NHTSA Complaint #10583691 — 2000 DODGE DAKOTA

WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH TREAD COMPLETELY SEPARATED FROM TIRE BUT DID NOT LOSE AIR AND I WAS ABLE TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE. TIRE TREAD CAUSED OVER $2,000 DAMAGE TO THE BED OF THE 2000 DODGE DAKOTA PU AS THE TREAD EXPLOSIVELY SEPARATED FROM THE TRUCK. THE TIRE WAS 6 YEARS AND 3 MONTHS OLD WITH LESS THAN 20,000 MILES ON IT. WE DO LIVE IN AN AREA THAT EXPERIENCES SUMMERTIME TEMPS IN THE 90-110 DEGREE RANGE. THE TEMP THAT DAY IN MAY WAS ABOUT 90 DEGREES. I AM REPORTING THIS BECAUSE I JUST HAD ANOTHER DEFINITY DAKOTA H/T TIRE DEVELOP A BULGE AND LOOKS LIKE IT IS ABOUT TO EXPERIENCE A TREAD SEPARATION ALSO. TIRE IS ON THE SAME VEHICLE AND THE SAME, PASSENGER SIDE REAR POSITION AS THE FIRST TIRE INCIDENT. BOTH TIRE WERE PURCHASED IN FEB 2007 AS A SET OF FOUR DEFINITY DAKOTA H/T. TIRES. I CHECKED WITH PEP BOYS AND THE LOCAL REP SAID HE WAS NOT AWARE OF ANY PROBLEMS WITH THESE TIRES AND STATE THAT HE HAD THEM ON HIS VEHICLE. *TR