NHTSA Complaint #10957462 — 2008 HONDA CIVIC

I OWN A 2008 HONDA CIVIC. I PURCHASED A SET OF ECOPIA EP 422 TIRES ABOUT 3 YEARS AGO. SINCE THEN I HAVE HAD THREE FLAT TIRES. MY FIRST FLAT HAPPENED WHILE ON MY WAY HOME. I WAS ON A HIGHWAY GOING ABOUT 70 MPH. (MY TIRE PRESSURE GAUGE ON MY DASH IS FAULTY SO I DIDN'T THINK ANYTHING OF IT WHEN IT CAME ON SINCE I ROUTINELY CHECK MY TIRE PRESSURES.) ABOUT A MINUTE LATER I NOTICED THE ROAD NOISE SEEMED LOUDER THAN NORMAL. VERY QUICKLY I STARTED TO FEEL MY TIRE BECOMING FLAT AND MY CAR WAS SLOWING DOWN ON ITS OWN. AS A YOUNG WOMAN I FELT UNSAFE PULLING OVER ON A DARK ROAD IN THE RAIN, AND IN A LOCATION THAT I WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH. I PULLED OFF THE NEXT EXIT AND DROVE VERY SLOWLY UNTIL I COULD PARK IN A WELL LIT GAS STATION. HOWEVER BY THIS TIME TIRE WAS TOTALLY SHREDDED. THIS ALL HAPPENED IN THE TIME SPAN OF 3 MINUTES, THERE WAS LITTLE WARNING OR TIME TO REACT. WHEN I GOT MY SECOND FLAT I WAS DRIVING WHEN IT LOST AIR. THE THIRD FLAT OCCURRED WHEN IT WAS STATIONARY IN A PARKING LOT. I DROVE TO SCHOOL WITH NO PROBLEMS, AND ABOUT TWO HOURS LATER I FOUND THAT MY TIRE HAD LOST IT'S AIR. IN THE LASTTWO INSTANCES, MY TIRE BECAME FLAT WITH NO APPARENT CAUSE; NO NAILS, TEARS, OR GASHES. I HAVE THE ROAD HAZARD WARRANTY WHICH IS WHY I'VE STAYED WITH THIS BRAND, HOWEVER I AM CONSIDERING SWITCHING TO TIRES THAT ARE A LITTLE MORE RELIABLE. THE HEAT SHIELD IN THE FRONT RIGHT WHEEL NOW MAKES A NOISE AND I BELIEVE IT WAS DAMAGED DUE TO THE TIRES UNRELIABILITY. EVEN WHEN THE TIRES WERE IN GOOD CONDITION, THE ROAD NOISE AT HIGHER SPEEDS WAS VERY LOUD AND I FOUND THEM TO HAVE POOR TRACTION IN RAIN AND WINTER CONDITIONS. IN THE RAIN, I HAVE TO DRIVE SLOWER THAN OTHER DRIVERS BECAUSE MY CAR WILL HYDROPLANE WHEN IT GOES OVER THE SMALLEST PUDDLE. IN THE WINTER, MY CAR WOULD FISH TAIL CONSTANTLY EVEN WHILE I WAS DRIVING AT VERY LOW SPEEDS. I AM NOT SATISFIED WITH THIS BRAND OF TIRE AT ALL.