NHTSA Complaint #10471319 — 2012 FORD F-450

ON AUGUST 15, 2012, AT APPROXIMATELY 1200 HOURS, I WAS TRAVELING AT SPEED LIMIT NORTH ON I-95 NEAR MILE MARKER 78, LIBERTY COUNTY, MIDWAY, GEORGIA. THE HIGHWAY WAS CLEAN AND NO DEBRIS IN SIGHT, WHEN SUDDENLY A POP SOUND TOOK PLACE AND THE LEFT FRONT TIRE WENT INSTANTANEOUSLY FLAT FOLLOWED BY HEAVY NOISE OF DESTRUCTION. THE VEHICLE WAS IMMEDIATELY STOPPED ON THE EMERGENCY LANE (SIDE OF THE ROAD). I CONDUCTED AN EXAMINATION OF THE VEHICLE AND DISCOVERED THE LEFT FRONT TIRE WAS DESTROYED (DISINTEGRATE) AND THE TOP OF THE TIRE THREAD WAS REMOVED FROM THE TIRE. THIS CAUSED A DENT AND DAMAGES TO THE LEFT FRONT FENDER, BENT THE UNDER FENDER WALL, FENDER LINER WAS ALSO DENT AND THE ROAD BOARD WAS CRACKED. IN ADDITION, THE RIM HAD STRUCK PAVEMENT PARTICLES WHICH CAUSED SMALL DENTS INTO THE RIM. THE VEHICLE FORCEFULLY TURNED LEFT ON HIGHWAY BUT I WAS ABLE TO KEEP IT UNDER CONTROL. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY AT JC LEWIS FORD DEALER, FORD AUTO COLLISION, 9505 ABERCOM STREET, SAVANNAH, GEORGIA, 31406. THE VEHICLE IS BRANDNEW, WITH 3,041.6 MILES. NOTE THAT THE TIRE IS AN LT245/75R17 RUGGED TERRAIN T/A. *TR