1999 Chevrolet Pickup

TIRE CAME APART WHILE DRIVING. NO ROAD HAZARDS OR ANYTHING ON THE ROAD. TIRE MADE A NOISE, PIECES OF RUBBER WERE FALLING ON THE ROAD, TIRE COMPLETELY FAILED AS I PULLED OVER. TREAD WAS PARTIALLY OFF AND CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE TRUCK. I HAVE ELECTRONIC PICTURES. *TS ***DIMSII IVOQ ENTRY POSTED AFTER 12-12-02 CUT OVER TO ARTEMIS***761431

WE OWN A SERVICE COMPANY IN LAS VEGAS. WE HAVE 6 NEW CHEVROLET TRUCKS ALL WITH GENERAL TIRES. 3 ARE 1999 AND 3 ARE 2000. WE HAVE HAD 5 GENERAL TIRE BLOW OUTS IN THE SAME MANNER AS FIRESTONE. NEITHER CHEVROLET, NOR GENERAL WILL RETURN ANY PHONE CALLS OR HELP OUT IN ANY MANNER. THEY ARE MAKING US PAY $100.00 TO REPLACE THE BLOWN TIRE. AND THEY WILL ONLY REPLACE THE TIRE WITH THE SAME MAKE AND MODEL THAT WAS BLOWN. THIS PROBLEM COULD BE LIFE THREATENING, AND NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED. TIRES NEED TO BE RECALLED AND REPLACED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. THUS FAR WE HAVE HAD ONLY DAMAGE TO OUR VEHICLES AS A RESULT TO THE BLOWN TIRES. I DO NOT WISH TO SEE BODILY INJURIES, OR DEATH COME OF THIS SITUATION. I WISH FOR IMMEDIATE ACTION. THANK YOU!*AK( DOT NUMBER: )

I AM NOT CERTAIN IF THESE TIRES HAVE "FAILED". HOWEVER, AFTER INSPECTION, I NOTICED SOME UNEVEN TREAD WEAR AND SUBSTANTIAL CRACKING THROUGHOUT THE TREAD ON EACH TIRE. FOLLOWING A REPORT ON NPR ADVISING CONSUMERS TO REPLACE THE 16" FIRESTONES IN QUESTION, I DID SO. I RETAINED THE RECEIPT AND THE FOUR TIRES REPLACED. I DID NOT REPLACE THE SPARE SINCE IT HAS NEVER BEEN USED. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF FIRESTONE MAY CONSIDER REIMBURSING CONSUMERS OR RECALLING THIS PARTICULAR TIRE TYPE. THANK YOU. *AK( DOT NUMBER: W263/WTS TIRE SIZE: P265/75R16 )