NHTSA Complaint #10340604 — 2008 CHEVROLET IMPALA

NOTICED ABNORMAL AND EXCESSIVE TIRE FEATHERING. HAD RESEARCHED AND FOUND PREVIOUS TO MY OWN EXPERIENCE THAT OTHERS HAD THE SAME PROBLEM, SO I HAD BEEN MONITORING MY OWN TIRES TO SEE IF IT WAS A DESIGN FLAW. ONE MECHANIC TOLD ME AFTER I PURCHASE 4 NEW TIRES, WHICH ONLY HAVE 34,000 MILES ON A 50,000 MILE RATING, HE WOULD TRY AN ALIGNMENT TO SEE IF IT NEED FOUR NEW STRUTS AS HE WAS ASSUMING WAS THE MAIN PROBLEM BEHIND THE TIRE WEAR. I CALLED A LOCAL GM SERVICE CENTER TO SEE IF THEY HAD SUGGESTIONS FOR ME. THE GUY TOLD ME 4 NEW TIRES AND THE FEW OTHERS WE HAVE SERVICED WITH THE SAME PROBLEM, AN ADJUSTMENT HAD TO BE MADE BY ELONGATING THE HOLES TO PULL THE TIRES INTO A GOOD ALIGNMENT, ELIMINATING THE OUTWARD CAMBER. HE FOUND THIS INFO IN A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN. GM HAS RECALLED PUBLIC SERVICE VEHICLES, IE POLICE CARS, OF THE SAME MAKE AND MODEL, BUT HAS YET TO SEE THE PUBLIC SAFETY HAZARD BEHIND THIS EASILY REMEDIED ISSUE. I WAS TOLD IT WOULD COST ME AT-LEAST $700 FOR PREMATURELY WORN TIRES AND REPAIRS AND ADJUSTMENTS. IMAGINE IF I HAD BEEN AWARE OF THIS PREVIOUS TO MY OWN INCIDENT. I WOULD ASSUME I STILL HAD 15-20000 MILES OF TREAD-LIFE LEFT AND WOULD BE DRIVING MY CAR AS IF THERE WERE NO PROBLEM AT-ALL UNTIL MY TIRES BLEW WHILE DRIVING MY SON BACK TO HIS MOTHERS HOUSE, CAUSING AN ACCIDENT, KILLING MY SON AND I AS WELL AS TWO OTHERS IN ANOTHER VEHICLE. THERE-IN LAYS THE SAFETY ISSUE. A PROMPT AND THOROUGH INVESTIGATION WILL SHOW IT'S A DESIGN FLAW THAT IS PUTTING LIVES AT RISK. THE SOONER THE DEFECT IS CORRECTED, THE SOONER PEOPLES LIVES AND WALLETS CAN REST AT EASE. I WOULD CERTAINLY BE WILLING TO ANSWER ANY OTHER QUESTIONS REGARDING THIS ISSUE. *TR