NHTSA Complaint #10747925 — 1997 FORD EXPEDITION

GENERAL AMERI-TRAC 255/70/R16 HAD A COMPLETE TREAD SEPARATION FROM MAIN TIRE. IT BEGAN WHEN I NOTICED SUDDEN AND VIOLENT VIBRATION COMING FROM THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE TIRE WHILE DRIVING AT 60MPH ON HIGHWAY 82 IN MONTANA. I IMMEDIATELY SLOWED DOWN, PULLED OVER AND INSPECTED THE TIRE TO FIND CHUNKS OF RUBBER FALLING OUT AND TREAD BULGING & WARPED. THIS TIRE (PROPER MOUNTED & BALANCED) HAS APPX 75% TREAD. I SLOWLY DROVE HOME AND PARKED THE VEHICLE. THE FOLLOWING DAY I WAS GOING TO REPLACE IT WITH THE SPARE. WHEN I WENT OUT THE NEXT MORNING THE TIRE HAD COMPLETELY GONE FLAT. A CLOSER LOOK REVEALED OVER NIGHT THE TIRE HAD EXPLODED WITH THE TREAD COMPLETELY SEPARATING FROM THE TIRE AROUND 1/5 OF ITS CIRCUMFERENCE. THE STEEL BELTS STILL ATTACHED TO THE LIFTED PART OF THE TREAD. I WAS LUCKY THIS DIDN'T EXPLODE WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY.. AS GOING 60MPH ON A TWO LANE HIGHWAY (ONE LANE EACH WAY) THAT IS HEAVILY USED BY LOGGING TRUCKS GOING 70+MPH COULD HAVE LEAD TO A DEVASTATING AND TRAGIC ACCIDENT. AN INCIDENT OF THIS NATURE ON ICY ROADS IN WINTER WOULD HAVE ONLY INCREASED THE LIKELY-HOOD OF A FATALITY. I'M NOT SURE IF THIS TIRE IS AN ISOLATED DEFECTIVE ITEM OR IF ALL THE 255/70 R16 AMERI-TRAC TIRES ARE BAD, BUT I CERTAINLY WANT THIS DEFECTIVE TIRE REPLACED BY GENERAL AS NO TIRE OF THIS POOR OF QUALITY SHOULD LEGALLY BE ON THE ROAD. IT WOULD BE LIKE ALLOWING BRAKE MANUFACTURERS TO SELL BRAKES SYSTEMS THAT ARE KNOWN TO FAIL OR ALLOWING STEERING WHEEL MANUFACTURERS TO SELL STEERING WHEELS THAT ARE KNOWN TO FALL OFF WHILE DRIVING. IF HEAVY PENALTIES AND FINES WERE GIVEN TO THESE COMPANIES (THAT HAVE WEAK INSPECTION PROCEDURES) FOR EACH DEFECTIVE INCIDENT, MAYBE THEY WOULD NOT ALLOW HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF THESE TIRES TO BE SOLD... JUST BECAUSE THEY WISH TO CUT COSTS ON QUALITY CONTROL ISSUES AND HELP THEIR BOTTOM LINE PROFITS. THE AMERICAN PUBLIC AND ESPECIALLY FAMILIES WITH SMALL CHILDREN DESERVE BETTER, SAFER AND HIGHER STANDARDS IN THIS INDUSTRY.