NHTSA Complaint #10608013 — 2012 FORD F-250

NEW 2012 FORD F250, SUPER DUTY, 4X4, CREW CAB TRUCK, PURCHASED 11/2013. APPROX. 1 MONTH PRIOR, THE TRUCK BEGAN HAVING A VIBRATION AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS (75% HIGHWAY DRIVING, 25% CITY). THE VIBRATION GOT WORSE OVER THE COURSE OF A DAY. THE 2ND DAY THE FRONT PASSENGER TIRE EXHIBITED A LARGE BULGE (TREAD SEPARATION) ON THE INSIDE TWO TREAD GROOVES. FORD REPLACED THE TIRE, WITH ANOTHER OF THE SAME BRAND AND MODEL. ON 6/30/2014, THE FRONT DRIVER TIRE, WITH NO WARNING, DEVELOPED THE SAME ISSUE, A LARGE BULGE IN THE INSIDE TREAD GROOVES. THE TIRES ARE CONTINENTAL CONTITRAC LT275/65R18 123/120S TIRES, DOT# A3B9 479B 2511. BOTH TIRES HAD VERY LITTLE TIRE WEAR AND THE WEAR WAS EVEN ACROSS THE TIRE SURFACE, THE TIRES SHOWED NO SIGN OF POTENTIAL FAILURE. I DID GET TO SEE THE INSIDE OF THE SECOND FAILED TIRE, THERE DID NOT APPEAR TO BE ANY DAMAGE EXCEPT THE CORD SEPARATION WHICH WAS NOT VISIBLE FROM EITHER THE INSIDE OR OUTSIDE OF THE TIRE; I DID TAKE PHOTOS. I CONTACTED FORD'S CORPORATE NUMBER AND AWAITING A CALL FROM THE DEALER'S SERVICE MANAGER, AND REGIONAL SERVICE MANAGER IN REFERENCE TO THIS SAFETY CONCERN. FORD DID STATE THEY WOULD CONTACT NHTSA; FORD REFERENCE NUMBER CAS04645143-Z4T8T9. EACH TIME I HAVE TO REPLACE THE CONTINENTAL TIRE UNDER WARRANTY FORD HAS TO LOCATE THE TIRE AND IT IS NOT EASY TO LOCATE. IN ADDITION, EVERY NEW FORD F250 ON THE DEALERS LOT HAS ANOTHER NAME BRAND TIRE, WHICH I BELIEVE INDICATES FORD HAS ISSUE WITH THE CONTINENTAL TIRES. I SEARCHED THE NHTSA DATA BASE AND FOUND ALMOST THE EXACT SAME INCIDENT; NHTSA ID# 10568111. I ALSO FOUND NUMEROUS SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE TIRE MODEL. I ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT CONTINENTAL, CASE #[XXX], THE CALL TAKER READ FROM A SCRIPT AND COULD OFFER NO HELP. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR