NHTSA Complaint #10289349 — 2004 FORD F-350 SD

2004 F350 TRUCK WITH NEW TIRES PUT ON BY LANGDALE FORD DEALER ARE WRONG SIZE AND A DAMAGED WHEEL - I BOUGHT THIS TRUCK ON SEPT 2 2009, DURING TEST DRIVE I ADVISE SALESMAN CHRIS LANE ABOUT A ROUGH RIDE AND I THOUGH MAYBE A TIRE WAS OUT OF BALANCE. HE TOLD ME THAT IT WAS FLAT SPOTS FROM SITTING ON THE LOT AND IT WOULD SMOOTH OUT AS I DROVE IT. AFTER 1 & A HALF WEEKS I CALLED BACK AND WAS REFERRED TO A JACK SR. WHOM IS THE SERVICE MANAGER. HE ADVISED ME THEY WOULD FOR $80-85.00 HR. PUT IT ON A COMPUTER AND CHECK IT OUT. I TOLD HIM IT WAS A TIRE OR WHEEL PROBLEM AND NO COMPUTER WOULD BE NEEDED BUT HE REFUSED ANY FURTHER HELP AND WAS VERY RUDE. FORD MTR, CO. WAS CONTACTED AND THEY CONTACTED LANGDALE ON MY BEHALF BUT GOT BRUSHED OFF TOO. THE WHEEL WAS FOUND BY A LOCAL TIRE SHOP AND THEY SAID THAT I HAD A UNSAFE WHEEL, IT HAD BEEN HEATED UP BY A CUTTING TORCH AND MADE TO FIT THIS TRUCK. THEY ORDER ME ANOTHER TIRE AND PUT IT ON THE SPARE RIM THAT HAD THE CORRECT TIRE SIZE BUT WOULD NOT MATCH THE OTHER TIRES ON THE TRUCK. UPON MY VISIT TO THE TIRE SHOP I WAS TOLD THAT THE WRONG SIZE TIRES HAD BEEN PUT ON BY LANGDALE FORD. THEY HAD PUT SIZE- 245/75R16 WIDER TIRES ON THE TRUCK AND IT WAS SUPPOSE TO BE 235/85R16 NARROW TIRES AND THAT I COULD HAVE A PROBLEM WHEN WEIGHT WAS ADDED TO THESE TIRES IN THE REAR (DUEL TIRE TRUCK) CAUSING THE TIRES TO HEAT UP AND BLOW OUT. LUCKILY WE FOUND THESE PROBLEMS BEFORE TRAVELING WITH A LOAD AND THE BAD WHEEL DID NOT BRAKE THE STUDS. THESE WHEELS/TIRES ARE HEAVY AND COULD HAVE BEEN A BAD AND DEADLY MISSILE ON THE HIGHWAY. I HAD ALSO FOUND THE TAIL PIPE LOSE FROM THE BACK TWO HANGERS THE DAY I BROUGHT THE TRUCK HOME BUT I FIXED THESE. THE DEALERS NEED TO BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR SAFETY OF VEHICLES THEY PUT ON THE PUBLIC HIGHWAYS. *TR