NHTSA Complaint #747166 — 1993 GMC C1500

UPON RETURNING TO THE ROAD FROM A SERVICE STATION, THE TRUCK DEVELOPED A SHIMMY. AS I PROCEEDED DOWN THE ROAD, THE VIBRATING GOT WORSE. I PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD BUT COULD NOT SEE A PROBLEM. UPON RETURNING BACK TO THE ROAD, THE VIBRATING BECAME MORE SEVERE. I WAS ABLE TO MAKE IT ONTO AN ACCESS ROAD AND INTO A SERVICE STATION PARKING LOT. ONCE I ENTERED THE PARKING LOT, I HEARD A VERY LOUD POP. IT WAS THEN THAT I DISCOVERED THAT MY FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE TIRE HAD BLOWN OUT. THE BLOW OUT CAUSED A 6-8 INCH GASH IN THE BLACKWALL OF MY TIRE. THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME THAT THIS HAS OCCURED. THIS SAME PROBLEM HAPPENED ROUGHLY 7-8 MONTHS AGO ON THE PASSENGER'S FRONT SIDE TIRE. WE ALSO HAD TO REPLACE A THIRD TIRE BECAUSE IT DEVELOPED A VERY LARGE BUBBLE NEAR THE OUTER EDGE OF THE BLACKWALL. I AM GETTING TO WHERE I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE AS LONG AS THOSE TIRES ARE ON IT. SO FAR WE HAVE HAD TO REPLACE 2 TIRES WHICH WE HAD TO PURCHASE NEW AT A PRO-RATED COST. THIS NUMBER WILL NOW INCREASE TO 3 BECAUSE OF THE INCIDENT THAT OCCURED TODAY. I AM JUST THANKFULL THAT NO-ONE GOT INJURED IN EITHER BLOW OUT. BUT I AM FEARFUL THAT MAY CHANGE IF THE LAST WILDNERNESS TIRE FROM THE ORIGINAL SET PURCHASED DETERIORATES LIKE THE OTHERS.*AK (DOT NUMBER: VD66AW2300 TIRESIZE: 30X9.50R15)