NHTSA Complaint #727793 — 1996 ITASCA ITASCA

TIRE 1 : WHLE TRAVELING THROUGH SOUTH DAKOTA ON THE INTERSTATE, THE FRONT RIGHT TIRE ON THE RV STARTED MAKING A THUMPING SOUND AND WITHIN SECONDS THE ENTIRE TREAD CAME OFF THE TIRE, LEAVING THE BELTS AND INNER TIRE ONLY, THE TIRE DEFLATED AND ALMOST CAUSED THE RV TO CRASH. THE STATE POLICE LOCATED A LOCAL REPAIR CENTER THAT CAME AND CHANGED TIRE TO A NEW TIRE HE HAD BROUGHT WITH HIM. HE ALSO MENTIONED THE TIRES LOOKED LIKE RETREADS. TIRE 2: WHILE TRAVELING THROUGH NEBRASKA ON OUR WAY BACK TO TEXAS, THE INNER RIGHT REAR TIRE DID THE SAME THING, A THUMPING SOUND AND THE TREAD CAME OFF THE TIRE LEAVING THE BELTS AND INNER TIRE ONLY, WITHIN SECONDS THE TIRE WAS FLAT. BECAUSE THERE ARE DUAL TIRES ON THE REAR OF THE RV, WE WERE ABLE TO SAFELY MOVE OFF THE ROAD, HOWEVER ONE TIRE WOULD NOT TAKE US TO THE NEXT TOWN AS IT WAS DAMAGE AND DEFLATING. THIS CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE INSIDE WHEEL WELL AS WELL AS TO THE OUTER TIRE. THE LOCAL POLICE WERE ABLE TO FIND US A REPAIR SHOP TO COME REPLACE ONE TIRE AND PUT THE SPARE ON FOR THE SECOND TIRE. AT THIS TIME HE NOTIED THAT THE SPARE WAS CRACKING ON THE SIDEWALL RIGHT NEXT TO THE TREAD (THE SPARE HAD NEVER BEEN USED), HE ALSO ASKED IF THEY WERE RETREADS, AS DID THE POLICE OFFICER, SINCE HE HAD STOPPED UP THE ROAD AND PICKED UP THE PIECES OF THE TREAD SO NO ONE WOULD RUN OVER THEM. THESE WERE NEW TIRES AS DELIVERED WITH THE RV. AT THIS POINT BOTH THE SERVICE MAN AND POLICE OFFICER BOTH LOOKED AT OUR TIRES AND SAID THE SAFEST THING WE COULD DO WAS REPLACE THE REST OF THE TIRES. HAVING HAD 2 PROBLEMS ON THE SAME VACATION WITHIN DAYS, WE THAN REPLACED THE ALL BUT 1 OF THE REMAINING TIRES, WHICH WE KEPT AS A SPARE AND BROUGHT THE 2ND TIRE HOME WITH US. ON AUG. 31/99 WE CONTACTED FIRESTONE AND THEY WANTED US TO SEND ALL THE TIRES TO THEM. WANTING AN INDEPENDENT INSPECTOR TO CHECK THE TIRES WE HAVE NOT SENT THE 2 REMAINING TIRES TO THEM. WE HAVE ONE INFLATED TIRE AND ONE DAMANGED TIRE WE BROUGHT BACK FROM THE 2ND INCIDENT.