NHTSA Complaint #10460567 — 2009 DODGE JOURNEY

ON APRIL 28, 2009 I HAVE A TIRE FAILURE WHILE DRIVING AN A WELL MAINTAINED PAVED HIGHWAY. SPECIFICALLY, I HAD A SIDEWALL FAILURE ON MY RIGHT REAR TIRE. UPON EXAMINATION OF THE TIRE I FOUND A "V" SHAPED FAILURE IN THE SIDEWALL OF ABOUT ONE HALF INCH. CLOSER EXAMINATION REVEALED THAT THE CHORDS IN THE TIRE WERE FRAYED AS OPPOSED TO BEING CUT CLEANLY. DURING THE FIRST WEEK OF APRIL 2011, I EXPERIENCED ANOTHER SIDEWALL FAILURE WITH THE SAME "V" SHAPED BREAK WHILE TRAVELING ON A WELL MAINTAINED PAVED HIGHWAY. I DECIDED AT THAT TIME TO REPLACE ALL FOUR TIRES WITH OME TIRES AND I KEPT THE REMAINING THREE GOOD TIRES. IN FEBRUARY, 2012, I EXPERIENCED A THIRD SIDEWALL FAILURE WITH THE SAME "V" SHAPED RUPTURE IN THE SIDEWALL OF THE LEFT FRONT TIRE. MY MILEAGE AT THIS TIME WAS APPROXIMATELY 40500. THE REPLACEMENT TIRE THAT WAS INSTALLED WAS FROM THE ORIGINAL OME TIRES THAT I HAD KEPT WHEN I REPLACED AFTER THE SECOND FAILURE. APPROXIMATELY 3 MONTHS LATER THAT REPLACEMENT TIRE DEVELOPED A BULGE ON THE OUTSIDE TREAD AREA OF APPROXIMATELY 12" LONG BY 2" WIDE. I THEN REPLACED ALL FOURS AGAIN WITH ANOTHER BRAND. THE OME TIRES ORIGINALLY ON MY VEHICLE AND THE FIRST SET OF REPLACEMENT TIRES WERE: KUMHO 225/55R BW KH16 99T. *TR