NHTSA Complaint #10535778 — 2009 FLEETWOOD PULSE

MY INSIDE DUAL TIRE SIDEWALL UNZIPPED AT 60MPH ON MY SPRINTER BASED MINI- MOTORHOME WHILE TRAVELING NORTH ON I-5. NO UNUSUAL EVENTS PRIOR TO HEARING A LOUD BANG. THIS WAS THE FIRST TIRE FAILURE ON MY VEHICLE. ( I HAVE SINCE LEARNED OF DOZENS OF SIMILAR FAILURES ON VEHICLES LIKE MINE USING THE SAME OEM TIRE MANUFACTURED BY KUMHO). MY SPRINTER (AND OEM TIRES) HAVE ONLY 23,300 MILES ON THEM. WHEN THE TIRE BLEW I REDUCED MY SPEED AND HAD THE BLOWN TIRE REPLACED WITH A SPARE AT THE NEXT AVAILABLE SERVICE LOCATION. ON THE SAME DAY I TOOK MY VEHICLE AND DAMAGED TIRE TO THE NEAREST KUMHO DEALER. HE CONTACTED KUMHO IN MY PRESENCE. KUMHO REFUSED TO ACCEPT ANY RESPONSIBILITY. THE NEXT DAY I TOOK THE FAILED TIRE TO THE KUMHO DEALER IN MY HOMETOWN. KUMHO OFFERED A PRO-RATED ALLOWANCE ON THE FAILED TIRE WHICH I REFUSED NOW KNOWING OF THE MANY FAILURES AND FEARING POSSIBLE INJURY TO MY FAMILY AND OTHERS ON THE HIGHWAY IF ALL THE TIRES WERE NOT REPLACED. I REQUESTED MY LOCAL KUMHO DEALER GO UP THE CHAIN OF COMMAND AT KUMHO FOR A PRO-RATED ALLOWANCE ON ALL SIX TIRES. NO RESPONSE AS OF THIS DATE. I STILL HAVE THE FAILED TIRE IN MY POSSESSION AND AM ARRANGING TO HAVE ALL TIRES REPLACED WITH SOMETHING OTHER THAN KUMHO TIRES. IT IS CLEAR THERE IS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT FOR WHICH KUMHO HAS REFUSED TO ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY. I AM FORTUNATE MY FAILURE WAS ON A DUAL, WAS DETECTED BY A TPMS SYSTEM, AND DID NOT RESULT IN ANY PROPERTY DAMAGE OR PERSONAL INJURY. OTHERS MAY NOT BE SO LUCKY. *TR