NHTSA Complaint #759762 — 2001 DODGE RAM

I WAS TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY AT ABOUT 65 MILES PER HOUR WHEN THE STEERING WHEEL WAS JERKED OUT OF MY HANDS. THE TRUCK BEGAN TO SWERVE AND VIBRATE, AND I REALIZED A TIRE HAD BLOWN OUT. I DID NOT SEE ANYTHING I COULD HAVE HIT ON THE ROAD NOR DID I FEEL LIKE I HAD HIT ANYTHING. I CHANGED THE TIRE AND TOOK THE BLOWN TIRE TO MY LOCAL GOODYEAR DEALER WHO EXAMINED IT AND CONFIRMED THAT THE TIRE HAD NOT BEEN CUT OR PUNCTURED AND CONCLUDED THAT I WAS RUNNING LOW TIRE PRESSURE AND THEREFORE, EVEN THOUGH THERE IS ONLY 17% TREAD WEAR I WAS ENTITLED TO ONLY A 50% ADJUSTMENT ON THE TIRE. NUMER ONE I CHECK MY TIRE PRESSURES ON ALL MY VEHICLES REGULARLY AND KEEP AT LEAST 40 TO 42 POUNDS OF AIR IN AT ALL TIMES, AND NUMBER TWO WHAT HAPPENED TO MY MANUFACTURERS WARRANTY THAT STATES A FULL REPLACEMENT DURING THE FIRST TWELVE MONTHS OF OWNERSHIP. I HAVE BEEN IN THE CAR BUSINESS FOR OVER 25 YEARS AND AM A PENNSYLVANIA STATE INSPECTION MECHANIC AND I UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF TIRE PRESSURE, AND THAT IS WHY I CHECK MY REGULARLY. I KNOW IN MY HEART THAT THE TIRE PRESSURE WAS NOT LOW ON THIS TIRE AND IT WORRIES ME THAT IT COULD HAPPEN AGAIN TO ANOTHER TIRE ON THIS TRUCK, MAYBE THIS TIME WITH MORE DIRE CONSEQUENCES. I HAVE LOST FAITH IN GOODYEAR, DODGE, AND THE DEALER, AND FEEL TOTALLY OUT OF CONTROL WHEN DRIVING THIS VEHICLE WITH GOODYEAR WRANGLERS. BY THE WAY THIS MY FIRST BLOW OUT IN OVER 32 YEARS OF DRIVING, NO MATTER WHAT MY TIRE PRESSURES WERE????*AK (DOT NUMBER: M670 JCOR TIRESIZE: 245/15R16)