NHTSA Complaint #700909 — 1997 CHEVROLET BLAZER

I WAS HAVING TROUBLE WITH RIDE QUALITY ON MY 1997 CHEVROLET BLAZER FOR QUITE SOME TIME. THE DEALERSHIP ROTATED AND BALANCED THE TIRES NUMEROUS TIMES AS WELL AS CHECKED THE ALIGNMENT SEVERAL TIMES. AFTER CHECKING MY OWNER'S MANUAL, I DETERMINED THAT THE TIRES WERE COVERED UNDER THE 3/36 MANUFACTURER'S WARRANTY. I ATTEMPTED TO HAVE THE TIRES REPLACED UNDER THIS WARRANTY. IT WAS DETERMINED BY THE SERVICE MANAGER THAT TWO OF THE TIRES HAD SEPARATED, BUT ALL FOUR WERE WORN OUT. I TOLD HIM THAT MAY BE TRUE, BUT THEY SHOULD STILL BE COVERED UNDER THE 3/36 WARRANTY. HE STATED THAT THEIR HANDS WERE TIED BECAUSE MICHELIN WOULD STATE THAT THESE WERE ONLY A 30K MILE TIRE AND WERE PAST THEIR USEFUL LIFE. I CONTACTED CHEVROLET CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE ON 11/25/98 TO ATTEMPT TO SOLVE THIS PROBLEM. THE PERSON I SPOKE WITH TOLD ME THE SAME THING. SINCE THE TIRES WERE WORN OUT, THEY COULD NOT REPLACE THEM. I TOLD HER THAT TWO OF THEM HAD SEPARATED AND ACCORDING TO MY OWNER'S MANUAL, THEY WERE COVERED UP TO 36K MILES. THE PERSON I WAS SPEAKING WITH TOLD ME THAT SHE WAS SORRY BUT THERE WAS NOTHING THAT THEY COULD DO AS FAR AS REPLACING THESE TIRES. THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED. WITH THE TIRE SEPARATION OCCURRING, THIS COULD POSSIBLY CAUSE TIRE FAILURE LEADING TO AN ACCIDENT. THE CONSUMER ALSO BELIEVES THAT THEY ARE PROTECTED BY THEIR 3/36 WARRANTY FOR THE FULL TIME WHEN THEY ACTUALLY ARE NOT. CHEVROLET/GM NEEDS TO BE MADE TO EITHER UPGRADE THE TIRES THAT THEY ARE PUTTING ON THEIR VEHICLES OR THEY NEED TO SPECIFICALLY STATE THE MILEAGE RESTRICTIONS ON THE TIRES IN THEIR 3/36 WARRANTY EXPLANATION. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND ASSISTANCE IN THIS MATTER. SINCERELY, CHIP WRIGHT( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P23570R15 )