NHTSA Complaint #766065 — 2002 CHEVROLET AVALANCHE

PASSENGER TIRES WERE SUPPLIED WITH Z71 OFF-ROAD PACKAGE. I TOOK THESE TIRES OFF-ROAD, AND TORE A HOLE ONE. ALL4 TIRE DEALERS IN MONTROSE, CO INCLUDING THE GOODYEAR DEALER, SAID THAT THESE ARE PASSENGER TIRES, NOT OFF-ROAD TIRES, AND THAT THEY WILL BE DAMAGED BY TAKING THEM OFF-ROAD IN THE MOUNTAINS. CHEVY'S PHOTOS ON THEIR WEB PAGE SHOW THE AVALANCHE FORDING STREAMS, DRIVING OVER ROCKS, AND DRIVING IN THE MOUNTAINS. THE OWNER'S MANUAL DISCUSSES DRIVING OVER ROCKS AND LOGS, "BOUNCING THE CAR" AND HAVING ONE OR MORE WHEELS OFF THE GROUND AS THINGS THAT MIGHT BE ENCOUNTERED IN "OFF-ROAD" DRIVING. STILL, THEY DELIVER THE NEARLY 3-TON TRUCK WITH PASSENGER TIRES, NOT LIGHT TRUCK TIRES. HAD I NOT PUNCTURED THE DIRE, BUT ONLY SEPARATED THE PLY, I COULD HAVE HAD A SERIOUS ACCIDENT DRIVING THE 400 MILES BACK TO MY HOME. THE OFF-ROAD PACKAGE INCLUDES SKID PLATES, HEAVY DUTY SHOCKS, A TOW PACKAGE, THE ALL-IMPORTANT Z71 DECAL, AND UPGRADED TIRES. IT TURNS OUT THAT THE UPGRADE IS NOT TO A STRONGER TIRE, JUST A TIRE THAT'S 1 INCH BIGGER. STILL, THE IMPLICATION IS THAT IT IS SUITABLE FOR THE OFF-ROAD USE DESCRIBED IN THE OWNER'S MANUAL AND IN THEIR ADVERTISEMENTS. THE SAFETY ISSUE IS THAT THESE TIRES ARE MORE SUSCEPTABLE TO DAMAGE WHEN USED OF-ROAD, AND SUBSEQUENT TO FAILURE LATER AT HIGH SPEED WHEN THE DRIVER RETURNS TO THE HIGHWAY THAN TIRES MORE APPROPRIATE TO THE TASK, SUCH AS A LIGHT TRUCK TIRE.*AK