NHTSA Complaint #10786774 — 2014 CROSSROADS REDWOOD

WHILE DRIVING ON US 89 IN CALIFORNIA, MY FRONT PASSENGER SIDE TRAILER TIRE EXPLODED. HWY 89 SECTION HAD NO TURNOUTS OR SHOULDERS FOR ME TO STOP. THE TIRE IS A MARATHON ST235/80R16 LOAD RANGE E WITH APPROXIMATELY 10,000 MILES ON IT. I AM FANATIC ABOUT VEHICLE MAINTENANCE AND TIRE SAFETY AND THE TIRES HAD THE RECOMMENDED AIR PRESSURE. I CONTACTED CROSSROADS AND WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO FOR ME. I SPENT $102,888.00 ON THIS FIFTH WHEEL AND I HOPE THAT I CAN AT LEAST GET A RESPONSE FROM THE MANUFACTURER. CROSSROADS KNEW OF THIS TIRE PROBLEM BECAUSE IN 2015, THEY CHANGED THE TIRES FOR ALL THE NEW MODELS TO LOAD RANGE G OR AN OPTIONAL LOAD RANGE H. MY TRAILER IS A 36RL AND IT HAS A GVW OF 16,000 POUNDS. WE BOUGHT THIS TRAILER IN FEBRUARY 2014. WE HAVE USED IT THREE TIMES AND NOW THAT I AM AWARE OF THE TIRE PROBLEM, WE ARE NOT COMFORTABLE IN USING IT UNTIL WE CAN CHANGE ALL THE TIRES TO ONES THAT WE KNOW ARE NOT PRONE TO FAILURE. THE BLOWOUT TORE UP OUR FENDER AND DID SOME DAMAGE TO THE UNDERSIDE OF THE FIFTH WHEEL. WE WERE VERY LUCKY THAT THE OTHER TIRES DID NOT FAIL ALSO BECAUSE WE WERE ON A VERY NASTY CURVY SECTION OF THE HIGHWAY. CROSSROADS, OR THE DEALER, BYOUNG RV HAVE SO FAR REFUSED TO REPLACE THE FOUR TIRES AND THE SPARE TIRE. WE WERE TRAVELING AT ABOUT 58 MPH WHEN THE TIRE BLEW. I AM A CDL CLASS A DRIVER, AND THE EXPERIENCE AS A PROFESSIONAL DRIVER, PLAYED A PART IN US NOT HAVING A MORE SERIOUS SITUATION. THE TIRE IN QUESTION (MARATHON ST235/80R16 LOAD RANGE E) HAS HAD MANY MANY COMPLAINTS AND DOCUMENTED FAILURES LISTED IN MANY PUBLICATIONS. THE FOLLOWING WEBSITE IS ONE OF THEM: HTTP://WWW.AMERICANARV.COM/GOODYEARS4AMERICANAS.ASP