NHTSA Complaint #10777934 — 2009 CHEVROLET COBALT

THE MORNING AFTER COMING BACK FROM A TRIP I WENT DOWN TO GET IN MY COLBALT AND FOUND MY LEFT FRONT TIRE FLAT. I GOT MY MANUAL OUT TO READ HOW TO CHANGE THE TIRE AND CHANGED IT. WE NOTICED THE SIZE DIFFERENCE IN THE TIRES RIGHT AWAY, REGULAR TIRE IS P205/55R16 H, THE SPARE IS A T115/70D15 M. THESE ARE THE ORIGINAL TIRES THAT CHEVROLET PUT ON THE CAR. THE MANUAL SAID WE COULD GO NORMAL SPEED. I DROVE A BLOCK TO GET THE TIRE FIXED AND TURNED AROUND AND WENT BACK HOME. THE CAR DIPPED HORRIBLE AND DRAGGED WHEN I PULLED BACK INTO MY DRIVE WAY. IT ALSO MADE RUBBING SOUNDS. IT DID NOT FILL SAFE TO DRIVE. WE TOOK THE TIRE IN AND HAD IT FIXED WITHOUT THE CAR, BROUGHT IT HOME AND PUT IT BACK ON CAR. I HAVE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH CHEVROLET SINCE THEN TO SEE IF IT WAS AN ERROR ON THE SPARE. THEY HAVE TOLD ME THAT IT IS THE RIGHT SPARE, ALTHOUGH A COUPLE OF THE PEOPLE THAT I HAVE TALKED TO THOUGHT IT WAS BAD TO HAVE A 15 INCH SPARE WITH 16 INCH TIRES. THEY ALSO TOLD ME THAT WHAT I NEED TO DO IS IF THE FLAT IS ON THE FRONT I'M SUPPOSE TO CHANGE TWO TIRES. THEY TOLD ME TO PUT A BACK TIRE ON THE FRONT AND THE SPARE ON THE BACK, WHICH IS NOT THE DIRECTION IN THE MANUAL. THEY TOLD ME I CAN GO 50 MPH AND GET THE TIRE FIXED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. SO NOW OUT ON A BUSY HIGHWAY THEY WANT ME TO CHANGE TWO TIRES AND HAVE THE BACK OF MY CAR DIP HORRIBLY. I FEEL THIS SPARE IS UNSAFE BECAUSE IT IS SMALLER THEN THE TIRES IT IS REPLACING. IT MAKES THE CAR TILT SO YOU CAN'T DRIVE AT SAFE SPEEDS NOT TO SAY THE DAMAGE YOU CAN DO TO YOUR CAR. I LEAVE IN A RURAL AREA AND SOME OF THE ROADS DON'T HAVE ENOUGH SHOULDER TO CHANGE ONE SPARE LET ALONE TWO.