NHTSA Complaint #10705993 — 2008 CHEVROLET IMPALA

SUBJECT: 2008 CHEVROLET IMPALA REAR TIRE WEAR. CASE # [XXX]VIN # IS [XXX] WE ARE HAVING A PROBLEM WITH OUR 2008 CHEVROLET IMPALA. OUR REAR TIRES ARE WEARING OUT TWICE AS FAST AS THE FRONT TIRES. I WENT TO COSTCO YESTERDAY TO HAVE MY TIRES ROTATED, AFTER LOOKING AT THE REAR TIRES WE HAD TO BUY NEW ONES BECAUSE THE BACK TIRES WERE WORN DOWN TO THE METAL BACKING, THE FRONT TIRES WERE STILL GOOD. ONLY ONE HALF OF THE WARRANTY HAD BEEN USED. THE TIRES WERE MICHELIN X-RADIAL DT MICH PASSENGER S/T P225/60R16 BW MSPN 17457 TIRES WITH AN 80,000 MILE WARRANTY. WE ENDED UP BUYING FOUR NEW MICHELIN TIRES FOR AROUND $600.00. THE COSTCO GUY THOUGHT THAT SOMETHING MUST BE WRONG WITH THE CAR. AFTER I GOT HOME I CHECKED ON THE INTERNET AS TO WHAT COULD CAUSE THIS PROBLEM AND FOUND OUT THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE 2007 AND 2008 CHEVROLET IMPALA'S. THERE HAD BEEN A SERVICE BULLETIN #08032A SENT OUT IN 2011 TO REPLACE THE SPINDLE RODS ON ALL THE 2007 AND 2008 IMPALA'S THAT WERE SOLD AS POLICE CARS TO FIX THIS PROBLEM THAT THEY WERE HAVING WITH REAR TIRE WEAR. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT SERVICE BULLETIN EXTENDED ALL THE OTHER 2007 AND 2008 CHEVROLET IMPALA'S. THE PART NUMBER FOR THE SPINDLE ROD IS THE SAME ON ALL 2008 IMPALAS, POLICE OR NON POLICE. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY PROBLEM AND PEOPLE ARE GOING TO BE KILLED IF THIS PROBLEM IS NOT FIXED, YOU JUST DON'T EXPECT THE TIRES TO WEAR OUT SO FAST. WE HAD JUST FINISHED A TRIP WERE WE DROVE FREEWAY SPEEDS UP TO 75 MILES AN HOUR. AFTER SEEING OUR TIRES I DON'T KNOW HOW WE KEEP FROM HAVING A BLOW OUT ON THE BACK TIRES. I THINK THAT LOTS OF ACCIDENTS HAVE HAPPENED WITH THESE 2007 AND 2008 CHEVY IMPALAS WITH TIRES BLOWING OUT BECAUSE REAR TIRE WEAR BECAUSE THE SPINDLE BOLTS ARE ENGINEERED WRONG AND EVERY ONE THINKS ITS THE TIRES FAULT.. GM NEEDS TO FIX THIS PROBLEM AND REPLACE THE FOUR SPINDLE BOLTS. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR