NHTSA Complaint #10475525 — 2009 DODGE JOURNEY AWD

OWNER OF A 2009 DODGE JOURNEY SXT AWD WITH KUMHO SOLUS KH16 TIRE 225/55R19 SIZE STOCK TIRES. AFTER EXPERIENCING COMPLETE RIGHT FRONT TIRE FAILURE WHILE TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH ON A PAVED TWO-LANE HIGHWAY, OWNER INSTALLED THE TEMPORARY SPARE TIRE. THE VEHICLE'S AWD LIGHT IMMEDIATELY ILLUMINATED. OWNER CEASED OPERATING THE VEHICLE AND OBTAINED THE SERVICES OF A TOW COMPANY. APPARENTLY, THIS VEHICLE CANNOT BE DRIVEN WITH THE SPARE TIRE SUPPLIED BY THE MANUFACTURER AS THE AWD! LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE OWNER'S MANUAL STATES THE VEHICLE SHOULD BE SERVICED RIGHT AWAY WHEN THE AWD! LIGHT ILLUMINATES. THERE IS NO CAVEAT STATEMENT REGARDING DRIVING TO A CLOSE LOCATION FOR LIMITED MILEAGE. MOREOVER, THE MANUAL STATES THE PTO UNIT (AKA AWD! UNIT) WILL BE DAMAGED IF THE CAR IS DRIVEN WITH THE AWD! LIGHT ILLUMINATED. DRIVING WITH THE SUPPLIED TEMPORARY SPARE CAUSED THE AWD! LIGHT TO ILLUMINATE. ADDITIONALLY, IF THE CAR IS DRIVEN WITH THE TEMPORARY SPARE INSTALLED AND THE AWD! LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND DAMAGE TO THE PTO OCCURS, IS THIS DAMAGE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY? IF THE SPARE IS TOO SMALL, AS IS THE CASE VIA VISUAL INSPECTION, WHY IS THAT SPARE TIRE SUPPLIED WITH THE VEHICLE? SHOULDN'T AN ACCEPTABLE SPARE BE MADE AVAILABLE, OR A CAVEAT STATEMENT REGARDING DRIVING ON THE TEMPORARY SPARE FOR LIMITED MILEAGE BE SUPPLIED, SO THE DRIVER/OWNER IS NOT STRANDED? ADDITIONALLY, CULPABILITY FOR DAMAGE AND THE INCURRED EXPENSES SHOULD BE BORN BY THE MANUFACTURER IN THIS CASE, AND A STATEMENT REGARDING SUCH SHOULD BE EVIDENT AND CLEAR IN THE OWNER'S MANUAL. *TR