NHTSA Complaint #10629805 — 2013 CHEVROLET MALIBU

MY DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING ON EXPRESSWAY AND HAD JUST TAKEN AN EXIT THROUGH TOWN ABOUT A MILE WHEN HER REAR DRIVERS SIDE TIRE (GOODYEAR ASSURANCE) BLEW OUT ON THE INSIDE OF THE TIRE. THE BLOWOUT WAS IN THE SIDEWALL NEAR THE RIM AND WAS ABOUT 3 INCHES LONG, WHICH I HAVE A PICTURE OF. SHE SAID SHE HEARD A "POP", LOW TIRE PRESSURE LIGHT CAME ON AND THEN A RUMBLING NOISE. LUCKILY SHE WAS ABLE TO GET IT OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD SAFELY. THIS 2013 MALIBU ONLY HAD 12,000 MILES ON THE TIRES WHEN THIS HAPPENED. APPROXIMATELY 5 DAYS EARLIER I HAD JUST TAKEN THE CAR INTO A DEALERSHIP NEAR OUR HOME AND HAD THE OIL CHANGED AND TIRES ROTATED BUT NO ONE HAD ACKNOWLEDGED ANY PROBLEMS OR BULGES WITH ANY OF THE TIRES.. THE DEALERSHIP WHERE WE BOUGHT THE CAR WOULD NOT HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE TIRE ISSUE. THEY STATED THE WARRANTY DOES NOT COVER TIRES AND WE WOULD HAVE TO DEAL WITH GOODYEAR OURSELVES. UPON DOING SOME RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET, I HAD DISCOVERED THAT MANY COMPLAINTS HAD BEEN MADE ON THESE PARTICULAR TIRES SUCH AS BULGES IN THE SIDEWALLS AND BLOWOUTS WITH VERY LOW MILEAGE. IT'S OBVIOUS THERE IS A DEFECT OF SOME KIND AND THESE TIRES NEED TO BE INVESTIGATED BEFORE SOMEONE GETS KILLED. MY DAUGHTER SAID SHE NEVER RAN OVER ANYTHING, IT JUST POPPED ON ITS OWN. THANK GOD SHE HAD JUST GOTTEN OFF THE EXPRESSWAY AS THIS COULD HAVE CAUSED A TRAGIC ACCIDENT. *TR