NHTSA Complaint #764340 — 2002 CHEVROLET TRACKER

HAVE BEEN UNHAPPY WITH SQUEALING OF TIRES SINCE THE BEGINNING, BUT WHEN THE AIR PRESSURE WAS CHECKED IT WAS ALWAYS AT THE PRESSURE ON THE DOOR STICKER-26 POUNDS. NOT ONLY NOISE BUT SEEMED TO BE BAD TRACTION-SKIDS TO HALT RATHER THAN STOPS ON WET AND DRY PAVEMENT, ESPECIALLY ON DECLINE. 6/11/02 TOTALLY OUT OF CONTROL, NO TRACTION. WENT TO DEALERSHIP, THEY TOLD ME 26 POUNDS WAS TOO LOW, THE TIRES NEEDED MORE AIR. WHEN I BROUGHT TO THEIR ATTENTION THAT THE DOOR STICKER SAYS 26, THEY SAID THEY COULODN'T TELL ME TO PUT IN MORE THAN WHAT'S ON THE STICKER, BUT THE TIRES NEEDED MORE AIR. CALLED GENERAL MOTORS TALKED WITH A PAT LEWELLEN(MY REQUEST NUMBER S1=909) WHO CALLED THE DEALERSHIP, TALKED WITH THE SERVICE MANAGER BRIAN COOK WHO TOLD HER EXACTLY WHAT HE HAD TOLD ME, THAT MORE AIR SHOULD GO IN THE TIRES. SHE ALSO COULD NOT TELL ME TO ADD AIR BECAUSE OF THE DOOR STICKER, SO SHE GAVE ME THE NUMBER FOR UNIROYAL. KEN FEDYCK-TOLD ME THAT I COULD PUT IN A COUPLE OF EXTRA POUNDS IF I WANTED TO BUT NOT TOO MUCH BECAUSE IF I OVERINFLATE THERE COULD BE CENTER WEAR, IN ANY CASE HE ALSO COULD NOT TELL ME TO PUT IN ANYTHING OVER 26 POUNDS, IT WAS MY DECISION, "IT'S UP TO ME AS THE CONSUMER". I DO NOT THINK THE SAFE LEVEL OF TIRE PRESSURE, WHEN WRONG LEVELS CAUSE BAD TRACTION AND SKIDDING, SHOULD BE "UP TO THE CONSUMER" TO GUESS. IF I GUESS WRONG, I OR SOMEONE ELSE MIGHT DIE. IF THE TIRES NEED MORE PRESSURE TO BE SAFE, THEN IT SHOULD BE WHAT IS ON THE DOOR STICKER. THIS IS A DANGEROUS PRACTICE. *AK