NHTSA Complaint #730276 — 2000 CHEVROLET SILVERADO

ON JULY 6, 2000 ON A 5 MILE TRIP TO TOWN, I PICKED UP A SMALL SCREW IN THE LEFT REAR TIRE, ABOUT HALF WAY ACROSS THE TREAD BAND. I HEARD THE AIR LEAK AS I LEFT THE VEHICLE, AND I IMMEDIATELY TOOK IT 2 BLOCKS TO A TIRE STORE TO BE REPAIRED BEFORE IT WENT FLAT. THE TIRE SHOP SAID IT COULDN'T BE REPAIRED, AS A SIDEWALL BULGE HAD FORMED FROM AN INTERNAL DELAMINATION IN THE TREAD AREA LEAKING INTO THE SIDE WALL AREA, AND THAT IT WAS UNSAFE TO USE. I RELACED THAT TIRE AT THAT TIME. ON SEPTEMBER 5, THE LEFT FRONT TIRE WAS FOUND FLAT IN MY GARAGE. FOR THE LAST MONTH OR SO, I HAVE NOTICED A CYCLIC "GROWLING" NOISE, TIED TO THE WHEEL ROTATIONAL SPEED OF THE VEHICLE, THAT WAS SIMILAR TO THE SOUND A FAILING WHEEL BEARING MAKES, BUT AN INSPECTION OF THE BEARINGS FOUND THEM IN GOOD CONDITION. AFTER REPLACING THIS SECOND TIRE, THE NOISE WENT AWAY. THE TIRE STORE ADVISED ME THAT A PARTIAL INTERNAL TREAD SEPERATION CAN MAKE THE KIND OF CYCLIC NOISE I WAS HEARING. I HAVE PUT 25,000 MILES ON THE TRUCK IN 6 MONTHS, WITH SEVERAL HIGH SPEED TRIPS ACROSS NEVADA AND UTAH, AND TWO TRIPS TO MEXICO VIA THE MOJAVE DESERT, PLUS NUMEROUS FREEWAY TRIPS THROUGH THE CALIFORNIA CENTRAL VALLEY THIS SUMMER. ALTHOUGH NEITHER TIRE FAILED AT SPEED OR SUFFERED A TREAD LOSS, THE FACT THAT 2 OF THEM HAVE HAD INTERNAL LAMINATION PROBLEMS CONCERNS ME GREATLY. I AM NO LONGER CONFIDENT OF THEIR SAFETY. PLEASE ADVISE ME IF OTHER CONSUMERS HAVE REPORTED PROBLEMS WITH THIS MODEL AND SIZE, AND IF NHTSA IS CONSIDERING EXPANING THE RECALL TO THIS MODEL, AS OTHER PARTIES HAVE ALREADY REQUESTED.( DOT NUMBER: W273 WMA TIRE SIZE: P265-75R16 )