NHTSA Complaint #10499508 — 2010 FORD EDGE

WE RECENTLY EXPERIENCED A TIRE BLOWOUT OF THE LEFT REAR TIRE ON OUR 2010 FORD EDGE WHILE TRAVELING SOUTH ON INTERSTATE 81 SOUTH JUST OUTSIDE OF SCRANTON PA. AT THE TIME OF THE BLOWOUT WE WERE TRAVELING ABOUT 60MPH. WHEN I WENT TO CHANGE THE TIRE I OBSERVED THAT THE WHEEL (RIM) HAD STARTED TO COLLAPSE AND THE OUTER RIM HAD SEPARATED FROM THE HUB ABOUT 75% OF THE WAY. WE DID NOT RUN OVER ANYTHING THAT WE CAN REMEMBER. THERE WAS NO NOISE THAT WOULD NORMALLY BE EXPECTED IF SOMETHING WAS IN THE ROAD AND NEITHER OF US HEARD ANYTHING BUT THE NOISE OF THE TIRE BLOWOUT. (IF THERE WAS SOMETHING IN THE ROAD, HOW DID THE FRONT TIRE NOT CONTACT IT AS WELL??) THE ROAD WAS CLEAR AHEAD OF US. I IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER, BUT HAD TO "INCH" ALONG THE SIDE OF THE ROAD FOR ABOUT 200YDS TO GET TO A SAFE POINT TO CHANGE THE TIRE. AFTER THAT, WE WENT TO A LOCAL FORD DEALER FOR ASSISTANCE, AS WE WERE NOT COMFORTABLE DRIVING ANOTHER 500 MILES ON A "MINI" SPARE TIRE. THE DEALER SHARED WITH US THAT THEY HAD NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS BEFORE. AFTER SOME EXAMINATION WE DID NOTICE A TINY PUNCTURE OF THE TIRE ON THE INSIDE SURFACE OF THE TIRE. THERE IS A CORRESPONDING "PUSHED IN" SURFACE OF THE ALUMINUM WHEEL. (I HAVE PHOTOS AVAILABLE, AS WELL AS THE WHEEL AND TIRE). I REPORT THIS AS A CONCERN FOR THE SAFETY OF OTHERS AS THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A TERRIBLE ACCIDENT HAD THE WHEEL SEPARATED. FORD MOTOR COMPANY DID NOTHING TO ASSIST WITH THIS DEFECTIVE WHEEL. WE ARE ALSO NOT FEELING COMFORTABLE THAT WON'T HAPPEN AGAIN IF WE GET ANOTHER BLOWOUT. SO FAR THIS HAS COST US ABOUT $1,000 FOR REPLACEMENT WHEEL & TIRE. *TR