NHTSA Complaint #757124 — 2000 LAND ROVER DISCOVERY

OEM GODYEAR WRANGLER TIRES STARTED DEMONSTRATING UNEVEN CUPPING THAT CAUSED NOISE AND HANDELING ISSUES. AFTER BRINGING THE ISSUE TO MY DEALER'S ATTENTION AT MY FIRST OIL CHANGE (7,500 MILES) THEY INFORMED ME THAT MANY ROVERS WITH THE SAME TIRES HAD DEMONSTRATED THE SAME ISSUES DURING THE PAST FEW MONTHS. THEY EXPLAINED TO ME THAT GOODYEAR AND ROVER WERE RESERACHING THE PROBLEM AND TO HANG TIGHT UNTIL A SOLUTION AND RECALL WERE ANNOUNCED. THE TIRES CONTINUED TO DEGRADE WITH THE HANDELING AND NOISE FACTORS BECOMING WORSE AND WORSE OVER THE NEXT YEAR. AT THE 15K OIL CHANGE I ASKED THE DEALER TO ROTATE THE TIRES HOPING THAT THE ISSUE WAS ONLY RELATED TO THE FRONT END. WIHTIN A COUPLE OF WEEKS THE NEW FRONT TIRES (WHICH WERE ORIGINALLY BACK TIRES) STARTED SHOWING THE SAME INSIDE AND OUTSIDE EDGE CUPPING. THE PREVIOUS FRONT TIRES ON THE BACK END CONTINUED TO GET WORSE. I BEGAN WORKING CLOSELY WITH MY DEALER TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE AND EVEN MET WITH THE REGIONAL ROVER SERICE MANAGER WHO ACKNOWLEDGED THE ISSUE WAS PREVIOUSLY KNOWN AND LIMITED TO WRANGLER TIRES ON ROVERS. SINCE MY ROVER HAD BEEN ALIGNED ON TWO SEPERATE JIGS THE DEALER SERVICE MANAGER ASSURED ME THAT MY VEHICLE WAS UP TO SPEC. THE REGIONAL REP AND LATER THE LAND ROVER NORTH AMERICA OFFICE REFUSED TO HELP ME NEGOTIATE WITH GOODYEAR TO OBTAIN MY MONEY BACK. THE PARTY LINE AT LAND ROVER WAS 'IT'S NOT A PROBLEM WITH OUR VEHICLE BUT INSTEAD AN ISSUE WITH THEIR TIRES. WE CAN'T GET INVOLVED WITH THIS DISPUTE SINCE WE DO NOT WARRANTY THE OEM TIRES'. AFTER MUCH FRUSTRATION I CONTACTED GOODYEAR AND MANAGED TO GET IN TOUCH WITH A VP OF CUSTOMER SATISFACTION. THE GOODYEAR VP FINALLY ADMITTED THAT A REPLACEMENT WRANGLER SPECIFIC TIRE WAS BEING RELEASED IN THE FUTURE AND HE PAID ME FULL RETAIL VALUE FOR MY GOODYEARS SINCE I DOCUMENTED THAT THE ISSUE BEGAN BEFORE 20% TREADLIFE HAD EXPIRED. I PURCHASED NEW MICHELIN CROSS COUNTRY'S (XPC REPLACEMENT TIRES) AND AT 4,000 MILES I DON'T SEE OR FEEL ANY TREAD LIFE ISSUES.*AK