NHTSA Complaint #10648513 — 2003 FORD F-250

ON 10/11/14 WE WERE TRAVELING FROM OUR HOME IN HAVELOCK, NC TO THE CHARLOTTE AREA. WITH ABOUT 20 MINUTES INTO THE TRIP WE FELT A VIOLENT VIBRATION AND THEN THE REAR PASSENGER TIRE BLEW! MIRACULOUSLY, MY HUSBAND WAS ABLE TO PULL HIS FORD F-250 PICKUP TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND THANKFULLY NO ONE WAS HURT! THE TIRE WAS FLAT WITH MUCH OF THE TREAD SEPARATED FROM THE TIRE. ALSO, SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE WAS CAUSED TO THE WHEEL WELL OF THE TRUCK BECAUSE OF THE BLOWOUT. AFTER HAVING ALLSTATE MOTOR CLUB COME AND ASSIST US, AND REPLACE THE BLOWOUT, WE WERE ON OUR ROAD AGAIN. THREE DAYS LATER ON OCTOBER 14TH WE WERE HEADED BACK TO HAVELOCK WHEN ONCE AGAIN THE TRUCK BEGAN TO SHAKE VIOLENTLY. MY HUSBAND MADE IT TO MY BROTHER-IN-LAWS DRIVEWAY, GOT OUT AND NOTICED THE FRONT PASSENGERS TIRE HAD A MAJOR BUBBLE IN IT. WE ALMOST HAD A SECOND TIRE BLOWOUT! NOW WE WERE THINKING THERE MUST BE SOMETHING WRONG WITH THESE TIRES SINCE TWO OF THEM FAILED WITHIN 3 DAYS. THE TIRES ON OUR TRUCK ARE BF GOODRICH MUD TERRAIN T/A KM2 LT285/75R16 DOT # BFYUCF213810. THESE TIRES ON OUR PICKUP HAVE PLENTY OF TREAD LEFT ON THEM AND SHOULD NOT HAVE FAILED! I HAVE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH MICHELIN (THE PARENT COMPANY OF BF GOODRICH). THEY TOLD ME TO GO TO MY LOCAL FAMILY TIRE TO HAVE THEM INSPECT OUR TIRES AND THEN HAVE THEM CONTACT MICHELIN ON THEIR FINDINGS. THEY ALSO SAID I WOULD NEED THE BLOWN OUT TIRE, WHICH I NO LONGER HAVE, TO RECEIVE ANY COMPENSATION FOR THAT. I BELIEVE I AM IN FOR A "RUN AROUND" FROM MICHELIN BEFORE I RECEIVE (IF I DO RECEIVE) ANY KIND OF COMPENSATION. I'VE SEEN ONLINE TOO WHERE SEVERAL SIMILAR TIRES FROM BF GOODRICH HAVE BEEN RECALLED DUE TO TREAD SEPARATION. I DO BELIEVE THE TIRES MENTIONED ABOVE ARE UNSAFE AND COULD CAUSE LOSS OF LIFE! I ALSO BELIEVE MICHELIN IS PUTTING THE ALMIGHTY DOLLAR BEFORE HUMAN SAFETY! *TR