NHTSA Complaint #10668097 — 2013 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA

THE DUNLOP SPORT SP 01 A/S 18" TIRES THAT COME AS STANDARD ON CERTAIN TRIM LEVELS OF THE VW JETTA GLI / GTI ARE DEFECTIVE IMO. I AM NOW GOING TO REPLACE THE 4TH TIRE IN 29,000 MILES OF DRIVING THE VEHICLE SINCE NEW FROM THE SAME / SIMILAR ISSUE; BUBBLES AND SIDEWALL DEFECTS, AND MOST RECENTLY AS OF TODAY A BLOWOUT IN THE LEFT LANE OF A 4 LANE HIGHWAY AT 65 MPH AFTER A MINOR ROAD IMPACT (DID NOT JAR CABIN OR WASN'T PARTICULARLY SEVERE) 200 MILES ALWAYS FROM HOME. GO ONLINE TO PLACES LIKE TIRERACK.COM AND SEARCH THE WEB, THERE ARE MANY COMPLAINTS OF THE SAME THING WITH THIS TIRE AND IN THE APPROXIMATELY 30,000-40,000 MILES A YEAR OF DRIVING I PUT ON TWO VEHICLES COMBINED (IN WHICH I AVERAGE A NEW CAR PURCHASE EVERY YEAR AND HALF), ONLY THESE TIRES HAVE EVER BEEN AN ISSUE AND VW EQUIPS THESE ON BOTH THE GLI AND GTI WITH THE SAME SAID COMPLAINTS, WHILE OTHER BRANDS OF TIRES IN THE SAME SIZE DO NOT HAVE THE COMPLAINTS LIKE THESE. I DO REALIZE THEY ARE LOWER PROFILE AND COULD BE PRONE TO MORE SIDEWALL DAMAGE, BUT IN ALL HONESTY THEY ARE JUST NOT BUILT TO PRACTICAL HIGHWAY STRENGTH STANDARDS AS I AGAIN DRIVE OTHER VEHICLES IN THE SAME CONDITION WITH NO ILL TIRE AFFECTS. AFTER TODAY'S HIGHWAY BLOWOUT I REALIZE THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE MORE THAN JUST A NUISANCE AS A LESS EXPERIENCED DRIVER MAY HAVE HAD AN ACCIDENT. VW OF AMERICA COULD MOST LIKELY ELIMINATE THIS BY FITTING THEIR VEHICLES WITH OTHER BRANDS. *TR