NHTSA Complaint #10404522 — 2004 PONTIAC VIBE

ON JUNE 4, 2011 MY WIFE WAS DRIVING A 2004 PONTIAC VIBE ON RT. 83 FROM PENNSYLVANIA INTO MARYLAND WHERE APPROXIMATELY 1/2 MILE FROM THE PARKTON, MD EXIT, THE CAR BEGAN TO SHAKE VIOLENTLY IN THE RIGHT LANE OF THE HIGHWAY. THE DRIVER FRONT TIRE POPPED LOOSE AS IT SEVERED ITSELF FROM THE SIDEWALL AND LITERALLY ROLLED DOWN THE BREAKDOWN LANE AS THE CAR WAS PULLING TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. I HAVE PICTURES OF THE TIRE. NO DEBRIS WAS IN THE ROADWAY AND NO OBJECTS WERE STRUCK DURING THIS EVENT. THE APPROXIMATE SPEED OF THE VEHICLE WAS 65-70 MPH. THE PROBLEM IS THAT THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME. IN LATE NOVEMBER 2010, MY WIFE WAS DRIVING THE SAME VEHICLE IN REHOBOTH BEACH, DE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH ON RT. 1. THE REAR DRIVER SIDE TIRE SUDDENLY BURST AND SEPARATED AT THE SIDEWALL. THE TIRES HAVE BEEN REPLACED. THE LATEST TIRE WAS REPLACED BY SEARS AUTO CENTER IN YORK, PA WHERE THE OLD TIRE IS BEING SHIPPED BACK TO GOODYEAR (IN RESPONSE TO ROADSIDE WARRANTY). THE TIRE SIDEWALL RUBBER COMPOUND APPEARED VERY HARD AND BRITTLE. THE GOODYEAR TRIPLE TREAD TIRES WERE PURCHASED IN 2008 AND HAD APPROXIMATELY 30,000 MILES ON THEM. 2 OUT OF 4 TIRES HAD THIS UNEXPLAINED SIDEWALL BLOW OUT, ANOTHER TIRE WAS REPLACED EARLIER BECAUSE OF A NAIL PUNCTURE. WE DECIDED TO REPLACE ALL TIRES WITH ANOTHER MODEL AND GET RID OF OUR TRIPLE TREADS. WE BELIEVE THE TIRES TO BE UNSAFE AND ARE CONCERNED THAT OTHERS MAY BE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEMS. THESE ARE HIGH END TIRES THAT ARE SUPPOSED LAST 80,000 MILES WITH SUPERIOR TRACTION. *TR