NHTSA Complaint #10764486 — 2005 FORD F-350 SD

TIRE FAILURE CAUSING ACCIDENT WITH PROPERTY DAMAGE AND MINOR INJURIES. TIRE WAS THE FRONT LEFT TIRE ON A 2005 FORD F350 4X4 SRW. TIRE HAD APPROXIMATELY 25,000 MILES. ACCIDENT OCCURRED WHILE TOWING A FIFTH WHEEL TOY HAULER TRAILER. TRAILER IS 25' LONG WITH AN APPROXIMATE EMPTY WEIGHT OF 5500 LBS. ALSO IN THE TRAILER WERE PERSONAL EFFECTS INCLUDING ONE MOTORCYCLE WITH AN APPROXIMATE WEIGHT OF 550 LBS. TIRE PRESSURE WAS CHECKED AT 76 PSI COLD 3 DAYS PRIOR TO INCIDENT. ACCIDENT OCCURRED WHILE ON AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY. THE WEATHER WAS SUNNY WITH TEMPERATURES IN THE 70S TO LOW 80S. SPEED OF VEHICLE AT TIME OF INCIDENT WAS 60-65 MPH. APPROXIMATELY 30 MILES PRIOR TO INCIDENT, A STOP WAS MADE FOR FUEL WITH DRIVER DOING A WALK AROUND VISUAL INSPECTION WITH NO DEFECTS NOTED. LEFT FRONT TIRE BLEW WITH NO ADVANCED WARNING. THIS CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO PULL HARD TO THE LEFT. VEHICLE LEFT THE ROADWAY INTO THE MEDIAN. VEHICLE JACK-KNIFED AND OVERTURNED TO ITS RIGHT SIDE. GUARD RAIL STOPPED VEHICLE FROM ENTERING ONCOMING TRAFFIC. FIFTH WHEEL TRAILER OVERTURNED ONTO ITS RIGHT SIDE. OCCUPANTS OF VEHICLE, ONE ADULT MALE DRIVER AND ONE ADULT FEMALE PASSENGER SELF EXTRICATED VIA THE BACK WINDOW. DRIVER UNINJURED. PASSENGER NOTED MINOR CUTS, 'ROAD RASH', BRUISES AND PAIN TO LEFT WRIST. BOTH OCCUPANTS REFUSED TREATMENT AND TRANSPORT BY EMERGENCY RESPONDING UNITS. UPON INSPECTION, IT APPEARS, TO THE OPINION OF THE DRIVER, THAT THE TIRE FAILED AT THE SIDEWALL NEAR THE BEAD CAUSING A RAPID LOSS OF AIR AND SUBSEQUENT DELAMINATION OF TIRE STRUCTURE. THE TRUCK AND FIFTH WHEEL WAS TOTALLY DAMAGED BEYOND REPAIR. THE FEMALE PASSENGER CONTINUES TO MONITOR INJURIES WITH NO MEDICAL ATTENTION SOUGHT AT THIS TIME. TRUCK AND TRAILER WAS TOWED BY A LOCAL SALVAGE AND RECOVERY COMPANY TO THEIR YARD. TRUCK AND TRAILER WERE RELEASED BY THE DRIVER/OWNER TO THE INSURANCE COMPANY FOR INSPECTION, ALTHOUGH HE MAINTAINS OWNERSHIP OF VEHICLES.