NHTSA Complaint #11671852 — 2000 FORD E SERIES

We rented a Class C RV based on a Ford E-Series chassis from El Monte RV. During our trip, we experienced two dangerous tire tread separations. The first incident occurred on the third day of our trip on the highway. The right rear tire's tread detached while driving at moderate speed (~55–60 mph), causing the tire to explode. The violent separation destroyed the wheel well area and shook the entire vehicle violently. Our RV contained a [XXX] child, and we were forced to stop on the shoulder in a dangerous situation. The second tire separation happened two days later, again involving a rear tire. Fortunately, it was a slower separation and didn’t cause structural damage, but it further endangered our family and disrupted our trip. We believe these tires were not in a safe condition when the vehicle was rented to us. One of the separated tires showed severe dry rot and age. We had to pay for a replacement tire out-of-pocket during the first incident. The RV company has not responded to our compensation request. These issues could have resulted in serious injury or fatality, and we are filing this report so NHTSA can investigate if this vehicle or others of its kind have similar tire issues. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)