NHTSA Complaint #766945 — 2000 CHEVROLET PICKUP

THE END OF JULY, MY RIGHT FRONT TIRE DEVELOPED A BUBBLE AND SOME SEPARATION. I HAD THE TIRE REPLACED AND HAD THE REMAINDER CHECKED AND ROTATED. ON AUGUST 17 WHILE ON MY WAY HOME FROM TUCSON, THE RIGHT REAR TIRE SEPARATED AND BLEW. WE WENT OFF THE ROAD AND ROLLED INTO A PALO VERDE TREE. LUCKILY, MYSELF AND MY PASSENGER ESCAPED WITH MINOR CUTS AND BRUISES. THE INSURANCE COMPANY TOTALLED MY VEHICLE. THEY DID NOT COVER ANYWHERE NEAR REPLACEMENT VALUE OF THE TRUCK NOR MY WELDING EQUIPMENT WHICH WAS ALSO TOTALLED. I BELIEVE THAT GENERAL TIRE SHOULD BE MADE TO COMPENSATE ME FOR THESE LOSSES. SINCE THE ACCIDENT, I'VE DONE SOME RESEARCH INTO THE INCIDENCE OF TIRE SEPARATION ON GENERAL TIRES. SPECIFICALLY, THE AMERI 550 AS HAS A HIGHER CLAIM RATE (124.4/MILLION) THAN THE FIRESTONE TIRES WHICH WERE RECALLED (15/MILLION). OVER AND ABOVE THE MONETARY LOSSES, I FEEL VERY LUCKY TO BE ALIVE. THIS BRINGS ME TO MY MAJOR CONCERN, THE IDEA THAT MAYBE THE NEXT PERSON DRIVING ON THESE TIRES MIGHT NOT BE SO LUCKY. GENERAL TIRE NEEDS TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE.