NHTSA Complaint #11025447 — 2016 HEARTLAND GATEWAY

I EXPERIENCED TWO TREAD SEPARATIONS ON TOW MAX STR TRAILER TIRES, ST235 80R16 LOAD RANGE E. ONE FAILURE OCCURRED FIVE MINUTES AFTER ENTERING THE FREEWAY ON THE LEFT FORWARD TIRE. THIS TIRE WAS REMOVED AND THE SPARE WAS INSTALLED. APPROXIMATELY TWO HOURS ALTER AND 110 MILES DOWN THE ROAD I EXPERIENCED A VIRTUALLY IDENTICAL TREAD SEPARATION FAILURE ON THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE. ALL TIRES ON THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN VISUALLY INSPECTED THAT MORNING AND SHOWED NO VISIBLE SIGNS OF DISTRESS, TIRE PRESSURE WAS VERIFIED COLD WITH A TIRE PRESSURE GATE TO BE 80 PSI. AFTER THE FIRST FAILURE THE REMAINING THREE TIRES WERE EXAMINED AND PRESSURE WAS VERIFIED, AT THIS TIME THE REMAINING TIRES ALSO SHOWED NO VISIBLE SIGNS OF DISTRESS. BOTH TREAD SEPARATIONS CAUSED EXTENSIVE VEHICLE DAMAGE. BOTH FAILURES OCCURRED WITH NO PRIOR WARNING OF AN ISSUE.