NHTSA Complaint #751623 — 2001 DODGE RAM 1500

I AM REPORTING THIS PROBLEM ON MY FATHERS VEHICLE. I JUST LEARNED OF THIS ISSUE FROM HIM, HE IS A 64YO MAN WITH A 8TH GRADE EDUCATION AND I FEEL HE HAS BEEN TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF. I AM AN ENGINEER WITH A BACKGROUND AS WELL IN LAW. I TALKED WITH HIM ON SUNDAY AND THIS IS THE ISSUE HE HAS WITH HIS NEW DODGE RAM 1500 QUADCAB. THE VEHICLE HE FOUND SHOOK AT SPEEDS OVER 40 MPH, ONLY SLIGHTLY. THIS WORRIED HIM HOWEVER AND HE HAD A FRIEND AT A TIRE DEALERSHIP INSPECT THE TIRES. IT WAS THEN NOTICED THAT THE GOODYEAR WRANGLER TIRES HE REQUESTED WERE NOT IN FACT LT OR LIGHT TRUCK TIRES BUT P, PASSENGER CAR RATED TIRES. THEY ARE 4 PLY INSTEAD OF THE 6 PLY AS FOUND IN THE LT MODESL, (SUCH AS I HAVE ON MY JEEP WRANGLER). THESE TIRES BULGE AND IN MY OPINION ARE DEFORMING UNDER THE LOAD OF A HEAVIER VEHICLE. RESULTING IN THE VIBRATIONS AT HIGHER SPEEDS. ALSO, SINCE THE TIRES APARENTLY HAVE ISSUES JUST HELPING THE TRUCK MAINTAIN TRACTION, IF A LOAD WERE TO BE ADDED UPWARDS OF THE GVWR THEN MY LIKELY CONCLUSION WOULD BE THAT THE TIRES COULD HAVE A HIGHER LIKELYHOOD OF FAILURE. THIS IS A SERIOUS CONCERN AND AN ISSUE THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED. IT IS PUTTING THE LIVES OF EVERYONE ON THE ROAD AT RISK. AND DODGE IS NOT THE ONLY ONES WHO DO THIS, CHEVY AND FORD DEALERS MY FATHER ALSO NOTICED TO HAVE DONE THE SAME THING OF PUTTING ON CAR TIRES ON THE TRUCKS. THE ISSUE IS OF CORUSE COST HERE, THE TIRES ON MY FATHERS TRUCK WERE 70 DOLLARS A PIECE, WHILE THE REPLACEMENT TRUCK TIRES MY FATHER PUT ON WERE 125. MY FATHER TRADED IN THE TIRES BUT HE DOES HAVE A SIGNED RECEIPT FROM THE TIRE DEALER STATING THE ISSUE OF THE TIRES, ALL THEIR SPECS AND WHY HE SUGGESTED REPLACEMENT. I KNOW MOST PEOPLE DO NOT WORK THEIR TRUCKS HARD, OR USE THEM NEAR THEIR GVWR BUT A TRUCK SHOULD BE ABLE TO PERFORM UP TO ITS SPECS WITHOUT SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERNS. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THIS INVESTIGATED AND FOR ALL OWNERS TO BE GIVEN NEW TIRES OR REIMBURSED FOR THEIR COSTS. PLEASE CONTACT ME AS TO YOUR PLANS.