NHTSA Complaint #731751 — 2000 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN

AS I WAS DRIVING, I HEAR A NOISE COMING FROM OUTSIDE AND COULD FEEL ROUGHNESS IN THE RIDE AND THE STEERING. I PULLED OVER WITHIN 30 SECONDS TO FIND THAT MY TIRE WAS 80 % FLAT. UPON REPLACING THE TIRE I SAW THAT THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF PUNCTURE OR NAILS TO THE TIRE. A FEW MINUTES LATER AFTER I HAD PUT MY SPARE TIRE ON, I STOPPED AND INFLATED THE FLAT TIRE TO SEE WHERE THE DAMAGE MIGHT BE. AFTER INFLATING TO ABOUT 10 PSI I STOPPED BECAUSE I NOTICED THAT THE SIDEWALL NEAR THE OUTSIDE EDGE(NEAR TREAD) HAD A VERY SOFT SPOT THAT I COULD HAVE PROBABLY PUSHED MY FINGER THROUGH. IT WAS ALMOST AS SOFT AND THIN AS A INNER TUBE. THEN I ALSO NOTICED SEVERAL LUMPS ABOUT 1 TO1 1/2 INCHES IN DIAMETER ALMOST ALL THE WAY AROUND THE TIRE CASING NEAR THE OUTER EDGE. THIS WAS ALL ON THE WHITE LETTER SIDE OF THE TIRE. I BRIEFLY LOOK AT THE BACK SIDE BUT DID NOT NOTICE ANYTHING. ALL THE TIME I NEVER HEARD AN AIR LEAK, ALTHOUGH AN HOUR LATER IT WAS FLAT AGAIN. AS I STATED EARLIER I ONLY PUT APPX. 10 PSI. WHEN I SAW THE KNOTS APPEAR I STOPED IN FEAR OF THE CASING RUPTURING. IT DEFINITLEY APPEARS TO BE AN INTERNAL PROBLEM SUCH AS BELT OR PLY SEPARATION. BEFORE I CONTACT CHEVROLET OR FIRESTONE I WANTED TO BRING THIS TO YOUR ATTENTION SINCE I THINK THIS MIGHT BE RELATED TO THE CURRENT PROBLEM THE THE OTHER RECALLED TIRES AND DID NOT WANT THE EVIDENCE(MY TIRE) POSSIBLY LOST OR DESTROYED WITH YOU HAVING A CHANCE TO SEE IT IF YOU WISH. NON THE LESS I NOW NEED A SPARE, SO I HAVE TO DO SOMETHING SOON. I WILL KEEP THE DEFECT THOUGH. I REALLY DO NOT WANT TO PUT ANOTHER FIRESTONE ON MY TRUCK. UNTIL TODAY I THOUGHT THE PROBLEM WAS ONLY ON THE 235 TIRE. ME AND MY FAMILY NEED YOUR HELP TO ASSURE US THAT MY FIRESTONES ARE SAFE OR SHOULD I BE LOOKING FOR ANOTHER TIRE. PLEASE ADVISE SOON AS POSSIBLE. THANKS GEORGE( DOT NUMBER: V672WLI070 TIRE SIZE: 265/70R16 )