NHTSA Complaint #751312 — 1996 FORD WINDSTAR

AT APPROXIMATELY 7:20PM ON WEDNESDAY EVENING, AUGUST 22, 2001, I WAS TRAVELING AT THE SPEED LIMIT, 75MPH, SOUTH ON INTERSTATE 70, NEAR RICHFIELD, UT, WHEN, WITHOUT WARNING, THE LEFT FRONT TIRE DELAMINATED. I MANAGED TO KEEP CONTROL OF MY VEHICLE AND GOT IT TO THE RIGHT SHOULDER OF THE HIGHWAY. THE TIRE'S TREAD WAS COMPLETELY GONE, HAVING DEFORMED, BLACKENED AND TAKEN PAINT OFF THE LEFT FRONT FENDER, DETACHED THE LEFT PORTION OF THE BUMPER FROM THE FENDER, DESTROYING AND CASTING AWAY THE MAJORITY OF THE INNER FENDER SKIRT, BADLY DENTING THE REAR PORTION OF THE WHEEL WELL/FENDER, AND SHREDDING THE MUD GUARD THERE TO THE EXTENT THAT MOST OF IT HAD TO BE CUT OFF LATER. THE TIRE CONTINUED TO HOLD AIR THOUGH SO I WAS ABLE TO CREEP ALONG THE SHOULDER THE APPROXIMATELY ONE MILE TO THE FIRST RICHFIELD EXIT. I PARKED IN THE PARKING LOT OF A LARGE GAS STATION JUST OFF THE INTERSTATE AND GOT THE BY-NOW-DEFLATED-DE-LAMINATED TIRE OFF THE VEHICLE, AND THE "SPARE" TIRE ON IN ITS PLACE. I THEN PROCEEDED INTO RICHFIELD WHERE I FOUND A TIRE DEALER WHO WAS WILLING TO SELL, MOUNT, BALANCE AND INSTALL TWO REPLACEMENT TIRES FOR ME, CHARGING ME A $55 "AFTER HOURS" FEE IN ADDITION TO THE PRICE OF THE TWO TIRES. THE FORD DEALER IN RICHFIELD, THE FOLLOWING MORNING, GAVE ME LITTLE HOPE THAT MICHELIN WOULD ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE INCIDENT, AND THERE WAS NO MICHELIN DEALER IN RICHFIELD THAT I COULD CONTACT. SINCE RETURNING HOME LAST FRIDAY, I HAVE NOT HAD A CHANCE TO GET ESTIMATES FOR REPAIRS, BUT, KNOWING WHAT SIMILAR REPAIRS HAVE COST FRIENDS, MY OWN ESTIMATE IS BETWEEN $300 AND $500 FOR THE ACTUAL REPAIRS TO MY VEHICLE, PLUS THE COST OF THE REPLACEMENT TIRES/AFTER HOURS CHARGE ($189.96). I FEEL THAT I WAS EXCEEDINGLY LUCKY TO HAVE BEEN DRIVING STRAIGHT AT THE TIME OF THE DE-LAMINATION; TO HAVE HAD BOTH HANDS ON THE WHEEL; AND TO HAVE HAD VERY LITTLE TRAFFIC AROUND ME WHICH COULD HAVE PREVENTED ME FROM MAKING A SAFE MANEUVER TO THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY.*AK