1994 Chevrolet Suburban

The contact owns a 1994 Chevrolet Suburban equipped with two Lionhart Tires, Tire Line: LHS, Tire Size: 305/30/ZR26, DOT Number: TB2ACY50. The contact stated that he had installed two Lionhart tires on the front of the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle was a secondary vehicle that was not driven often. The contact stated that he observed a bulge on the tire, and the tire sidewall was separating from the tread next to the bulge. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate vehicle failure mileage was 4,500 on a new installed engine. The tire failure mileage was 2,000.

AFTER I PURCHASED A REPLACEMENT SET OF TIRES ( IDENTICAL TO ORIGINAL EQMT TIRES) I NOTED A VIBRATION WOULD DEVELOP ABOVE 63 MPH. I TOOK THE CAR BACK TO DEALER ( A FIRESTONE STORE )... THEY RE-BALANCED THE TIRES...THE VIBRATION CONTINUED...A SECOND TRIP TO THE DEALER RESULTED IN NOTHING- THEY SAID THE PROBLEM MUST BE IN THE VEHICLE EVEN THOUGH I POINTED OUT THERE WAS NO VIBRATION WITH THE OLD TIRES...THEY REFUSED TO TEST DRIVE THE CAR. AFTER DRIVING THE VEHICLE SOME 43,000 MILES ( MOSTLY STAYING AROUND 60 MPH) ONE TIRE BLEW OUT IN THE SIDEWALL WITH A RADIAL FAILURE FROM THE TREADBELT TO THE BEAD.. A 'CATASTROPHIC' FAILURE. NO ACCIDENT OR DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE RESULTED BUT THE VIBRATION WENT AWAY AS SOON AS THE SPARE HIT THE ROAD. THE DEALER ADJUSTED AT 50% COST OF A NEW TIRE ON A "ROAD HAZARD" WARRANTY EVEN THOUGH THE TIRE WAS OBVIOUSLY DEFECTIVE FROM NEW. NOW I AM RUNNING ON 3 REMAINING TIRES AND NOW FIND A SIMULAR VIBRATION DEVELOPS AT 70 MPH. *AK (TIRESIZE: 245 75 R16)

I HAVE HAD 7 BRIDGESTONE (EITHER DUELER A/T AND OR DUELER H/T DEVELOPE LUMPS ON THE TIRE TREAD AND BLOW OUT VIOLENTLY 3 WITHIN 30 SECONDS, 3 WITHIN 1 MILE AND 1 HAD A LUMP AS I AM WRITING THIS COMPLAINT FORM. I HAVE HAD PASSENGERS ON 3 OCCATIONS, LUCKILY I WAS ABLE TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE AND COME TO A SAFE STOP.*AK (DOT NUMBER: D689Q TIRESIZE: LT24575R16)

APPROXIMATELY 80% OF THE TREAD SEPARATED FROM THE TIRE CARCASS. IT REMAINED ATTACHED TO THE TREAD WHICH WAS STILL ATTCHED TO THE CARCASS AND DAMAGED THE LEFT REAR FENDER AND DOOR (APPROXIMATELY $800 IN DAMAGE + $125 COST OF THE TIRE, SEE LATER). THE CARCASS BLEW OUT IMMEDIATELY. CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE WAS NOT LOST. I SENT THE TIRE TO FIRESTONE FOR ANALYSIS AND POSSIBLE COVERAGE OF MY DAMAGE DUE TO A PRODUCT DEFECT. THEIR RESPONSE WAS THAT THE TIRE HAD BEEN DAMAGED BY A ROAD HAZARD AND THEY WERE THEREFORE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DAMAGES. IN ANY EVENT, I DON'T BELIEVE THAT THEIR TIRE SHOULD CATASTROPHICALLY FAIL BUT I DIDN'T BELIEVE I WOULD HAVE MUCH SUCCESS FIGHTING THEIR DECISION. THE TIRE ITSELF WAS COVERED BY A ROAD HAZARD WARRENTEE AND WAS REPLACED FREE OF CHARGE. THE TIRES WERE NEARING THE END OF THEIR SERVICE LIFE BUT STILL HAD A DEPTH OF TREAD WITHIN LEGAL REQUIREMENTS. I HAVE SINCE REPLACED ALL 4 TIRES WITH THOSE OF ANOTHER MANUFACTURER. I SEND YOU THIS INFORMATION FOR USE IN YOUR CURRENT ANALYSIS OF PROBLEMS WITH THESE SIZE TIRES. ULTIMATELY, I WOULD BE SATISFIED WITH REINBURSEMENT FO THE BODY REPAIR ON MY VEHICLE. THE TIRES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE OF NORMAL (AND ACCEPTABLE) WEAR. (TIRESIZE: 245-75R16)( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 245-75R16 )