NHTSA Complaint #751837 — 1996 GMC JIMMY

TIRE EXPLODED WHILE THE JIMMIE WAS SITTING IN THE DRIVEWAY, 15 MINUTES AFTER A 3 MILE TRIP. AN 8 INCH TEAR RESULTED BETWEEN THE BEAD AND SIDEWALL. FRAYED TIRE CORD WAS SEEN ON BOTH SIDES OF THE TEAR. TIRE WAS PROPERLY INFLATED TO 32 LBS. TIRE WAS ON DRIVER'S FRONT SIDE OF JIMMIE. EXPLOSION WAS HEARD BY 3 PERSONS FROM BEHIND THE BUILDING WHO INVESTIGATED IMMEDIATELY. 4 TIRES HAD BEEN PURCHASED TOGETHER IN JUNE 1999 AND HAD <20,000 MILES OF SERVICE. NO OFF ROAD OR ROUGH SERVICE HAS BEEN EXPERIENCED BY THE TIRES. DEALER AND UNIROYAL HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED. DEALER'S POSITION IS THAT TIRE CANNOT BE DEFECTIVE SINCE IT HELD AIR FOR 2 YEARS. UNIROYAL'S APPEAL POSITION IS TO VISIT A SECOND UNIROYAL DEALERSHIP. MY POSITION IS THAT TIRES WHICH EXPLOSIVELY DECOMPRESS ARE, BY DEFINITION, DEFECTIVE. IS THERE AN INDEPENDENT BODY TO HAVE THIS TIRE EVALUATED FOR DEFECTS? CAN TIRES EXPLOSIVELY DECOMPRESS WITHOUT BEING CONSIDERED DEFECTIVE BY EITHER DESIGN OR CONSTRUCTION?*AK (DOT NUMBER: P1096FD7 TIRESIZE: P235/70R15)