NHTSA Complaint #10775437 — 2012 FORD F-250

WE WERE TRAVELLING THRU NEW MEXICO ON OUR WAY HOME TO ARIZONA WHEN WE FELT A VIBRATION IN THE FRONT END. HAVING EXPERIENCED A SEPARATED CORD IN ONE OF OUR TIRES IN MAY OF 2015 AT 15,000 MILES (SEVERAL MONTHS EARLIER), WE SUSPECTED A TIRE. WE PULLED OFF AT A REST STOP BUT COULD NOT SEE A PROBLEM. WE WENT 50 MILES FURTHER AT A REDUCED RATE OF SPEED TO GET OURSELVES OFF THE ROAD AND NEAR A SERVICE FACILITY. WE PULLED OFF THE ROAD AND CHECKED THE TIRES AGAIN AND DISCOVERED A RAISED AREA IN THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE, SIMILAR TO THE TIRE THAT FAILED AT 15,0000 MILES. THE SECOND TIRE TO SEPARATE HAS ABOUT 23,000 MILES ON IT. I AM BEGINNING TO SERIOUSLY QUESTION THE QUALITY AND SAFETY OF CONTINENTAL TIRES ON OUR F-250. HAD WE NOT BEEN AWARE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF A FAILED TIRE AND HAD NOT PULLED OFF THE ROAD, WE COULD HAVE EXPERIENCED A BLOWOUT AND A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. WHEN THE FIRST TIRE WAS SEPARATED WE ASKED THE DEALER TO REPLACE ALL OF THE TIRES AS WE SUSPECTED THEY WERE ALL MADE IN THE SAME LOT/BATCH. THE DEALER WOULD NOT REPLACE THEM AND SO WE TOOK A CHANCE THAT THE REST WERE OK (THESE ARE ALL TIRES THAT WERE ON THE VEHICLE WHEN WE PURCHASED IT NEW TWO YEARS AGO). SEEMS THERE WAS A SIMILAR FLAW ON THE F-250 TIRES IN 2008/2009 . LAWYERS SAY IT IS THE MANUFACTURER'S FAULT: TIRE DEFECTS ARE DUE TO PERHAPS MOST COMMONLY, INEFFECTIVE ADHESION, USUALLY AS A RESULT OF THE GLUES AGE OR POOR BONDING OF TIRE COMPONENTS DURING THE MANUFACTURING PROCESS. WHEN TIRES ARE BEING MADE, MOISTURE, IMPURITIES, AND OTHER FOREIGN MATERIALS ARE CAPABLE OF ENTERING THE MIX AND GET CURED INTO THE TIRE. TIRE MANUFACTURERS HAVE KNOWN ABOUT THESE TYPES OF PROBLEMS FOR YEARS, BUT HAVE FAILED TO CORRECT THEM, OR TO USE BETTER DESIGNS LESS PRONE TO FAILURE, LIKE IMPROVING SKIN STOCK, WHICH CAN BETTER BOND RUBBER TO THE STEEL.