NHTSA Complaint #749827 — 1995 FORD E-150

I PURCHASED A SET OF 4 SEARS GUARDSMAN TRAILHANDLER AP TIRES FOR MY 1995 E-150 ECONOLINE VAN ON 4/20/98. THE CAR HAD 36479 MILES AT THE TIME. IN JUNE 2001, THE CAR BEGAN HANDLING AS THOUGH THE ALLIGNMENT WAS OUT OR A TIRE NEEDED BALANCING. TURNED OUT THAT ONE TIRE HAD A TREAD SEPARATION. IWAS ADVISED THAT IT WAS ONLY NECESSARY TO REPLACE THE ONE TIRE, BUT REPLACED A PAIR INSTEAD. MILES AT THE TIME: 50184. TOOK AN EXTENDED TRIP (CALIFORNIA TO MISSOURI) AND EXPERIENCED A TREAD SEPARATION BLOW-OUT ON ONE OF THE REMAINING TRAILHANDLERS FROM THE ORIGINAL PURCHASE. MILES AT THAT TIME: APPROX 54000. THE BLOW-OUT OCCURRED ON INTERSTATE AT HIGHWAY SPEED ON A LEFT REAR TIRE. THE CAR HAD BEGUN TO RIDE ROUGH SHORTLY BEFORE THE BLOW-OUT, SO I SLOWED DOWN AND POSITIONED MYSELF TO GET OFF AT THE NEXT EXIT, PROBABLY PREVENTING AN ACCIDENT. I SWAPPED OUT THE REMAINING TIRES FROM THAT SET AND PURCHASED A DIFFERENT BRAND OF TIRE.