NHTSA Complaint #765612 — 1999 FORD F-250

ON 7-28-02 I WAS DRIVING WESTBOUND WITH MY 26' FIFTH-WHEEL TRAILER ON U.S.90 EAST OF SYRACUSE, N.Y. WHEN I FELT A SLIGHT SHIMMY IN MY STEERING. THE SHIMMY SOON BECAME A SEVERE WOBBLING SO I SLOWED DOWN AND PULLED OFF THE HIGHWAY AT THE FIRST EXIT I CAME TO IN SYRACUSE. ON EXAMINING THE TIRE I SAW THAT THE STEEL CORE HAD SEPARATED FROM THE TIRE. I PUT ON MY SPARE TIRE AND THE NEXT DAY CONTINUED BY TRIP. ON 8-7-02 I WAS NORTHBOUND ON NORTH DAKOTA 281 SOUTH OF JAMESTOWN WHEN I FELT ANOTHER SHIMMY IN THE TRUCK NEAR HIGHWAY 34. THIS TIME I DISCOVERED THAT THE STEEL CORE OF THE LEFT REAR TIRE HAD SEPARATED THE SAME AS THE FIRST. IN THE FIRST INSTANCE I CONTACTED LOCAL FORD AND FIRESTONE DEALERSHIPS AND WAS TOLD BY BOTH THAT THESE TIRES ARE NO LONGER WARRANTED AND THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO TO REPLACE THEM.*AK