NHTSA Complaint #10607117 — 2012 KIA SORENTO

THE FOLLOWING IS FROM AN E-MAIL SENT TO BIG O TIRE CUSTOMER SERVICE (TBC CORP) ON JUNE 26/2014 WE OWN A SET OF 4 DEFECTIVE COOPER 107H DISCOVERER LSX PLUS TIRES PURCHASED FOR OUR 2012 KIA SORENTO EX SUV ON NOV. 29, 2013 FROM BIG O TIRES STORE #6171 IN CONIFER, CO. THEY BALANCED AND MOUNTED THE TIRES. THEY DID NOT HAVE TIME TO PERFORM AN ALIGNMENT, SO FIRESTONE IN EVERGREEN, CO (11/29/14) ALIGNED THE VEHICLE. IN LATE APRIL, 2014 WE NOTICED A LOUD RUMBLING ROAD NOISE. WE HAD ANOTHER ALIGNMENT PERFORMED AND ALSO TOOK THE VEHICLE TO PEAK KIA IN LITTLETON, CO WHO DETERMINED THAT ALL ALIGNMENTS WERE WITHIN KIA SPECS, FOUND NO NOISE WITH THE VEHICLE ON THE RACK AND ADVISED US THAT THE TIRES WERE DEFECTIVE. WE RETURNED THE VEHICLE TO BIG O TIRES IN CONIFER. THEY ADVISED US TO HAVE THE CAMBER ADJUSTED MORE AND IF IT COULDN'T, TO INSTALL A NON-KIA AFTER MARKET PART WHICH WOULD ALLOW THE FURTHER CAMBER ADJUSTMENT. WE HAD THE ALIGNMENT ADJUSTED AGAIN. THE NOISE GOT LOUDER. KIA REINSPECTED THE TIRES, TOOK IT FOR ANOTHER ROAD TEST AND REVIEWED THE ALIGNMENT RECORDS AND AGAIN THE KIA SERVICE MANAGER CONCLUDED THAT THE TIRES WERE DEFECTIVE. WE RETURNED THE VEHICLE TO BIG O TIRES IN CONIFER TO SEEK RESOLUTION. THE MANAGER STATED THAT OUR SHOCKS AND STRUTS WERE BAD AND HIS LEAD MECHANIC STATED THAT WE NEEDED THIS AFTER MARKET PART TO ALLOW THE CAMBER TO BE FURTHER ADJUSTED. AT THAT POINT WE ASKED TO SPEAK WITH A REGIONAL OR DISTRICT MANAGER WHO COULD ASSIST US. WE WERE REFERRED TO COOPER TIRE. COOPER TIRE, TOLD US THAT THESE ARE PRIVATE LABEL TIRES MANUFACTURED BY COOPER FOR TBC AND TO SPEAK WITH TBC AS THEY HANDLE ALL WARRANTY CLAIMS. TBC THEN TRANSFERRED OUR CALL TO BIG O CUSTOMER SERVICE. AS I MENTIONED TO [XXX], MY WIFE AND I ARE REALTORS AND WE PLACE CLIENTS IN THIS VEHICLE EVERYDAY. THIS CREATES ADDITIONAL LIABILITY FOR US, BIG O TIRE AND COOPER. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR