NHTSA Complaint #736061 — 1996 DODGE RAM

I CARRY A HEAVY CAMPER, ALTHOUGH IN SPEC FOR THE TIRES, ABOUT 25% OF THE TIME. TWO TIRES FAILED BY TREAD SEPARATION AT ABOUT 13000 MILES, NO MORE THAN 5000 MILES LOADED. I PAID FOR REPLACEMENTS. THERE WAS LOTS OF TREAD LEFT. TWO MORE HAD FAILED BY ABOUT 25000 MILES, WITH ABOUT 5000 MILES OF LOADED OPERATION. THESE MILES WERE AT GREATLY REDUCED SPEED BECAUSE OF FEAR OF FAILURE. AGAIN I REPLACED THE TIRES, THEY WERE NOT GIVEN TO ME. GOODYEAR SAYS THE TRUCK IS AT FAULT, DODGE SAYS THE TIRES ARE BAD. NO ONE LAUGHED OUT LOUD. IN ALL CASES THE TIRES HAD LOTS OF TREAD LEFT AND THE FAILURE WAS DELAMINATION AROUND THE TREAD AREA. THE TIRES DID NOT LOSE AIR AND THEREFORE NO ACCIDENT VEHICLE DAMAGE RESULTED. I WENT THRU THE CUSTOMER ARBITRATION BOARD AT DODGE, CLAIMING THEY SELECTED INAPPROPRIATE TIRES, TO NO AVAIL. A CONCENSUS OF TIRE PEOPLE WAS THAT THE ENGINE HAD TOO MUCH TORQUE FOR THE TIRES EVEN THOUGH NO OVERLOADED. I BECAME CONCERNED THAT, SINCE NO ASSURANCES WERE GIVEN THAT THE PROBLEM WOULD NOT RECUR, THE NEXT FAILURE MIGHT PRODUCE A ACCIDENT. I THREW AWAY 4 VIRTUALLY NEW TIRES AND REPLACED THEM WITH COOPER TIRES AT MY OWN EXPENSE. GOOD TIRE WEAR AND NO PROBLEMS HAVE BEEN ENCOUNTERED WITH THE COOPER TIRES IN ALMOST 20000 MILES. I WOULD BE HAPPY TO PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION IF REQUESTED. (TIRESIZE: LT24575R16)( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: LT24575R16 )