NHTSA Complaint #763840 — 1994 FORD ECONOLINE

HEARD THUMPING AND STARTED TO SLOW WHEN TIRE BLEW AND VAN BECAME HARD TO CONTROL. VAN PULLED ONTO DIRT SHOULDER (OF TWO LANE HIGHWAY) AND ALMOST FLIPPED.MANAGED TO GET BACK ONTO ROAD, SLOWED DOWN AND STOPPED. CHANGED TIRE. IT WAS DESTROYED. THE TREAD WAS SEPARATED, AND THE SIDEWALL BLOWN APART IN SEVERAL PLACES ON BOTH SIDES. THE RIM WAS UNDAMAGED TO MY EYE, AND THE BEAD NEAR THE RIM WAS ALSO UNDAMAGED. THE TIRE SHOP REMOVED THE TIRE, LOOKED FOR A CAUSE OF THE BLOW OUT BUT COULD FIND NONE. THE STEEL BELTS AND TREAD WERE COMPLETELY SEPARATED FROM CARCASS AROUND 80% OF CIRCUMFERENCE AND PARTIALLY AROUND THE REST.THE "NYLON" CORDS WERE EXPOSED WHERE EVER THE BELTS HAD SEPARATED AND WERE SHREDDED AND PROBABLY CAUSED THE SUDDEN TIRE FAILURE WITH ONLY A FEW MINUTES OF THUMPING AS A WARNING OF IMPENDING FAILURE.WHOLE EVENT PROBABLY TOOK LESS THAN 2 MINUTE. I HAVE MORE OF THESE TIRES IN THE CAR NOW.*AK