1996 Chevrolet Suburban

MY COMPLAINT STEMS FROM AN INCIDENT WITH THE FIRESTONE STEELTEX AT TIRE WHICH LOST IT'S TREAD AND NEARLY KILLED MY FAMILY. REFER TO MY COMPLAINT WHICH I CLASSIFIED UNDER FIRESTONE, LT245/75R16 (JUNE 28TH, 2003). FROM WHAT I HAVE LEARNED SO FAR...FIRESTONE IS BEING TOTALY UNETHICAL REGARDING THEIR RESPONSE TO ALL THESE FAILURES. I ALSO FEEL THAT THIS ORGANIZATION, NHTSA IS NOT REPRESENTING THE TAX PAYERS IN THAT IT IS OBVIOUS FROM ALL THESE REPORTS FILED THAT SOMETHING IS SERIOUSLY WRONG WITH THESE TIRES. WHY DON'T YOU PUT ALL FIRESTONE, STEELTEX, TIRE COMPLAINTS UNDER ONE CATAGORY? YOU ARE WATERING DOWN THE SEVERITY OF THIS BY HAVING 10-15-20 OR MORE DIFFERENT CLASSIFICATIONS WHERE PEOPLE SUCH AS MYSELF LODGE COMPLAINTS. PLEASE DO SOMETHING ABOUT THESE TIRES....MORE PEOPLE WILL LOSE THEIR LIVES UNLESS SOMETHING IS DONE. AK

MY FAMILY AND I WERE NEARLY KILLED WHEN OUR RIGHT REAR TIRE ON OUR 1996 SUBURBAN LOST IT'S TREAD. THE TIRE WAS A FIRESTONE, AT, STEELTEX, 245/75R16. THE TIRE NEVER LOST PRESSURE THE TREAD CAME OFF AND CAUSE US TO GO OUT OF CONTROL INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC WHERE WE NEARLY HIT A PICKUP TRUCK HEAD ON. FROM THE POINT WHERE THE TIRE LOST THE TREAD TO THE TIME THAT I AVOIDED HITTING THE ONCOMING TRUCK WE WERE IN A SKID WHICH WAS ABOUT 100 TO 150 FEET WITH A CHORD LENGHT OF ABOUT 8'. SINCE I HAD OVERCOMPENSATED TO MISS THE ONCOMING TRUCK WE STARTED TO SKID SIDEWAYS WITH THE FRONT TIRES POINTED TOWARDS THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD. AT THE TIME THAT THE VEHICLE LEFT THE ROAD WE WERE JUST PAST PERPENDICULAR TO THE HIGHWAY. I DON'T THINK THAT I HAD APPLIED ANY BRAKES BECAUSE I WAS AFRAID THAT IT WOULD MAKE MATTERS WORSE PERHAPS IT WOULD ROLL. AT THAT TIME WE LEFT THE ROAD...I CRANKED THE WHEEL THE OPPOSITE WAY TO AVOID ROLLING THE VEHICLE. IT STARTED TO GO STRAIGHT FOR A TIME THEN IT SPUN AROUND THE OTHER DIRECTION...WE WERE SKIDDING WITH THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE POINTED TOWARDS THE HIGHWAY. WE SKIDDED SIDEWAYS FOR SEVERAL FEET WHERE WE CAME TO REST NEXT TO A TELEPHONE POLE. MY WIFE, MY 7 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER, AND MY TWIN BABIES LUKE AND MARIN, 2 YEARS OLD WERE IN THE BACK SEAT. EVERYONE WAS SHAKEN UP. LUCKILY NO ONE WAS INJURED. THERE IS APPROXIMATLY $2,500 DAMAGE TO OUR VEHICLE. $1,000 TO THE YARD THAT WE DAMAGED. THE DAY BEFORE OUR TRIP I TOOK THE SUBURBAN TO GET THE TIRES CHECKED AT A FIRESTONE DEALERSHIP. THERE WAS 8/32NDS OF TREAD ON THE TIRES.*AK

THE RIGHT REAR TIRE EXPERIENCED TREAD SEPARATION WHILE DRIVING AT 60 MPH. *JB THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE WENT AIRBORNE AND VIBRATED BADLY. THE VEHICLE IMMEDIATELY STOPPED AND NOTHING APPEARED OUT OF ORDER AND AT THE SPEED OF 40 MPH THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF VIBRATING OR BOUNCING. THE DEALER FOUND THE TIRE TREAD PARTIALLY SEPARATED FROM THE CARCASS, THERE WAS NO LEAKAGE OF AIR, AND NO SPLITTING OF TREAD OR SIDEWALL. THE FIRESTONE DEALER SAID THERE WERE NO RECALLS. (MODEL TIRE/R4S II) *SCC *JB

WHILE TRAVELING ON THE FREEWAY, CONSUMER EDXPERIENCED TREAD SEPARATION, CONSUMER WENT TO A LOCAL FIRESTONE DEALER AND THEY REPLACED THE TIRE AT A DISCOUNT PRICE AND REFUSED TO PROVIDED A FREE REPLACEMENT, CONSUMER IS REQUESTING REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE TIRE AS WELL AS THE FIVE HUNDRED DEDUCTIBILE TO CONSUMER VEHICLE DUE TO THE TREAD SEPARATION WHICH CAUSED DAMAGED TO THE VEHICLE. FIRESTONE LT 245/75R-16 LOAD RANGE E (MS). *JB

PE 00 040/TREAD SEPARATION: BOTH REAR TIRE EXPERIENCED TREAD SEPARATION WHILE TRAVELING AT 75 MPH WITH DRIVER AND SEVEN PASSENGERS, 4 ADULTS AND 3 CHILDREN IN A 1996 CHEVROLET, SUBURBAN; ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT, TIRE SIZE P245/75R16, DOT# UNAVAILABLE. NO DAMAGE OR INJURIES REPORTED. FIRESTONE WAS NOTIFIED, AND WILLING TO ASSIST ON A PRORATE REPLACEMENT ONLY. *AK FIRESTONE STEELTEX R4S, E LOAD. *SLC

THIS IS THE 2ND ONE OF THESE TIRES ON MY SUBURBAN THAT THE TREAD HAD SEPARATED. THE 1ST ONE WAS ON 8/26/2000 AND WAS UNABLE TO GET ANOTHER E RATED TIRE FROM DEALER. I HAD TO TAKE A C RATED TIRE FOR A SPARE. I INTEND TO REPLACE THE REMAING TIRES WITH A DIFFERENT BRAND BEFORE I KILL SOMEONE IN MY FAMILY. THESE TIRES ARE DEFECTIVE AND FIRESTONE WILL ONLY "ADJUST" THEM. PLEASE HELP! LA BURKE. *AK (TIRESIZE: 245/75 16)( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 245/75 16 )