I purchased a 2006 Pontiac GTO in August 2007. After driving for 1 month, I parked the car in my garage and was deployed overseas to iraq for 3 months. After returning, and driving my car for approximately 6 months, with a total car mileage of less than 20,000, my front tire unexpectedly started to fray and caught on to the axle as I was driving on the highway in may of 2008. The tire literally started to unravel like a ball of yarn. I took my car into the Pontiac dealership at 16200 frederick rd, gaithersburg, md 20898. The service mechanic informed me that low tire pressure caused the tire to rub against the strut and that is what caused the tire failure. I was also told that both front tires needed replacement. At that time, I just had the one tire replaced and the tires rotated. On October 2, while taking my car in for an oil change, I received a call from the dealer saying I needed two new front tires, as the inner tread had started to wear quite rapidly and was becoming dangerous. My car has less than 21,000 miles on it, with tire pressure inspected, and if needed, filled on a bi-weekly basis. I did some research and it appears this is a common occurrence with my vehicle make. I feel this is a defect in the design of the car. All of the parts on my car are directly from the factory and it has never been raced or abused. I drive my car each day less than 5 miles, as I take public transportation to work. My car is mainly a weekend car, with little use during the week. I have owned 2 separate cars in the past and have never had this problem. I realize my car is a high-performance vehicle, but other cars of the same category do not have this problem.

- Germantown , MD, USA