NHTSA Complaint #751667 — 1994 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN

AFTER I PURCHASED A REPLACEMENT SET OF TIRES ( IDENTICAL TO ORIGINAL EQMT TIRES) I NOTED A VIBRATION WOULD DEVELOP ABOVE 63 MPH. I TOOK THE CAR BACK TO DEALER ( A FIRESTONE STORE )... THEY RE-BALANCED THE TIRES...THE VIBRATION CONTINUED...A SECOND TRIP TO THE DEALER RESULTED IN NOTHING- THEY SAID THE PROBLEM MUST BE IN THE VEHICLE EVEN THOUGH I POINTED OUT THERE WAS NO VIBRATION WITH THE OLD TIRES...THEY REFUSED TO TEST DRIVE THE CAR. AFTER DRIVING THE VEHICLE SOME 43,000 MILES ( MOSTLY STAYING AROUND 60 MPH) ONE TIRE BLEW OUT IN THE SIDEWALL WITH A RADIAL FAILURE FROM THE TREADBELT TO THE BEAD.. A 'CATASTROPHIC' FAILURE. NO ACCIDENT OR DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE RESULTED BUT THE VIBRATION WENT AWAY AS SOON AS THE SPARE HIT THE ROAD. THE DEALER ADJUSTED AT 50% COST OF A NEW TIRE ON A "ROAD HAZARD" WARRANTY EVEN THOUGH THE TIRE WAS OBVIOUSLY DEFECTIVE FROM NEW. NOW I AM RUNNING ON 3 REMAINING TIRES AND NOW FIND A SIMULAR VIBRATION DEVELOPS AT 70 MPH. *AK (TIRESIZE: 245 75 R16)