NHTSA Complaint #751793 — 1999 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN

THE FIRST PROBLEM THAT I HAD WITH THESES TIRES WAS BACK IN JULY OF 2000. ON BOTH OF THE FRONT TIRES THE BELTS HAD BROKEN AT THAT TIME THE TRUCK HAD ABOUT 12,000 MILES ON IT. THE PROBLEM WAS CAUGHT BEFORE ANY SEPARATION HAD HAPPENED. THEN ON 8/17/01 I WAS DRIVING ON I215 AND THE TRUCK PULLED HARD TO THE RIGHT AND THERE WAS A LOUD BANG. I BROUGHT THE TRUCK BACK UNDER CONTROL AND PULLED OVER TO THE SHOULDER AND GOT OUT. I WALKED AROUND TO THE FRONT RIGHT SIDE AND THE TIRE HAD SEPARATED, IT DIDN'T GO FLAT. THEN EXACTLY A WEEK LATER I HAD THE LEFT FRONT TIRE BLOWOUT. THIS TIRE WAS IN PIECES. AFTER THE FIRST SEPARATION I CALLED FIRESTONE AND WAS TOLD TO TAKE IT TO A FIRESTONE DEALER IN MY AREA TO HAVE THE REST OF THE TIRES LOOKED AT. I DID THAT I TOOK IT TO TED WIENS ON WARM SPRINGS. AT THAT TIME I SPOKE WITH COURTNEY HE CAME OUT LOOKED AT THE FIRST TIRE AND SAID SINCE I WAS CLAIMING PRODUCT LIABILITY FOR THE DAMAGE TO MY TRUCK HE SAID ALL HE WOULD DO IS REPLACE THE TIRE AND NOTHING MORE. I ASKED HIM TO PLEASE LOOK AT THE OTHERS HE TOLD ME THERE WAS NOTHING MORE HE COULD DO. SO I LEFT BOUGHT THE TIRE SOMEWHERE ELSE AND HAD IT MOUNTED AND THE OTHERS CHECKED. I WAS TOLD AT THAT TIME THE TIRES SEEMDED FINE NO SIDWALL DAMAGE AND PLENTY OF TREAD. THEN I HAVE THE 2ND SEPERATION. I WENT BACK TO TED WIENS AND SPOKE TO THE OWNER CARLOS. HE TOOK THE TRUCK TO THE BACK LOOKED AT THE REMAING 2 TIRES SAID THE TREAD WAS AT 10/32 NO SIDE WALL DAMAGE AND CALLED FIRESTONE. FIRESTONE TOLD HIM SINCE THE TIRES HAD NO CRACKING THEY WOULD DO NOTHING. HE DID REPLACE THESE TIRES FOR ME. FIRESTONE WOULD NOT. I FEEL LET DOWN BOTH BY FIRESTONE AND CHEVROLET. I HAD NO CHOICE AS TO WHAT KIND OF TIRES WOULD BE ON THE TRUCK WHEN I BOUGHT IT. NEITHER ONE IS NOW TO EAGER TO HELP ME. I HAVE $5,000.00 IN DAMAGE TO A LEASED VEHICLE AND NO ONE WILLING TO STEP UP AND HELP.*AK (DOT NUMBER: V611B1A468 TIRESIZE: LT24575R16)