NHTSA Complaint #733548 — 2000 HONDA CIVIC

JUST AFTER MERGING ONTO THE HIGHWAY AND REACHING FULL SPEED, AHUMMING NOISE WAS HEARD WITHOUT ANY NOTICEABLE VIBRATION. WITHIN A FEW SECONDS, WHILE SLOWING TO ALLOW TRAFFIC TO CLEAR, THE DRIVER'S SIDE REAR TIRE FAILED. I HEARD A LOUD EXPOSION AND SAW RUBBER FRAGMENTS OVER MY LEFT SHOULDER. LUCKILY, I WAS ABLE TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE AND QUICKLY PULL OFF THE HIGHWAY. UPON INSPECTION, ONLY THE OUTER EDGE OF THE TIRE REMAINED ON THE RIM. THE ENTIRE TREAD PORTION OF THE TIRE WAS GONE. ALL FOUR TIRES HAD ADEQUATE PRESSURE, WERE ROTATED AT 7500 MILES BY HENRICK HONDA, AND WERE ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED NEW LATE LAST YEAR. I IMMEDIATELY CONTACTED FIRESTONE AND FOLLOWING THEIR INSTRUCTIONS TO FILE A CLAIM. RECENTLY, I RECEIVED A LETTER FROM FIRESTONE DENYING MY REQUEST FOR COMPENSATION, SITING INSUFFICIENT AIR PRESSURE EVIDENCED BY THE TATTERED SIDEWALLS AND MELTED INNER LINER. AS I STATED PREVIOUSLY, THESE TIRES WERE NOT LOW ON PRESSURE AND WERE KEPT IN EXCELLENT CONDITION. THE SEVERITY OF THIS FAILURE COUPLED WITH FIRESTONE'S UNWILLINGNESS TO PROVIDE ANY COMPENSATION IS THE REASON I'M FILING THIS COMPLAINT. I TRULY BELIEVE THAT IF ONE OF THE FRONT TIRES HAD FAILED, I WOULD HAVE SUFFERED A SERIOUS OR FATAL INJURY.*AK (DOT NUMBER: VN7JMNH379 TIRESIZE: 18565R14)