NHTSA Complaint #10899492 — 2013 CHEVROLET IMPALA

PLEASE REFERENCE COMPLAINT NUMBER 10899363 FILED ON 8/29/2016. ON 8/30/2016 TWO ADDITTIONAL TIRES OF THE SAME DOT NUMBER WERE FOUND TO HAVE SIMILAR DEFECTS ON THE SAME VEHICLE, BUT HAD NOT COMPLETELY FAILED WITH A BLOWOUT OR AIR LEAKDOWN. THE TWO ADDITTIONAL ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT TIRES ON THE SAME VEHICLE WERE FOUND, DURING INSPECTION WITH THE VEHICLE STATIONARY, TO HAVE SEPARATIONS/BULGES AT THE INNER TIRE EDGE WHERE THE TIRE FACE MEETS THE SIDEWALL. NEITHER OF THESE TIRES CAUSED ANY "THUMPING" DURING DRIVING; HOWEVER, EXAMINATION REVEALED THAT THE SEPARATION HAD BEEN ONGOING FOR ENOUGH TIME TO ALLOW WEAR OF THE RAISED AREA AND FATIGUE CRACKING/CHECKING IN THE SIPES OVERLYING THE SEPARATED AREA. IN ALL CASES, THE SEPARATED AREA WAS PRESSURIZED AND COULD BE PUSHED IN UNTIL THE OUTER TIRE RUBBER CONTACTED THE INNER BODY OF THE TIRE. ADDITTIONALLY THERE WAS NO AIR LEAKAGE OR REDUCTION IN TIRE PRESSURE. MILEAGE AT THE TIME OF THE OBSERVED DEFECT ON THESE TWO ADDITTIONAL TIRES WAS 39,000. THE DOT NUMBER OF THE TWO ADDITTIONAL AFFECTED TIRES IS M643 BHDR 3912. BE ADVISED THAT ALL TIRES ON THIS VEHICLE HAVE BEEN MAINTAINED TO THE TIRE MANUFACTURERS SPECIFICATION. THE ATTACHED PHOTO SHOWS THE SWELLING/SEPARATION/CRACKING/WEAR AT THE TIRE EDGE OF ONE OF THE TWO ADDITTIONAL TIRES FROM DOT NUMBER M643 BHDR 3912 - OBSERVED DEFECT ON 8/30/2016 WAS SIMILAR ON BOTH OF THESE TIRES. DUE THE THE NATURE OF THIS FAILURE, WHERE SEPARATION HAD OBVIOUSLY BEEN ONGOING FOR A PERIOD OF TIME AS INDICATED BY THE WEAR AND CHECKING PATTERN BUT NO "ROAD FEEL" OF THE FAILURE, A DRIVER COULD EASILY END UP WITH AN INSTANT FAILURE/BLOWOUT AT ANY TIME WITHOUT WARNING AS HAPPENED WITH A TIRE ON THIS CAR AS REPORTED IN COMPLAINT 10899363. IN ALL CASES, THE FAILURE WAS ON THE INNER SIDE OF THE TIRE AND NOT READILY OR EASILY BE FOUND WITHOUT A DETAILED INSPECTION.