY SHOP (APPROX. 7.2 MI.), TOOK OFF THE WHEEL TO CHECK FOR LEAKS (FOUND NON), CHECKED THE AIR PRESSURE AND IT WAS AT 28 LBS, I FILLED THE TIRE WITH AIR TO 36 LBS. THE LOW PRESSURE INDICATOR LIGHT DID NOT GO OUT. I CHECKED THE OTHER 3 TIRES AND FOUND THEM ALL TO BE LOW SO I FILLED THEM WITH AIR TO 36 LBS AND THE LIGHT WENT OUT. AT THE END OF THE DAY I DROVE HOME, THEN TOOK MY WIFE TO DINNER (APPROX. 5 MI.). WHEN WE PULLED INTO THE RESTAURANT PARKING LOT AND TURNED RIGHT INTO A PARKING SPOT, THE LEFT FRONT TIRE BLEW OFF THE RIM AS I CAME TO A STOP. I AM NOT AS CONCERNED ABOUT GETTING A 'FREE' TIRE AS I AM OF THE SAFETY FACTOR INVOLVED. I HAVE 4 HANKOOK TIRES ON THIS TRUCK AND IT CONCERNS ME THAT ANOTHER ONE MAY BLOW APART (POSSIBLY AT FREEWAY SPEED). I DO BELIEVE THAT THIS WAS A DEFECTIVE TIRE. I AM 65 YEARS OLD AND I'VE WORKED ON CARS ALL MY LIFE AND I'VE NEVER SEEN A TIRE BEAD SPLIT THE WAY THIS ONE DID. I ALSO HAVE ASSOCIATES IN THE AUTOMOTIVE BUSINESS WHO AFTER SEEING THE DAMAGED TIRE COMPLETELY AGREE WITH ME. I WOULD HATE TO SEE A REPEAT OF THE FORD EXPLORER TIRE PROBLEM THAT OCCURRED WITH FIRESTONE SEVERAL YEARS BACK; AND I HATE TO THINK THERE ARE MORE DEFECTIVE TIRES OUT THERE. I SPOKE WITH AND EMAILED THIS INFORMATION TO AL ABRADOR AT HANKOOK TIRE AND HE SAID 'IT WAS THE FAULT OF THE PERSON THAT MOUNTED THE TIRES', HE ALSO SAID THAT HANKOOK HAS HAD NO OTHER COMPLAINTS REGARDING THESE TIRES. I WENT TO THE TIRE SHOP WHERE I'VE DONE BUSINESS FOR THE PAST 20 YEARS AND THEY SAID THEY HAD NEVER SEEN A BROKEN BEAD LIKE THIS ONE. AFTER LOOKING AT THE NHTSA SITE I SEE THERE ARE INDEED MANY COMPLAINTS REGARDING HANKOOK TIRES. AGAIN, I AM CONCERNED WITH MY OWN AS WELL AS PUBLIC SAFETY IN THIS MATTER. *TR