NHTSA Complaint #743447 — 1998 CADILLAC DEVILLE

THE TIRES ON THE CAR BEGAN TO LOSE AIR PRESSURE IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME - ABOUT EVERY TWO WEEKS SEVERAL OF THE TIRES WOULD LOSE OVER 15 LBS PRESSURE. I WOULD REFILL THE TIRES TO THE PROPER PRESSURE - THAN IN THE MONTH OF MARCH 01 I WAS DRIVING ONA SMOOTH ROAD WHEN THE CAR BEGAN TO FEEL MUSHY - I STIPPED AT A FILLING STATION AND DISCOVERED THE REAR TIRE WAS NEARLY FLAT. I DECIDED TO PURCHASE NEW TIRES AND WENT TO A TIRE SHOP AND AS THEY DISMOUNTED THE TIRE WHICH WAS NEARLY FLAT THE PROBLEM WAS DISCOVERED - SEVERE CORROSION OF THE INNER RIM BETWEEN THE CHROM AND THE STEEL - THE SURFACE WAS SO ROUGH THAT THE TIRE SHOP REFUSED TO INSTALL NEW TIRES ON THE WHEELS AND STATED THAT THEY WERE TOO CORODED TO BE CLEANED. I WENT TO MY CADILLAC DLR TO HAVE THE WARRANTY PERFORMED TO REPLACE THE CORODED RIMS - I LEFT THE CAR FOR THE SERVICE. TE SAME DAY THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT CALLED STATING THE CAR WAS READY AND THAT FOUR NEW RIMS WERE INSTALLED ON THE CAR WITH THE ORIGINAL TIRES. I PICKED THE CAR UP AFTER HOURS AND NOTICED THAT THE WHEELS WERE NOT NEW BUT PERHAPS WERE USED BUT IN GOOD CONDITION. I REVIEWED MY INVOICE FOR THE WARRANTY WORK AND FOUND THAT THE WHEELS WERE NOT REPLACED BUT MERELY CLEANED AND REINSTALLED ON MY CAR. THE CORROSION WILL CONTINUE AND AT SOME POINT WILL DEFLATE MY TIRES - THIS TIME PERHAPS AT A HIGHER SPEED. UT SOME LOST AIR FASTER THAN OTHERS. WHILE DRIVING ON A SMOOTH ROAD I NOTICED. *AI