1999 ACURA INTEGRA — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data

FIVE MONTHS (3000 MI) AFTER I PURCHASED A YOKOHAMA ENVIGOR TIRE FOR MY 1999 ACURA I HAD A FLAT TIRE. UPON INSPECTION I NOTICED A 1/4 INCH RUBBER SEPARATION ON THE INSIDE WHEEL WELL. IT DID NOT GO THROUGH THE TIRE WALL AND WAS NOT A SLASH MARK AS IT WAS IRREGULAR AND JAGGED. IT ALSO DID NOT PIERCE THE INTERIOR MESH LINING . THE CAR HAD NOT HIT ANYTHING (I HAVE BEEN DRIVING FOR OVER 45 YEARS). THE TIRE WENT FLAT (FORTUNATELY IT DID NOT HAPPEN THE DAY BEFORE WHILE DRIVING 65MPH ON A FREEWAY. DESPITE THE OBVIOUSLY FAULTY TIRE CONSTRUCTION I WAS TOLD IT WAS CAUSED BY A ROAD HAZARD BY A YOKOHAMA REPRESENTATIVE. WHEN I POINTED OUT THAT THERE WERE ABSOLUTELY NO ABRASIONS NEARBY ON THE TIRE AND THAT THE OPENING WAS IRREGULAR UNLIKE ANY METAL ROAD MATERIAL MIGHT CAUSE THE REPRESENTATIVE SAID ONLY TREAD BOTTOM IRREGULARITIES WERE CONSIDERED IMPERFECTIONS. THE DOT SHOULD MAKE MANUFACTURERS INCLUDE NON REPAIRABLE SIDEWALL DEFECTS AS IMPERFECTIONS AND HAVE AN IMPARTIAL REPRESENTATIVE ENTITY ABLE TO EXAMINE EVIDENCE IN SUCH CASES NOT JUST THE HIGHLY PARTIAL MANUFACTURERS. *TR

DT: HEAD REST WILL NOT ADJUST TO CONSUMER'S HEIGHT. THE HEAD REST HAS ONLY ONE POSITION TO ADJUST, NOT TWO OR THREE. *AK

WHILE DRIVING MY VEHICLE ON THE FREEWAY, A SMALL PLASTIC CLIP DESIGNED TO SECURE AN ENGINE HOSE WORKED ITS WAY LOSE. THE PIECE LANDED ON THE THROTTLE SWITCH WHILE THE SWITCH WAS IN THE OPEN POSITION AND WEDGED ITSELF IN A WAY THAT PREVENTED THE THROTTLE FROM CLOSING. THIS LEFT THE CAR IN PERMANENT ACCELERATION. THE ONLY WAY TO STOP IT WAS TO DROP THE CAR INTO NEUTRAL AND REMOVE THE KEY TO SHUT OFF THE ENGINE. DOING THIS THEN MAKES THE CAR DIFFICULT TO MANAGE BECAUSE OF THE LOSS OF STEERING AND BRAKES. THIS WAS AN EXTRAORDINARILY DANGEROUS SITUATION. THE THROTTLE SHOULD BE SHROUDED SO THAT NO FOREIGN OBJECT HAS ANY CHANCE OF INTERFERING WITH ITS ABILITY TO CLOSE PROPERLY. *JB

WHILE STARTING VEHICLE PASSENGER AND DRIVER AUTOMATIC SEAT BELTS ARE NOT FUNCTIONING CORRECTLY. DRIVER SIDE AUTOMATIC SHOULDER BELT WILL WORK WHEN STARTING VEHICLE; HOWEVER, WHEN SHUTTING IT OFF BELT WILL NOT BE OPERABLE.*AK

I OWN A 1999 ACURA INTEGRA WITH MICHELIN TIRES (P 195/55 R15 84V XGT V4). IN AUGUST, 2000, THE LEFT FRONT TIRE DEVELOPED A QUARTER-SIZED BLISTER ON THE SIDE WALL WHICH APPEARED TO BE CAUSED BY AN INTERNAL AIR LEAK. AT THE TIME, THE TIRES HAD APPROXIMATELY 16,000 MILES ON THEM. UPON OBSERVING THIS BLISTER, I FIRST CONTACTED MY LOCAL ACURA DEALER. I SPOKE TO A MAN IN THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT WHO TOLD ME, WITHOUT EVEN LOOKING AT THE TIRES, THAT THE DAMAGE WAS A ROAD HAZARD AND THEREFORE NOT COVERED BY THE WARRANTY. NOT SATISFIED, I NEXT CONTACTED MICHELIN'S CUSTOMER SERVICE HOTLINE AND WAS INSTRUCTED TO GO TO NATIONAL TIRE AND BATTERY (NTB) IN ELLISVILLE, MISSOURI. UPON WHAT I CONSIDERED VERY CASUAL OBSERVATION, AN NTB SALES REPRESENTATIVE TOLD ME THE DEFECT WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY AND THAT A NEW TIRE WOULD COST $180.00 BECAUSE THE TIRES ARE "HIGH PERFORMANCE". THE SALESMAN FURTHER STATED THAT THE BLISTER PRESENTED A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE WHICH I BELIEVED AT THE TIME AND TOOK SERIOUSLY. THE SALESMAN GAVE ME A 20% CUSTOMER SATISFACTION CREDIT BECAUSE I WAS ANGRY ABOUT THE HIGH REPLACEMENT COST FOR A SINGLE TIRE. I WAS PARTICULARLY ANNOYED BECAUSE THE TIRES WERE RELATIVELY NEW AND DESIGNATED AS "HIGH PERFORMANCE" WHICH SHOULD MEAN THAT THEY ARE GOOD TIRES. LONG STORY SHORT, I GRUDGINGLY PAID $133.70 FOR A NEW TIRE. I ACCEPTED THIS AT THE TIME BECAUSE I HAD NO CHOICE. HOWEVER, I AM NOT SATISFIED WITH THIS TRANSACTION AND FRANKLY, I AM SURPRISED (SUSPICIOUS) THAT THESE HIGH PERFORMANCE TIRES CAN SO EASILY FAIL TO PERFORM SAFELY UNDER NORMAL OPERATING CONDITIONS. PLEASE ASSIST LOG THIS COMPLAINT IN THE EVENT OTHER CONSUMERS ARE EXPERIENCING SIMILAR DIFFICULTIES. AS AN ATTORNEY WHO FORMERLY PROSECUTED CONSUMER FRAUD, I AM SKEPTICAL ABOUT THE CONDUCT OF MICHELIN AND NTB IDENTIFIED ABOVE AND RESPECTIVELY SUGGEST THAT YOUR OFFICE CONSIDER INVESTIGATING THIS MATTER. THANK YOU IN ADVANCE.( DOT NUMBER: )