1996 Geo Metro

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 75 MPH THE PASSENGER FRONT TIRE BLEW OUT. THE SERVICE DEALER FOUND AIR COMING OUT BETWEEN THE VALVE STEM AND THE TIRE. AFTER TEN DAYS, THE DRIVER SIDE FRONT TIRE BLEW OUT WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH. THE SERVICE DEALER FOUND AIR COMING OUT IN THE SAME AREA. THERE WERE NO ACCIDENTS PRIOR TO THESE INCIDENTS. THE PROPER PRESSURE RECOMMENDED BY THE MANUFACTURER WAS UNKNOWN AND PRESSURE CHECKS WERE NOT PERFORMED. THERE WAS ALSO NO VIBRATION BEFORE THE INCIDENT. HE BRAND NAME OF THE TIRE IS TURISMO TWO.

AT 22,000 MILES I NOTICED SLIGHT CUPPING ON RIGHT REAR TIRE. ALSO VEHICLE WAS NOISY AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. MY WIFE TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP AND ASKED THEM TO CHECK THE MCPHERSON STRUTS. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT SAID THAT THIS WEAR PATTERN IS TYPICAL OF GEO METRO AND THAT NOTHING IS WRONG WITH THE STRUTS. THEY RECOMMENDED ROTATING THE TIRES AT 3,000 MILE INTERVALS. AFTER AN ADDITIONAL 5,000 MILES THE OEM TIRE ON THE RIGHT REAR IS CUPPED SO BADLY THAT THE TREAD IS ENTIRELY WORN AWAY IN SOME SPOTS. THE LEFT REAR TIRE HAS BEGUN TO CUP ALSO. I CALLED THE CHEVROLET 800 SERVICE ASSISTANCE NUMBER (1-800-222-1020) AND WAS TOLD THAT THEY KNOW OF NO PROBLEM WITH THE METRO. IF THIS IS A KNOWN DEFECT WITH THE METRO, THERE SHOULD BE AN UPDATE PUBLISHED TO THE OWNERS MANUAL RECOMMENDING EXTREMELY FREQUENT TIRE ROTATION.