NHTSA Complaint #10850322 — 2015 FORD ESCAPE

MY WIFE EXPERIENCED A SECOND TIRE FAILURE TODAY WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD. OUR 2015 FORD ESCAPE HAS 11,011 MILES ON IT. THE FIRST FAILURE OCCURRED IN MID-JANUARY 2016 WHEN THE VEHICLE HAD 9,537 MILES ON IT. THE SIDEWALL ON BOTH TIRES SHOWED A LARGE CRACK IN IT AFTER THE FAILURE. BOTH FAILURES WERE NOT THE RESULT OF STRIKING A ROAD HAZARD. THE TIRE DEFLATION LIGHT CAME ON RIGHT AWAY WHEN THE FAILURES OCCURRED. THE FAILURES DID NOT RESULT IN A COLLISION SINCE THEY OCCURRED AT A SPEED OF APPROXIMATELY 25MPH AND THERE WASN'T ANY TRAFFIC AROUND. THE FIRST FAILED TIRE WAS REPLACED WITH THE SAME MICHELIN TIRE. MY WIFE AND I HAVE BOTH BEEN DRIVING 40+ YEARS AND I'VE NEVER EXPERIENCED A PROBLEM LIKE THIS WITH ANY OF MY VEHICLES OR WITH A MICHELIN TIRE IN THE PAST. I STRONGLY SUSPECT THERE IS A DESIGN ISSUE OR MANUFACTURE DEFECT WITH THESE TIRES. IT HAS BEEN A RARE INSTANCE WHEN THIS VEHICLE HAS BEEN OPERATED ON THE HIGHWAY. I AM RELUCTANT TO DO SO WITH THESE TIRES ON THE VEHICLE, AND EQUALLY RELUCTANT TO REPLACE THIS SECOND FAILURE WITH A LIKE MICHELIN CONSIDERING THE COMPLAINTS I HAVE FOUND REGISTERED WITH THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION AFTER RESEARCHING THIS TIRE ON THE NHTSA.GOV WEBSITE. I DO HAVE PHOTOS OF THE SECOND FAILED TIRE TO DOCUMENT THE DAMAGE AND TIRE DOT # SINCE I WILL BE REPLACED THE FAILED TIRE TOMORROW.