NHTSA Complaint #10471212 — 2009 FEATHERLITE TRAILER

ON JULY 8, 2012 TRAVELING SOUTH ON I-81 MY ENCLOSED TRAILER SUFFERED A BLOWOUT OF A TOWMAX RADIAL TIRE, 225/75R/15 LOAD RANGE E. THE TRAILER IS A 24' WITH (2) 5200LB AXLES AND CARRYING A 3800LB CAR WITH AN ADDITIONAL 400LBS OF LUGGAGE AND EQUIPMENT. THE TOWMAX TIRE WAS INFLATED TO 80PSI PER THE SIDEWALL INSTRUCTIONS. IT HAD A TREAD SEPARATION. THE TREAD CAME OFF THE TIRE AND AS IT ROTATED, BEAT A HOLE IN THE FLOOR OF THE TRAILER AND TORE UP THE FENDER AND SOME EXTERIOR TRIM. I PURCHASED 4 TOWMAX RADIALS ON 08/09/11 FOR THIS TRAILER. THE TIRE WAS LESS THAN A YEAR OLD WITH APPROXIMATELY 2000 MILES ON IT. THE FIRESTONE DEALER SAID THERE WAS NO MILEAGE WARRANTY NOR DEFECT WARRANTY ON THE TIRE. I REPLACED IT WITH ANOTHER BRAND. ON 8/12/2012, THE SAME TRAILER SUFFERED A TIRE BLOWOUT OF ANOTHER BRANDED TOWMAX TIRE. THIS TIRE HAD APPROXIMATELY 3200 MILES ON IT AND WAS ALSO INFLATED TO 80PSI PER THE SIDEWALL INSTRUCTIONS. THIS WAS ON I-75 AND THE FAILURE WAS ALSO A TREAD SEPARATION. I HAVE SAVED THIS TIRE FOR INSPECTION. THE DAMAGE THIS TIME WAS MORE EXTENSIVE THAN THE PREVIOUS BLOWOUT. I HAVE NOT REPLACED THIS TIRE YET, BUT WILL REPLACE WITH ANOTHER BRAND. ESTIMATED TRAILER DAMAGE - $2500. TO SUMMARIZE, I HAVE HAD 2 TIRE BLOWOUTS OF THE SAME BRAND TIRES THAT ARE ONE YEAR OLD WITH 2K AND 3K MILES ON THEM RESPECTIVELY. THE FAILURES ARE IN THE SAME AREAS OF THE TIRES BEING TREAD SEPARATION. I BELIEVE THESE ARE DEFECTIVE TIRES AND SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED FOR POSSIBLE RECALL OR REMOVAL FROM THE MARKET. *TR