NHTSA Complaint #10441382 — 1999 AUDI A4

TREAD SEPARATION. I WAS DRIVING WESTBOUND ON I-580, APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH, WHEN THE TREAD ON MY RIGHT FRONT TIRE SEPARATED AND THE TIRE BLEW. I WAS LUCKY TO BE ABLE TO PULL OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF OTHER AWARE DRIVERS ON THE HIGHWAY WHO ALLOWED ME TO CHANGE LANES AT A REDUCED SPEED. THE TIRE TREAD DAMAGED THE RIGHT FRONT AREA OF MY CAR, CAUSING APPROXIMATELY $4,000 IN DAMAGES, OF WHICH APPROXIMATELY $3,000 WAS COVERED BY MY INSURANCE COMPANY. THE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUE IS SAFETY, NOT MONEY. I COULD HAVE BEEN SEVERELY INJURED OR KILLED AS A RESULT OF THE TIRE FAILURE. THE TIRE HAD A BIG O TIRES BRAND LABEL BUT IT WAS MANUFACTURED BY COOPER. BEFORE THE INCIDENT, THERE WAS NO ABNORMAL USAGE OR WEAR ON THE TIRE, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF ACCELERATED WEAR AT THE PLACE WHERE THE TREAD SEPARATION INITIATED, WHICH WAS CAUSED BY THE SEPARATION. COOPER MIGHT BE THE ONLY TIRE MANUFACTURER THAT DOES NOT USE A BELT WEDGE. THEIR HISTORY OF TREAD SEPARATIONS AND TIRE FAILURES, AND TOTAL DISREGARD FOR THE SAFETY OF THEIR AMERICAN CUSTOMERS SHOULD BE SUFFICIENT TO REMOVE THEIR PRIVILEGE OF DOING BUSINESS IN THE U.S. *TR