1998 Chevrolet Silverado 3500

COMPLETE TREAD SEPARATION, MUCH LIKE DESCRIBED ON FORD EXPLORER INCIDENTS. IN OUR CASE (LUCKILY) I COULD MAINTAIN VEHICLE CONTROL, SINCE THE TIRE DID NOT BLOW OUT. I SUSPECT FIRESTONE HAS QUALITY PROBLEMS ON TIRES OTHER THAN THE EXPLORER SIZE. THE INCIDENT COULD HAVE BEEN MUCH MORE SERIOUS IF THE TIRE HAD BLOWN. NOTE THAT THE WHILE THE BASIC CHASSIS IS A CHEVROLET (EXPRESS VAN), IT WAS MODIFIED TO A MOTOR HOME BY HOME & PARK MOTORHOMES, 100 SHIRLEY AVE., KITCHENER, ONTARIO, CANADA N2B 2E1 TEL. 519-745-1169. WHILE ON A '98 CHEVROLET CHASSIS, THE MOTORHOME IS DESCRIBED AS A '99 ROADTREK 200. IF YOU CAN PROVIDE INFORMATION ON HOW TO DETERMINE "DOT" IDENTIFICATION, I WILL BE HAPPY TO TRY TO GET YOU THAT INFO. NOTE THAT THE FAILED TIRE WAS TRADED IN ON A NEW TIRE AT DORSEY TIRE & TRAILER, PO BOX 1157, BRUNSWICK, GA 31521, TEL. 912-261-9947, SO MAY HAVE BEEN DISCARDED. I ASSUME THE OTHER 4 TIRES WOULD HAVE THE SAME DOT INFO. DORSEY'S PAPERWORK LISTED "DOT OFF/BRAND" AS SP872KD120 AND "DOT ON/BRAND" AS V611B1C2700. PERHAPS THIS IS THE DATA YOU NEED. ALSO, THERE WERE A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT NUMBERS MOLDED INTO THE OUTER WALL OF THE TIRE: E.G. 120/116R & TPC SPEC 2012MS. I FOUND YOUR FORMAT FOR THE "FAILED COMPONENT/PART INFORMATION" A TAD CONFUSING - SUGGEST 2 SETS OF BOXES: ONE FOR DESCRIPTION, LOCATION ETC. AND ANOTHER FOR CRASH, FIRE ETC.( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: LT245/75R1 )

BRAKE PEDAL ALWAYS LOW, SOFT, SOMETIMES STAND ON IT WITH BOTH FEET TO STOP TRUCK, WORSE WITH LOAD IN IT. REPLACED PADS AND SHOES AT 15,000 MILES. BETTER, BUT STILL REQUIRES YOUR UNDIVIDED ATTENTION WHEN BRAKING.THE PROBLEM CAN BE BEST SUMMARIZED AS FOLLOWS: I WOULD USE MY LANDSCAPE TRAILER BRAKES TO HELP STOP THIS TRUCK. ON MY NEW FORD F350, I HAVE YET TO HOOK UP THE TRAILER BRAKE CONTROLLER AND THE TRUCK STOPS ON A DIME-REPEATEDLY-PULLING THE SAME TRAILER.VERY UNSAFE BRAKES ON THE CHEVY-I OWNED THREE 1998 CHEVY TRUCKS-ALL HAD TERRIBLE BRAKE PERFORMANCE.

THE PROBLEM I AM CONTACTING YOU ABOUT IS UNINTENDED ACCELERATION AFTER SELECTING REVERSE. I BROUGHT THIS VEHICLE IN TO MY SELLING DEALER 13 TIMES FOR THIS PROBLEM. GM WAS APPARENTLY AWARE OF THIS ISSUE AND CALLED IT AN "IDLE FLARE-UP". WHEN THIS VEHICLE HAD IT'S "IDLE FLARE-UP" IT WOULD SUDDENLY SURGE BACKWARDS 6 INCHES TO 6 FEET, DEPENDING ON THE SEVERITY OF THE "FLARE-UP" AND HOW QUICKLY I COULD GET THE VEHICLE STOPPED.SOMETIMES IT WOULDN'T DO IT FOR SEVERAL WEEKS, THEN IT WOULD DO IT 5 OR 6 TIMES IN ONE DAY.GM ENGINEERING HAD THE DEALER PERFORM 3 DIFFERENT TRANSMISSION REPAIRS TO ATTEMPT AND CORRECT THIS PROBLEM. A GM ENGINEER EVEN CAME OUT AND DROVE THE TRUCK ONCE, COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE CONCERN, (HENCE THE TERM "INTERMITTENT"), AND THEN DECLINED TO RECOMMEND A BUYBACK OR TRADE ASSIST. IT WAS SUGGESTED THAT PERHAPS I WAS MAKING THIS UP TO GET RID OF THE TRUCK. I AM A LANDSCAPE CONTRACTOR, DURING MY BUSIEST TIME OF YEAR, WASTING TIME AND ENERGY ON THIS MATTER. FURTHERMORE , IT HAS COST ME THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS TO GET RID OF THIS CHEVY AND PURCHASE A NEW FORD. GM HAS A PROBLEM THAT THEY ARE AWARE OF WITH THEIR 6.5 POWERTRAIN AND REFUSES TO ADDRESS IT. GO GET 'IM.*AK

WHILE DRIVING INTO TOWN WITH A SNOW PLOW ON THE TRUCK APPROACHED AN INTERSECTION AND SHIFTED TO THIRD GEAR TO SLOW DOWN, STEPPED ON BRAKES AND THERE WAS NOTHING. PUMPED THE BRAKES, AND STILL NOTHING. PUT THE EMERGENCY BRAKES ON AND FINALLY STOPPED. CONTACTED DEALER, AND DEALER REPLACED THE MASTER CYLINDER. DEALER REFUSED TO GIVE OLD PARTS. *AK

I HAVE HAD THIS TRUCK AT GLOCKNER CHEVROLET IN PORTSMOUTH, OHIO 45662 FOR REPAIR ABOUT 10 TO TWELVE TIMES NOW. THIS PROBLEM IS NOT BEING SOLVED. I HAVE CONTACTED GM SEVERAL TIMES (OVER 30) TO GET THIS TRUCK FIXED. I ASKED FOR A AREA VEHICLE MANAGER TO COME DOWN AND LOOK AT THIS TRUCK AND I HAVE HAD NO SUCCESS IN EVEN GETTING A RETURN PHONE CALL. I HAVE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH SEVERAL GM REPS. ABOUT THIS PROBLEM THAT IS PUTTING ME AT RISK OF HAVING AN ACCIDENT BUT THIS DOESN'T SEEM TO BE ANY CONCERN OF THEIRS. I FINALLY GOT 1 PERSON TO GIVE ME THEIR DIRECT LINE TO HELP ME WITH THIS PROBLEM. THE PERSON IS JOE PACHECO AT 1-800-43-FLEET. I AM STILL HAVING NO SATISFACTION IN GETTING THIS PROBLEM RESOLVED. TODAY MY TRUCK IS BACK IN THE SHOP. THIS IS THE 3RD TIME IN THE PAST TWO WEEKS. I WOULD APPRECIATE IN INSIGHT YOU CAN GIVE ME ON THIS SITUATION. MY NEXT STEP WAS GOING TO SEE AN ATTORNEY, BUT I AM HOPING THAT IT DOESN'T HAVE TO COME TO THAT. THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR 16 MONTHS NOW. THANK YOU, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR