NHTSA Complaint #10681657 — 2014 MERCEDES-BENZ E350

E350 SPORT MODEL W/ 18 INCH AMG WHEELS AND LOW PROFILE TIRES. JAN 19 I HIT A POTHOLE ON A BUSY BRIDGE DURING RUSH HOUR. MY 5TH BLOWOUT OF A FRONT TIRE ON THE SAME CAR. NARROWLY MISSED HITTING A TRACTOR TRAILER AS MY CAR SWERVED AS THE TIRE RAPIDLY DEFLATED. TWO TIRES WERE REPLACED IN THIS INCIDENT BECAUSE A REAR TIRE HAD A SIDEWALL BUBBLE DEVELOP AFTER HITTING THE POTHOLE.. ONE AMG BENT RIM WAS REPLACED.THIS IS NOT A COMPLAINT REVOLVING AROUND THE COST. I HAVE A TIRE AND WHEEL WARRANTY THAT COVERS ME FOR THE COST OF THESE BLOWOUTS. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE. I MUST POINT OUT THAT WHILE CHANGING THE TIRE I WATCHED HUNDREDS OF VEHICLES HIT THE SAME POTHOLE AND NOT ONE GOT A BLOW OUT UNTIL ALONG COMES ANOTHER E350 WHO HIT THE POTHOLE AND BLEW OUT THE DRIVER SIDE FRONT AND REAR TIRES. I SUFFERED TWO BLOWOUTS WITH THE SAME TIRES ON MY PREVIOUS 2012 E350. THE TIRES IN QUESTION ARE CONTINENTAL CONTICONTACT PRO. I AM ONLY CONCERNED WITH MY SAFETY AND THE SAFETY OF OTHER MERCEDES E350 OWNERS AND OTHER DRIVERS WHO COULD BE INJURED OR KILLED BY A MERCEDES E350 LOSING CONTROL IN A BLOWOUT. MY MERCEDES DEALERSHIP REPORTED TO ME THAT THEY REPLACED THOUSANDS OF TIRES RECENTLY FROM POTHOLE BLOWOUTS. MOST OF THEM ON E350S. NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS EXIST ONLINE AND ON THIS WEBSITE. MERCEDES BENZ USA CUSTOMER CARE WOULD NOT ACKNOWLEDGE ANY PROBLEM. IN MY HUMBLE OPINION THIS PROBLEM REPRESENTS A MAJOR SAFETY PROBLEM FOR THIS VEHICLE. MERCEDES BENZ IS BURYING THEIR HEAD IN THE SAND AND HOPING THE COMPLAINERS WILL JUST GO AWAY.IT WILL TAKE DEATHS, IF THEY HAVE NOT ALREADY OCCURRED, TO BRING THIS TO THE FOREFRONT. PLEASE INVESTIGATE AND ACQUIRE THE ACTUAL BLOW OUT STATISTICS FROM ALL OF THE US MERCEDES BENZ DEALERS. I WOULD SUGGEST THAT YOU DO THAT FROM THE INDIVIDUAL DEALERSHIPS RATHER THAN MB USA WHO WILL PROBABLY NOT BE TRUTHFUL ABOUT THOSE NUMBERS. *JS