NHTSA Complaint #10781274 — 2011 FORD F-350 SD

DRIVING ON INTERSTATE HIGHWAY AT NIGHT. NOTED VIBRATION AS WHEN TIRES ARE NOT BALANCED. EXITED INTERSTATE AT FIRST EXIT AND CHECKED ALL TIRES. TIRE PRESSURES GOOD AND EQUAL. NO KNOTS OR DAMAGE NOTED AND ALL TIRES SAME TEMPERATURE. THOUGHT A BALANCE WEIGHT HAD COME OFF AND TIRES NEEDED TO BE REBALANCED. BEGAN DRIVING ON INTERSTATE WITH NO CHANGE IN VIBRATION. ABOUT 15 MINUTES LATER THERE WAS AN EXPLOSION AND THE TRUCK VIOLENTLY VEERED TO THE RIGHT. PULLED BACK INTO MY LANE AND THEN PULLED OVER TO RIGHT SHOULDER. RIGHT FRONT TIRE DESTROYED. CALLED AAA AND HIGHWAY PATROL. DESCRIBED INCIDENT TO TROOPER AND HE LOOKED AT THE TIRE AND SAID THE BELTS SEPARATED. SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO VEHICLE - BENT RIGHT FRONT BUMPER FORWARD, BLEW A 7 FOOT FACTORY RUNNING BOARD OFF OF THE VEHICLE AND DESTROYED THE RIGHT FRONT QUARTER PANEL. RIGHT FRONT TIRE CHANGED AND STAYED OVERNIGHT AT MOTEL. OBTAINED NEW TIRE REPLACEMENT NEXT MORNING. I BOUGHT THIS TRUCK TO PULL A TRAILER BUT HAVE NOT BOUGHT A TRAILER YET. LUCKILY I WAS NOT PULLING A TRAILER AND THERE WAS NOT A VEHICLE NEXT TO ME IN THE RIGHT LANE WHEN THE EXPLOSION OCCURRED. THERE WERE NO VEHICLES NEARBY OR THEY MAY HAVE HAD SOME MAJOR DEBRIS FLYING THEIR WAY. THE TIRE IS A CAPITOL H/T TIRE NOT CAPITOL PRECISION TRAC II (BUT FORM WOULD NOT ALLOW ME TO ADD THIS TIRE TO COMPLAINT)