2002 Chevrolet Prizm

I INSTALLED FOUR KUMHO 795 TIRES (P185/65R14) ON 10/03/2006 ON MY 2002 CHEVROLET PRISM LSI. IN NOVEMBER 2008, WITHOUT ANY WARNING, ONE TIRE (FRONT PASSENGER SIDE) RUPTURED ON THE INSIDE SIDE WALL. I WAS LUCKY NOT DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. THE CAR ALMOST LOST CONTROL. I WENT TO THE DEALER (EXECUTIVE WHOLESALE TIRE, ROCKVILLE, MD) AND THE DEALER INSISTED I MUST HAVE HIT A POTHOLE. THIS TIRE WAS REPLACED WITH A KUMHO KR-21 FREE, SINCE KUMHO OFFERED THE ROAD HAZARD WARRANTY ON THE 795 TIRES. AFTER THIS TIRE WAS INSTALLED, THE TIRES WERE ROTATED. ANOTHER KUMHO 795 WAS ROTATED TO THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE. LESS THAN A MONTH LATER, I NOTICED THAT TIRE IS LEAKING AIR SLOWLY. SO I TOOK THE CAR TO EXECUTIVE WHOLESALE TIRE. THEY FOUND A BULGE ON THE INSIDE SIDE WALL, EXACTLY THE SAME LOCATION ON THE OTHER TIRE. THE DEALER STILL INSISTED THAT I MUST HAVE HIT SOMETHING AND THIS TIME I KNOW FOR SURE I DID NOT. BOTH TIRES HAVE LOW MILEAGE AND THE TREAD LOOKS BRAND NEW. FOR SAFETY CONCERNS, I REFUSED AN OFFER TO HAVE IT REPLACED WITH ANOTHER FREE KUMHO TIRE. INSTEAD, I HAVE ALL FOUR KUMHO TIRES REPLACED WITH MICHELIN TIRES. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHEVROLET PRIZM. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH, THE HOOD AUTOMATICALLY DETACHED FROM THE LATCH. THE HOOD SLAMMED AGAINST THE WINDSHIELD, WHICH SHATTERED THE INSIDE AND OUTSIDE GLASS. THERE WAS NO WARNING PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT OBSERVED THAT THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WERE MALFUNCTIONING AFTER THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL INDEPENDENT AUTO SHOP FOR THE WINDSHIELD REPLACEMENT. RECENTLY, THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE HOOD LATCH WAS NOT MALFUNCTIONING. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 118,144 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 118,244. UPDATED 1/9/09 *CN UPDATED 01/14/09. *JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHEVROLET PRIZM. TWO YEARS AGO, THE EMISSIONS CONTROL BOX FAILED AT 41,000 MILES AND CAUSED THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TO ILLUMINATE. AT 72,000 MILES, THE ENGINE HAS A PISTON KNOCK. TWO DIFFERENT MECHANICS STATED THAT THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE ENGINE KNOCKING HAS WORSENED. THE REPAIR HAS NOT BEEN MADE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE WAS A LICENSED MECHANIC AND HAD REGULAR MAINTENANCE PERFORMED ON THE VEHICLE EVERY 3,000 MILES. THE PURCHASE DATE AND SPEED WERE UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 72,000.