This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
Brand new set of 4 tires, FR440 (dot no.hyrc4fb4703) P195/65R14 purchased from Firestone in May 2005. Checked air and adjusted after 100 miles as advised, and monthly thereafter. July 13th, 3000 miles later, front driver-side tire blew, while doing 70 mph at 6am (not hot enough for tires to be too hot, only on road for approx. 7 minutes when it happened). Golf ball size holes in a pattern blown out half way around the tire on the sidewall, and can see the pattern continuing the rest of the way. Firestone replaced tire for $9 due to my road hazard purchase, but wouldn't cover the cost to get a new wheel, control arm, sway bar, axle, strut & strut mount. $500 worth of damage to my 97 Mazda 626lx; could've been more, but a friend, my boyfriend & myself did all of the work. A shop would have been much more costly. Firestone Tennessee office "investigated" and blamed it on: "our inspection showed deformation and rim flange grooving...we did observe signs that the tire has been operated for an unkown period of time in an over-deflected state causing the detachment you experienced." The first shop we took it to at the time of the incident advised us that it was a faulty tire and even though they'd sell us a new tire, to take it back to where we purchased it as the seller should be responsible; that if it was their tire, they'd replace the tire, wheel & pay for any other damage as a result. Wished I had bought my tires from them.
Consumer was not notified of recall on tires which were practically bald at 14,400 miles. While driving the vehicle would skid off the road when turning into driveway and while driving in the snow (Firestone/Bridgestone all season radial, tires size P19565sr14). Nlm
Bridgestone radial tires P195/65R14 experienced the beginning of tread separation, there was a small hole in middle of tire and when tire was removed, tire caved in the middle and all around the tire.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Kansas City, KS, USA