NHTSA Complaint #10558043 — 2009 HONDA CIVIC

I BOUGHT A SET OF CONTINENTAL PROCONTACT TIRES 205/55/16 FOR A HONDA CIVIC. ON 12-12-13 AND DROVE TO HARRISONBURG VA ABOUT 200 MILES ON 12-17-13. THAT NIGHT THE TIRE PRESSURE INDICATOR LIT UP SINCE IT WAS LATE WE WAITED UNTIL MORNING TO CHECK THE TIRE AT WHICH TIME IT WAS FLAT. EMBEDDED IN THE TIRE WAS A WIRE GOING FROM NEAR THE WHEEL ALONG THE SIDEWALL TOWARD THE TREAD. IT WAS ABOUT 5 INCHES IN LENGTH AND ABOUT 0.125 INCHES IN DIAMETER. BOTH ENDS WERE IN THE TIRE AND THERE APPEARED TO BE A SLICE IN THE SIDEWALL BENEATH THE WIRE. WENT TO WALMART WHERE THE TIRE WAS EXAMINED, THEY PULLED ONE END OUT BUT THE OTHER DIDN'T BUDGE. HAD TO GO TO ANOTHER STORE FOR THE REPLACEMENT. THEY WERE ALSO NOT ABLE TO PULL THE WIRE OUT. UPON RETURNING HOME I TOOK THE DAMAGED TIRE TO THE STORE IT WAS ORIGINALLY PURCHASED FROM. THEY CONTACTED CONTINENTAL AND I RECEIVED A FULL REFUND AND THE TIRE WAS RETURNED TO CONTINENTAL. UPON EXAMINATION IT SEEMED THAT THE WIRE WAS EMBEDDED IN THE TIRE DURING MANUFACTURE AS EVIDENCED BY THE "SLICE" IN THE SIDEWALL FROM WHICH THE WIRE EMERGED WHILE DRIVING LEADING TO AIR LOSS, THE IMPOSSIBILITY OF PULLING THE WIRE FROM THE WHEEL AREA AND THE ABSENCE OF PENETRATION OF THE WIRE ON THE WHEEL ASPECT.. I DO HAVE PHOTOS OF THE WIRE AND SIDEWALL AND TIRE INTERIOR SHOWING THE ABOVE. MY STRONG FEELING, AND THAT OF THE ORIGINAL TIRE SHOP, WAS THAT THE WIRE WAS MOLDED INTO THE TIRE DURING MANUFACTURE. THE DIAMETER OF THE WIRE WAS MUCH GREATER THAN STEEL MESH WIRE. MOST LIKELY THE WIRE WAS FORCED TO THE SURFACE AS A CONSEQUENCE OF TIRE COMPRESSION DURING THE DRIVE. I ALMOST FEEL THAT IT WAS INTENTIONALLY ADDED TO THE MOLD BECAUSE OF THE LENGTH AND POSITION AS WELL AS THE DIAMETER. *TR