NHTSA Complaint #10429194 — 2010 KEYSTONE MONTANA

ON INTERSTATE 85 ABOUT 20 MILES SW OF ATLANTA AT 60 MPH, TOWING MONTANA 5TH WHEEL, THE STREET SIDE TIRE ON THE FRONT LEADING AXLE HAD A SUDDEN BELT AND TREAD FAILURE. TIRE CASE DID NOT DEFLATE AND WE WERE ABLE TO PULL OVER TO THE ROAD SHOULDER. TIRE WAS A GOODYEAR MARATHON ST235 80R 16 LOAD RANGE E WITH ABOUT 3000 TO 4000 MILES AND CAME AS OEM TIRE ON THE UNIT. THE TIRE ON THE TRAILING AXLE ON THE SAME SIDE HAD JUST BEEN REPLACED WHEN I FOUND A 2 IN LONG SECTION OF THE INSIDE, WHERE TREAD MEATS THE SIDE WALL, COMING APART DURING A PRETRIP INSPECTION. I HAD CHECKED ALL THE TIRES AT A FUEL STOP JUST NORTH OF ATLANTA AND ALL TIRES WERE FOUND TO BE INFLATED TO CORRECT PSI AND NO PROBLEMS I COULD SEE BY SIGHT. THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME I HAVE HAD THIS SAME PROBLEM WITH MARATHON ST TIRES GOING BACK TO 1987 AND I AM NOT ALONE IN THIS BY THE AMOUNT OF COMPLAINTS I SEE ON RV BLOG'S. WHEN REPLACING A SET OF OEM MARATHON TIRES I USE AN LT TIRE IN THE CORRECT LOAD RANGE AND NOT A GOODYEAR TIRE. I HAVE NEVER HAD THIS PROBLEM REPEAT WITH LT TIRES. I DO THINK THAT THE MAX LOAD FOR A SINGLE MARATHON ST TIRE AT MAX COLD INFLATION PSI SHOULD BE TESTED AS I DO NOT THINK GOODYEAR IS CORRECT IN THERE GIVEN SPEC'S OF 3420 LB FOR AN ST235 80R 16 E TIRE. I HAVE NOTED THAT UP TO NOW I HAVE NOT HEARD OF AND DEATH OF INJURY BUT THERE IS ALWAYS DAMAGE TO THE RV WHEEL WELL AND THIS IS COSTLY TO REPAIR. SOONER OR LATER THERE WILL BE A DEATH OR INJURY WHEN A MARATHON ST TIRE HAS SUDDEN TREAD FAILURE. *TR