1995 Saturn Sl

MY COMPLAINT IS WITH A DAYTON QUADRA SE TIRE, SIZE P175/70R14 THE TIRE IS 2 YEARS OLD WITH 20,000 MILES AND HAS NEVER BEEN PLUGGED OR PATCHED. IT HAS NEVER BEEN FLAT OR LOW ON AIR PRESSURE. ON SEPT 1 2011 WHILE DRIVING DOWN INTERSTATE 40 NEAR THE FORSYTH-DAVIE COUNTY LINE IN NORTH CAROLINA A PIECE OF THE TIRE'S TREAD SEPARATED FROM THE CORE OF THE TIRE SIMILAR TO THE WAY RECAPPED TIRES DO. THE SEPARATED PIECE IS STILL ATTACHED TO THE TIRE AT ONE POINT BUT THREW ENOUGH RUBBER OFF THAT IT ACTUALLY KNOCKED A HOLE IN THE SATURN'S LEFT REAR QUARTER PANEL. A CRACK NEARLY 5 INCHES LONG. I BELIEVE THIS WAS SIMILAR ISSUE TO THE FIRESTONE TIRES SEPARATING AND BEING BLAMED FOR SUV ACCIDENTS 10 YEARS OR SO AGO. THE TIRE CAUSED NO PERSONAL INJURY BUT I DID LOSE CONTROL DUE TO THE POUNDING CAUSED BY THE LOOSE RUBBER. THE TIRE NEVER LOST AIR PRESSURE. *TR

DRIVING MY 1995 SATURN SL1 AT 65MPH, MY RIGHT FRONT TIRE IMMEDIATELY WENT FLAT. I WAS ABLE TO GUIDE THE CAR TO THE SHOULDER IN LESS THAN 200 YARDS AND CHANGE THE TIRE. THE LOCAL SHOP SAID THE VALVE STEM WAS "DRY ROTTED" AND SO THEY REPLACED IT. VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE OTHER TIRE VALVE STEMS SHOWS CRACKS. THE TIRES WERE INSTALLED AT WAL MART IN SUMMER 2007. *TR

WHILE DRIVING FROM NC TO NY MY TIRE BLEW APART ON INTERSTATE 95 IN RICHMOND, VA. WITH A LARGE HOLE AND A RIP, I WAS ABLE TO PULL OFF THE INTERSTATE. A TOW TRUCK CAME ALONG AND PUT ON MY SPARE AND I DROVE TO BALTIMORE. THE NEXT MORNING A GAS STATION PUT ON A USED TIRE SO I COULD MAKE IT TO NY (IT WAS ALL THEY HAD IN MY TIRE SIZE). WHILE IN NY I TRIED TO REPLACE THE USED TIRE WITH A NEW TIRE BUT THEY COULD NOT GET ONE TO HOLD TO THE WHEEL BECAUSE THE WHEEL WAS BENT. THEY SAID THE USED ONE ADHERED BECAUSE IT WAS SOFTER AND MORE PLIABLE. MY BROTHER TOOK ME TO THE SATURN DEALERSHIP IN LARCHMONT, NY, TO PURCHASE A NEW ALLOY WHEEL, WHICH COST ABOUT $250. I THEN HAD TO HAVE THE WHEEL AND NEW TIRE INSTALLED. I SAVED THE TIRE AND THE OLD WHEEL AND HAVE TAKEN PICTURES. IF YOU ARE INTERESTED, I WILL SEND THEM.( DOT NUMBER: 87T M&S TIRE SIZE: P195/60R15 )

-WHILE TRAVELING MY RIGHT REAR TIRE TREAD COMPLETELY CAME OFF AND WRAPPED UNDER MY CAR. MY SATURN HANDLED BEAUTIFULLY AND I WAS ABLE TO GET TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. I KEEP UP WITH MY TIRES AND THEY WERE MOVED TO THE REAR OF MY CAR IN OCTOBER OF 1999. (I HAVE RECEIPTS) ALSO, MY CAR WAS CHECKED OUT COMPLETELY AT THE SATURN DEALERSHIP IN THE SPRNG AND IN JUNE. TIRES WERE FINE. NO -ONE CAN EXPLAIN WHY THE TREAD CAME COMPLETELY OFF. I STILL HAD GOOD TREAD IN THE TIRE. THE FIRESTONE DEALOR TOLD ME THAT MY CHILDREN AND I WERE COMPLETELY LUCKY BECAUSE MY CAR HAS A LOW CENTER OF GRAVITY. THAT IS WHY WE DIDN'T FLIP. THE TIRE AFTER I PULLED OVER STILL HELD AIR, DESPITE THE COMPLETE MISSING TREAD, WHICH WAS WRAPPED UNDER MY CAR. I HAVE THE TIRE AND THE TREAD WITH ME AND WILL TAKE IT TO MY SATURN DEALERSHIP TOMORROW WHEN THEY CHECK MY CAR FOR ANY DAMAGE. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, PLEASE DON'T HESITATE TO CALL ME. I DON'T WANT SOMEONE GETTING HURT BECAUSE OF THIS. MY THANKS. *AK( DOT NUMBER: FR480 TIRE SIZE: P175/70R14 )

I WAS TRAVELING ON THE FREEWAY AT 65 MILES PER HOUR. THE ROAD CONDITIONS WERE DRY, AND THE WEATHER WAS CLEAR AND WARM. I HEARD A NOISE FROM THE RIGHT-HAND SIDE OF MY VEHICLE, AND I BEGAN TO SLOW DOWN. WHEN I APPLIED PRESSURE TO THE BREAK, I LOST CONTROL OF MY VEHICLE. I BELIEVE THAT I EXPERIENCED TIRE TREAD SEPARATION: THE TREAD WAS COMPLETELY APART FROM THE RIM. THE TREAD WAS GOOD ON THE TIRES. I DID NOT RUN OVER ANY OBJECTS WHICH PUNCTURED THE TIRES. THE TIRE PRESSURE WAS CHECKED ONE WEEK PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT, AND THE PRESSURE WAS NORMAL. MY TIRES WERE MANUFACTURED IN THE 31ST WEEK OF 1994, BUT I DO NOT KNOW FROM WHICH PLANT. MY CAR WAS TOTALED AS A RESULT OF THE TIRE TREAD SEPARATION. THANKFULLY, MYSELF AND MY PASSENGER WALKED AWAY WITH MUSCLE STRAIN AND MINOR INJURIES. HOWEVER, TWO OTHER VEHICLES WERE INVOLVED AS MY CAR SPUN OUT OF CONTROL ACROSS FOUR LANES OF TRAFFIC ON THE FREEWAY. PASSENGERS OF ONE OF THE VEHICLES ARE CLAIMING INJURY. BOTH OTHER VEHICLES SUSTAINED DAMAGE. *AK( DOT NUMBER: W2V9JAI314 TIRE SIZE: P195/60R15 )