NHTSA Complaint #11075394 — 2002 JEEP WRANGLER

ON DECEMBER 1, 2017 WALMART INSTALLED 5 NEW GOODYEAR TIRES ON MY WRANGLER. THE FIFTH WAS FOR THE SPARE. THE OLD TIRES HAD TREAD BUT WERE 7 YEARS OLD. I TOW THIS JEEP BEHIND AN RV. I BOUGHT THE TIRES TO AVOID A BLOWOUT WHILE TOWING. ON JANUARY 20 WE STARTED OUR SEASONAL TRIP TO FLORIDA. ABOUT 4:00 PM, THE LEFT FRONT TIRE CAME APART DESTROYING THE FENDER, TURN SIGNAL, SIDE MARKER, BENT FRONT BUMPER, RIPPED THE WIRING FROM THE RV THAT CONTROLS LIGHTS, AS WELL AS THE FRONT JEEP WIRING LEFT SIDE. WHEN I STOPPED, NOTHING BUT A PIECE OF WIRE WAS WRAPPED AROUND THE FRONT RIM. NO RUBBER AND THE ALLOY RIM DAMAGED BEYOND USE. AT THAT POINT I JUST THOUGHT I PICKED UP A NAIL AND GOT A FLAT. THANK GOODNESS I HAD A NEW SPARE WAS MY THOUGHT. THE NEXT DAY, 1/21/18, ABOUT 3:00 PM THE RIGHT REAR TIRE CAME APART AND WHEN I GOT STOPPED THE ONLY THING LEFT WAS ABOUT AN INCH WHERE THE TIRE MEETS THE RIM, 2 RINGS OF RUBBER. I HAD TO HAVE THE JEEP TOWED TO THE NEAREST TIRE CENTER, FIRESTONE COMPLETE AUTO CARE. THERE, I NOTICED THAT THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE HAD SMALL PIECES OF RUBBER MISSING. I REPLACED ALL THE REMAINING GOODYEAR TIRES. I CONTACTED BOTH WALMART AND GOODYEAR. GOODYEAR HAD ME FILL OUT A CLAIM FORM, NUMBER 601521. THEY MADE ARRANGEMENTS TO HAVE THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE AND THE 2 PIECES SHIPPED BACK TO THEM. I RECEIVED A CERTIFIED FORM LETTER STATING THE ONE TIRE HAS NORMAL WEAR (CHUNKS OF RUBBER MISSING IS NORMAL WEAR?) AND MANUFACTURED FINE. I CONTACTED GOODYEAR BY PHONE AND ASKED HOW THAT DETERMINATION CAN BE MADE WHEN TWO NEW TIRES, ONE DAY APART, CAME APART AND A THIRD SHOWING SIGNS OF A PROBLEM. SINCE THEY DONT HAVE A TIRE TO EXAMINE THEY CLAIM THE PROBLEM IS NOT THEIRS. THEY SAID TO SEND PICTURES. THE RESULT WAS THE SAME. I HAVE REQUESTED THAT THE TIRE BE RETURNED TO MY RESIDENCE. I HAVE MORE THAN $4000 DAMAGE TO MY JEEP, AND A MANUFACTURER THATS STANDING IN ANOTHER WORLD. THEY CONVENIENTLY LOST THE TWO RUBBER RINGS, BLAMING IT ON FEDEX.