NHTSA Complaint #749172 — 1994 FORD F-150

TWO OF THE GENERAL TIRES SUPPLIED AS ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT ON THIS VEHICLE EXPERIENCED TREAD DELAMINATION AND FORMED LARGE BULGES IN THE TREAD AREA--ABOUT 12" IN LENGTH X THE TREAD WIDTH AT APPROXIMATELY 25,000 MILES--WITHIN A FEW WEEKS OF ONE ANOTHER--IN MID 1995. BOTH BULGES OCCURRED AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS--65-70 MPH. BOTH OCCURRED ON REAR TIRES. THE TRUCK INCLUDED NO CARGO EXCEPT FOR 2 TO 3 OCCUPANTS. THE TREAD WEAR AT THE TIME OF FAILURE WAS ABOUT 60-70 PERCENT, AND AT THE TIME I DID NOT BELIEVE SUCH A DEFECT WAS PURSUEABLE AS A WARRANTY ITEM WITH THE MANUFACTURER. BEING SOMEWHAT CONCERNED ABOUT THE QUALITY OF THESE ORIGINAL TIRES, I THEN REPLACED ALL FOUR OF THE TIRES WITH MICHELINS, AND HAVE HAD NO PROBLEMS WITH THESE REPLACEMENT TIRES. THE ORIGINAL TIRES WERE CONSISTENTLY MAINTAINED AT OR NEAR RECOMMENDED TIRE PRESSURES. GIVEN THE RECALLS OF FIRESTONE TIRES SINCE THEN, I NOW SUSPECT A MANUFACTURING DEFECT EXISTED.*AK (TIRESIZE: L235/75R15)