2001 FORD F-250 SD Tires Problems

ON SEPTEMBER 12, 2011, A KUMHO ROAD VENTURE AT TIRE, SIZE LT235/85R16, DOT K2ORYD4A3508 (MANUFACTURED AT KUMHO?S BINH DUONG PLANT IN VIETNAM IN THE 35TH WEEK OF 2008) SUFFERED A CATASTROPHIC TREAD SEPARATION, RESULTING IN SEVERE INJURIES TO THE FRONT SEAT PASSENGER OF THE FORD F-250 AND THE DEATH OF HER SON, WHO WAS 32 WEEKS OLD AND STILL IN UTERO. A LAWSUIT HAS BEEN FILED AGAINST KUMHO TIRE CO., INC. AND KUMHO TIRE U.S.A., INC. IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF KANSAS (CASE NO. 2:13-CV-02393-JTM-TJJ). DURING THE DISCOVERY STAGE OF THE CASE, THE PASSENGER RETAINED TROY COTTLES, A RENOWNED TIRE FAILURE EXPERT. AFTER INSPECTING THE SUBJECT TIRE, MR. COTTLES FOUND THE FOLLOWING DEFECTS IN THE SUBJECT TIRE: (1) INADEQUATE BONDING BETWEEN BELTS (TRAPPED AIR/STEAM BLISTER IMPRESSIONS); (2) PREMATURE OXIDATION OF THE BELT SKIMS; (3) BELTING DEFECTS (COINCIDENTAL BELT ENDINGS, IRREGULAR BELT WIRE SPACING, GAPPED BELT...

TIRE BLOWOUT WITH COMPLETE TREAD SEPARATION WHILE TRAVELING ON INTERSTATE PULLING A HORSE TRAILER. WAS ABLE TO SAFELY PULL TO SHOULDER & CHANGE TIRE FOR SPARE. TREAD DAMAGED TRUCK PANEL, TAILPIPE & BENT FRONT AXLE OF TRAILER. TIRES WERE WELL MAINTAINED AND HAD BEEN CHECKED BEFORE DEPARTURE. TIRES WERE NITTO TERRA GRAPPLER LT 285/75R16 126/123Q LOAD RANGE E. *TR

I HAD ANOTHER UNIROYAL LIBERATOR TIRE (265/75/16 E-RATED, LIGHT TRUCK TIRE) FAILURE. BOTH TIRES FAILED WITHIN ONE THOUSAND MILES OF EACH OTHER AND IN THE SAME EXACT WAY. I FILED A COMPLAINT WITH NHTSA ON THE FIRST TIRE APPROX. 2-MONTHS AGO. BOTH TIRES AT ABOUT 35 TO 36,000 MILES, WHILE DRIVING AT SPEEDS APPROACHING 65 MPH FORMED A BALLOON ON TOP OF THE TREAD CAUSING AN IMBALANCE. AFTER CHANGING THE TIRE, IT EXPLODED IN THE BED OF MY TRUCK. IT WAS OBVIOUS TO ME THAT A TREAD SEPARATION HAD OCCURRED. ONE COULD SEE THE SMOOTH AREAS WHERE THE TREAD HAD SEPARATED FROM THE BELT CARCASS VERSUS THE AREA WHERE THE TREAD PULLED AWAY WHEN IT EXPLODED. THESE UNIROYAL LIBERATORS SHOULD BE RECALLED BECAUSE OF HOW QUICKLY THIS FAILURE OCCURS. BOTH TIRES HAD PLENTY OF TREAD AND WERE RUN WITHIN THE PROPER PRESSURE RANGES (70 TO 80 PSI). I HAVE SENT...

DRIVING MY TRUCK ON HIGHWAY. THE SPARE TIRE CABLE BROKE THE TIRE WENT UNDER A TRAILER AND BENT TWO RIMS AND THE AXLE. I BOUGHT THE TRUCK NEW HAS 60,900 MILES THE SPARE HAS NEVER BEEN OF THE TRUCK. *TR

I'VE HAD TWO OF THE TIRES GOING 65-70 MPH BASICALLY GO FLAT AND TEAR INTO PIECES AFTER ONLY A FEW SECONDS. BOTH TIMES THERE IS HARDLY NO IDENTIFYING PARTS OF THE TIRE LEFT ON THE RIM. THE LAST TIME I WAS HAULING A 20' TRAILER WHEN IT WENT FLAT AND TORE TO SHREDS. THE FIRST TIME I WAS DRIVING WITH NO TRAILER AND I HEARD IT GO FLAT THEN THE TIRE JUST TORE TO SHREDS ALSO. THESE TIRE ARE ONLY A YEAR OLD. IT DID BEND THE REAR QUARTER PANEL. A EMPLOYEE WAS BEHIND ME AND SAID BASICALLY THE WHOLE TIRE CAME OFF THE RIM AND WENT ACROSS THE MEDIAN OF THE INTERSTATE. *TR

I WAS DRIVING ON A 2-LANE STATE HIGHWAY AT APPROXIMATELY 65MPH. MY PICKUP IS A 2001 FORD SUPERDUTY DIESEL SUPERCAB 4X4. THE WEATHER WAS OVERCAST, TEMPERATURE ABOUT 75 DEGREES. I WAS PULLING AN 18' FLATBED "CAR HAULER" TYPE TRAILER, TOTAL WEIGHT (TRAILER & LOAD) APPROXIMATELY 1,000LBS. I HAD DRIVEN 60 MILES WITH NO INDICATION OF VIBRATION OR PROBLEMS. I STOPPED FOR AN HOUR THEN RESUMED DRIVING. I NOTICED SOME VIBRATION, SO STOPPED AND CHECKED BOTH PICKUP AND TRAILER TIRES. INFLATION WAS GOOD AND THERE WERE NO INDICATIONS OF PROBLEMS WITH ANY TIRES. I CONTINUED MY TRIP. WITHIN THE NEXT 5 MILES THE TREAD SEPARATED FROM THE LEFT FRONT (DRIVERS SIDE) TIRE ON MY PICKUP. THE PICKUP IMMEDIATELY LURCHED TO THE LEFT ACROSS THE CENTERLINE. I REGAINED CONTROL AND WAS ABLE TO PULL OFF THE SHOULDER WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. THE TREAD SEPARATION DAMAGED THE FENDER, RUNNING BOARD, INNER FENDER, INSULATION LINER,...

I WAS DRIVING MY 2001 F250 FORD TRUCK AND PULLING A TRAILER. I WAS TRAVELING AT A SPEED OF 60 MPH ON A TWO- LANE HWY. I HAD JUST CHECKED ALL THE TIRES FOR CORRECT AIR PRESSURE BEFORE LEAVING HOME SINCE I WAS TAKING A LOAD OF PIGS TO MARKET. WITHOUT WARNING, SUDDENLY I WAS IN AN UNCONTROLLABLE JERK LEFT INTO THE ONCOMING LANE. FORTUNATELY, I WAS ABLE TO GAIN CONTROL JUST IN TIME TO AVOID A HEAD-ON COLLISION AS MY TRUCK WENT INTO THE DITCH AND STOPPED. THE COMPLETE OUTER LAYER OF RUBBER CAME OFF MY LEFT FRONT TIRE AND WRAPPED ITSELF AROUND THE INSIDE DISC BRAKE/AXLE ASSEMBLY AND TORE OFF ALL OF THE BRAKE LINES FROM THEIR MOORING LEADING TO THE LEFT FRONT BRAKE. (I ONLY HAVE 23,400 MILES ON THIS TRUCK AND HAVE HAD NO OTHER TIRE INCIDENTS). I HAD TO REMOVE THE TIRE WHICH STAYED INFLATED...

NONE AT THIS TIME. *YT

SUBJECT OF COMPLAINT: GOODYEAR, TRAIL MARK M&S LT235/85R16 12/1160, DOT PJCR C9KV 0703. MILEAGE ON TIRE AT TIME OF BLOWOUT: 37580.4; MIN TREAD DEPTH: 3/8"; EVEN WEAR; NO SIDEWALL DAMAGE PRIOR TO BLOWOUT; INFLATED TO DEALER SPEC (CHECKED INFLATION THAT AM). VEHICLE: FORD F250 LONG BED, SUPER DUTY TRUCK. TIRE PURCHASED AT AND INSTALLED BY FORD DEALERSHIP. INCIDENT: PASSENGER REAR TIRE BLOW OUT RENDERED TIRE INTO 3 INDEPENDENT PARTS: INSIDE AND OUTSIDE RIMS AND TREAD. DRIVING UPHILL PULLING SMALL, DUAL-AXLE ALPACA TRAILER (EMPTY) AT 55 MPH AT APPROXIMATELY 3 PM PDT; MAINTAINED VEHICLE CONTROL, PULLED TO SIDE OF I-80 JUST WEST OF RENO, NV. CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY PATROL RESPONDED WITH ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE. REPLACED REMAINING TIRES WITH TOYO COMMERCIAL TIRES, NOT TAKING ANY MORE CHANCES WITH GOODYEAR OR FORD DEALERSHIP.*JB

DT: CONTACT HAS DEFECTIVE TIRES ON HER VEHICLE. THE TIRE MANUFACTURER IS CONTINENTAL TIRE COMPANY OF NORTH AMERICA INC. THE CONTACT STATED HER TIRE HAD A BULGE. THEN IN JUNE OF LAST YEAR TWO OF HER TIRES HAD A BULGE. SHE WENT TO THE DEALER AND HE DUPLICATED THE WEAR ON TIRES ,AND PUT SOME BRAND NEW TIRES ON HER VEHICLE. THE NEW TIRES WAS THE SAME MANUFACTURER. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT ON APRIL 1ST OF THIS YEAR THE TRUCK BEGAN TO SHAKE, AND SHE SAW THAT THERE WAS A BULDE ON HER TIRES THE CONTACT WAS ON A BUSY HIGHWAY AND SHE COULD NOT CHANGE THE TIRES AT THE POINT SO SHE WAS GOING TO DRIVE TO A SAFE PLACE TO WERE SHE COULD CHANGE THE TIRES WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY. THE TIRE BLEW AND DAMAGED HER VEHICLE. THE DEALER SAID THAT THEY WOULD NOT REPLACE THE...

I WAS DRIVING MID DAY IN AZ IN MY F-250 XLT CREW CAB TRUCK WHEN I NOTICED A SLIGHT VIBRATION. I CHANGED LANES AND IT DID NOT GO AWAY. I STARTED TO SLOW DOWN WHEN BAM THE TIRE BLEW. I GOT OVER TO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD AND INSPECTED THE TIRE. IT DID NOT LOSE AIR AT ALL ONLY THE TREAD HAD DELAMINATED FROM IT. HOWEVER THE TREAD HAD TORN UP THE SIDE OF MY VEHICLE AS WELL AS THE CHROME NERF BARS AND THE WHEEL WELLS THEMELF. I THEN MADE THE DECISION TO DRIVE ON THE TIRE TO THE NEXT STOP THATWAS ONLY 4-5 MILES AHEAD TO CHANGE THE TIRE IN THE SHADE AND WELL AWAY FROM HEAVY TRAFFIC. ONCE IN TUCSON I DID NOT DRIVE THE VEHICLE AGAIN UNTIL THE RETURN TRIP HOME. AT APPROXIMATELY 60 MILES FROM TUCSON ANOTHER VIBRATION OCCURED. I SLOWED DOWN AND EXITED...

HAD TWO LT 265 75R16 (C RATED) GOODYEAR WRANGLER AT/S REPLACED ON MY F 250 DIESEL CREW CAB 4X4 LONG BED ON THE REAR BECAUSE THESE WERE THE WRONG LOAD RATING STATED IN FORD MAINTENANCE BOOK. THESE WERE REPLACED WITH THE SAME TIRE EXCEPT THEY ARE NOW E RATED. ONCE ON THE FREEWAY AND BEGAN LANE CHANGES OR LONG SWEEPING TURNS I FELT I HAD A FLAT. I WAS LOSING CONTROL OF THE TRUCK. I IMMEDIATELY SLOWED DOWN AND LOOKED FOR A PLACE TO TURN OFF ONCE OFF THE OVER PASS. I INSPECTED THE TIRES AND THERE DID NOT APPEAR TO BE ANYTHING WRONG WITH THEM. THE FOLLOWING DAY I WENT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP THAT REPLACED THE TIRE AND A MECHANIC OF THEIRS TOOK IT FOR A TEST DRIVE. HE TOO FELT THE TRUCK LOSE ITS STEERABILTY. WE WENT BACK TO THE SHOP AND HE VISUALY INSPECTED THE TIRES...