NHTSA Complaint #10537369 — 2001 BUICK REGAL

I AM AN AUTO MECHANIC AND LATER AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEER AND I ALWAYS KEEP MY TIRES PROPERLY INFLATED WITH ROUTINE BALANCING, ROTATION AND ALIGNMENTS. IN OVER 30 YEARS OF DRIVING I HAD NEVER HAD A TIRE ISSUE BEYOND THE OCCASIONAL FLAT UNTIL I BOUGHT A SET OF GOODYEAR VIVA 2 TIRES FROM WALMART ON MAY 31, 2011. P225/60R16 97S DOT MDX0 H6HP 1911 TIRES FOR MY 2001 BUICK REGAL. AFTER ALMOST A YEAR I NOTICED THE CAR WAS NOT RIDING SMOOTHLY SO I TOOK IT IN TO GET THE TIRES BALANCED. THE TIRE MAN SHOWED ME THAT THERE WAS A TREAD ISSUE ON A TIRE, SO ON MAY 9, 2012 I BOUGHT A REPLACEMENT VIVA 2 TIRE. THE FAILED TIRE HAD LESS THAN A YEAR AND 17,601 MILES ON IT. RECENTLY WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY ANOTHER OF THE INITIAL VIVA 2 TIRES BLEW OUT (SAME DOT CODE). THIS TIRE WAS ABOUT 26 MONTHS OLD WITH 31,440 MILES ON IT. I STILL HAVE THIS TIRE IF YOU WANT TO INSPECT IT. *TR