NHTSA Complaint #726453 — 1997 DODGE RAM

THE FIRST FAILURE WAS AN ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT GOODYEAR WRANGLER AT ON THE RIGHT REAR. THE TREAD SEPERATED AT HIGHWAY SPEED AND CAVED IN THE SIDE OF THE PICK UP BED BUT DID ONLY MINOR DAMAGE TO THE 5TH WHEEL TRAVEL TRAILER I WAS PULLING. THE SECOND FAILURE WAS A KELLY SAFARI AWR LT245X75/R16 ON THE RIGHT FRONT. THE TREAD SEPERATED AT HIGHWAY SPEED DENTING THE PASSENGER DOOR AND ROCKER PANEL AND BREAKING THE FENDER WELL AND SOME BUMPER COMPONNENTS. THE VEHICLE WAS UNLOADED AT THE TIME. IN BOTH CASES, THE AMBIENT TEMPERATURE WAS ABOVE 90 DEGREES F. IN THE FIRST CASE, GOOD YEAR DID NOT ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY AT ALL. IN THE SECOND CASE, KELLEY PAID FOR THE LOSS COMPLETELY. BOTH TIRES WERE LOAD RANGE E WITH ABOUT 40,000 MILE OF USE. BOTH TIRES HAD LOTS OF TREAD LEFT (THE WEAR BARS WERE NOT EVEN BEGINNING TO SHOW.) THE FIRST TIRE (GOOD YEAR) THREW APROX 80% OF THE TREAD BUT REMAINED INFLATED (80PSI) AND ON THE RIM. THE SECOND TIRE (KELLY) THREW ABOUT 50 % OF ITS TREAD BUT ALSO REMAINED INFLATED (65 PSI) AND ON THE RIM. THIS SECOND INCIDENT PRESENTED A MUCH MORE DIFFICULT CONTROL SITUATION BEING ON A FRONT WHEEL, BUT I WAS STILL ABLE TO MAINTAIN ENOUGH CONTROLL TO CLEAR THE ROADWAY AND STOP WITHOUT FURTHER DAMAGE. IN LIGHT OF TODAY'S NEWS ABOUT SIMILAR FIRESTONE TIRE FAILURES ON SUV TYPE VEHICLES, I FELT YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT IT IS NOT JUST FIRESTONE OR FORD WITH THE PROBLEM. LARGE SUV TIRES ARE LOOSING TREAD ALMOST AS READILY AS COMMERCIAL VEHICLE RE-CAPS.*AK( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 245X75/R16 )