NHTSA Complaint #733211 — 1997 BMW 328IC

TIRE TREAD CAME OFF DURING HIGHWAY DRIVING CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE REAR BUMPER. THE TIRE DID NOT DEFLATE. CONTINENTAL DENIED CLAIM BECAUSE THE TIRE WAS PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED FOR A PUNCTURE. THE PUNCTURE REPAIR REMAINED INTACT AND AS FAR AS I COULD SEE HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE LOSS OF THE TREAD. CONTINENTAL TOLD ME THAT THE TIRE WAS LIKELY TO FAIL (TREAD COME OFF) SOONER OR LATER BECAUSE OF THE PUNCTURE REPAIR. I FIND THIS STATEMENT TO BE INCREDULOUS AS I WAS NEVER NOTIFIED IN ANY OF THEIR SERVICE MANUALS THAT REPAIRING A PUNCTURE WOULD RENDER THE TIRE UNUSEABLE. IF I HAD KNOW THAT I WOULD HAVE HAD THE TIRE REPLACED (SILLY AS THAT SEEMS). AT THE VERY LEAST CONTNENTAL SHOULD BE FORCED TO NOTIFY ALL OF THE USERS OF ITS TIRES THAT ANY SORT OF PUNCTURE - EVEN IF IT IS PROPERLY REPAIRED - MAKES THE TIRE UNFIT FOR THE SAFE OPERATION OF THE VEHICLE. WE WERE NOT INJURED IN THE INCIDENT BUT WE WERE ALMOST KILLED AS I TEMPORARILY LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. (DOT NUMBER: ACTM2Y7136 TIRESIZE: 205/60R15)