NHTSA Complaint #728859 — 1998 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER

MY FAMILY WAS ON VACATION AND TRAVELING ON INTERSTATE 85 SOUTH. ABOUT 1/2 HOUR BEFORE STOPPING THE VEHICLE STARTED TO SWAY. I THOUGHT IT WAS A CROSS WIND OR AIR POCKET CREATED AS WE PASSED OR WAS PASSED BY TRAITOR TRAILERS ON THE ROAD. THE FAMILY DECIDED TO STOP FOR LUNCH AND EXITED OFF I85 SOUTH AT 12B. WE PROCEEDED TO GOLDEN CORRAL - 807 E. ATLANTIC STREET - SOUTH HILL, VIRGINIA. UPON EXITING THE VEHICLE I NOTICED THE LEFT REAR TIRE GOING FLAT. I INSPECTED IT AND NOTICE TWO SLASHES ABOUT TWO INCHES IN LENGTH ON BOTH SIDES IF TIRE ABOUT TWO FEET APART. THE CUT WAS ON THE SIDE OF TIRE WHERE THE TREAD BEGAN AND WAS SEPARATING. AT THIS TIME A CUSTOMER LEAVING THE GOLDEN CORRAL APPROACHED ME AND INSPECTED THE TIRE AND TOLD ME THIS IS THE SAME TIRE THAT WAS REPORTED ON THE 6PM NEWS ONE DAY EARLIER AS BEING DEFECTIVE. I CONTACTED AAA TO CHANGE MY FLAT TIRE. LATER THAT AFTERNOON WE STOPPED IN RALEIGH, NC AND PURCHASED ONE NEW FIRESTONE WILDERNESS AT TIRE. ONE USED TIRE BECAME THE SPARE AND TWO NEW TIRES WERE ON THE REAR(THE ORIGINAL SPARE AND THE NEW TIRE JUST PURCHASED). WE CONTINUED SAFELY ON OUR TRIP TO EUFALA, AL. ON AUGUST 23, 2000 I CONTACTED MY DEALERSHIP IN REFERENCE TO THE TIRES BEGING EXCHANGED. THE PERSON ANSWERING THE PHONE INDICATED THEY HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE REPLACEMENT BUT A FIRESTONE DEALER IN EMERSON, NJ WAS INVOLVED. LATE IN THE MORNING OF 8/23/00 I WENT TO THE EMERSON, NJ FIRESTONE DEALERSHIP AND THE TIRES WERE INSPECTED AND WAS TOLD ONE TIRE WAS OK(I SUPPOSED THE ONE PURCHASED ON 8/3/00). HOWEVER, I WAS PLACED ON A WAITING LIST AND TOLD THE BACKLOG WAS ABOUT ONE MONTH. I PROCEEDED TO MY DEALERSHIP AND EXPLAINED TO THEM WHAT HAD HAPPENED DURING VACATION AND I WANTED MY TIRES REPLACED. DEAN GRIFFEN WAS HELPFUL BUT DID NOT HAVE ANY TIRES NOR DID TWO OTHER LOCATIONS THAT WERE CALLED. I ON MY OWN PURCHASED 5 TIRES FROM GOODYEAR IN BERGENFIELD, NJ.( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P23575R15S )