2000 Subaru Outback

TIRE SEAM BLEW OUT IN PERFECT CIRCUMFERENCE ACCOMPANIED BY PROFUSE SMOKE. EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SITUATION SINCE I COULD NOT SEE WHAT WAS HAPPENING TO MY CAR DUE TO THE SMOKE. I THOUGHT I BLEW A GASKET. BROUGHT TIRE TO FIRESTONE DEALER WHERE THEY DID A SOAP TEST. NO PUNCTURES WERE THERE EXCEPT THE COMPLETE BREAKDOWN OF THE SEAM ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE TIRE. THEY REPLACED IT, HOWEVER THEY REPLACED IT WITH ANOTHER WILDERNESS TIRE. IN THE 28 YEARS OF DRIVING I HAVE HAD, I HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED A BLOW OUT LIKE THIS OR EVEN SEEN ONE. THE DEGREE OF SMOKE AND PERFECT FAILURE OF THE SEAM POINT TO A PROBLEM WORTHY OF YOUR INVESTIGATION. PLEASE NOTIFY ME, IN KIND, OF THE PROCEDURE YOU WILL UNDER TAKE TO INSURE THAT THE THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE DRIVING THE NEW 2000 OUTBACK EQUIPPED WITH THE WILDERNESS TIRES WILL BE SAFE FROM HARM. I BELIEVE WITH ALL MY HEART THAT THERE IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM HERE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE AND SUPPORT IN THIS MATTER. *NLM **DIMSII IVOQ ENTRY POSTED AFTER 12/12/02 CUT-OVER TO ARTEMIS*734292

I WAS GOING THE SPEED LIMIT OUTSIDE OF LA AND MY TIRE SHREDDED INTO 3 PERFECT PIECES. THERE IS A TINY HOLE IN THE TIRE BUT I HAVE ONLY SEEN A TIRE DETERIORATE SUCH AS THIS ON THE NEWS WITH THE CASES OF RECALLED TIRES. PLEASE TELL ME THAT THERE ARE MORE TIRES OUT THERE THAN MINE DOING THIS AND IT IS NOT JUST COINCIDENCE MY TIRE WAS MADE IN THE SAME PLANT AS ALL OF THE RECALLED TOO. JUNK....JUST JUNK I TELL YA. AND IF I HAD BEEN DRIVING AN EXPLORER I PROBABLY WOULD NOT BE HERE WRITTING YOU TODAY. *AK (DOT NUMBER: W2XO W66 TIRESIZE: 225/60R16)

WITH LESS THAN 1,000 MILES ON A BRAND NEW SUBARU OUTBACK, I HAD AN UNEXPLAINED FLAT TIRE (NO NAIL/SCREW/OBVIOUS DAMAGE)ON MY WAY TO WORK. I HAD TO REPLACE THE TIRE DUE TO THE FACT I DROVE ON IT BRIEFLY AND DAMAGED THE TIRE BEYOND REPAIR (COST $165). 8/15, WITH LESS THAN 8,000 MILES ON THE CAR, I WAS DRIVING AT 25- 30 MPH AND HEARD A "POP". AS THE CAR'S HANDLING CHANGED I REALIZED I HAD HAD A BLOW OUT AND PULLED OVER. SUBARU ROADSIDE EMERGENCY SERVICE ASSISTED ME (CASE#SUB0008000902). THE FOLLOWING DAY, I PURCHASED 4 REPLACEMENT MICHELIN TIRES AND REPORTED MY PROBLEM TO FIRESTONE (FILE # 262-223). I HOPE TO GET FINANCIAL SATISFACTION FROM FIRESTONE. I RECEIVED NO SUPPORT FROM THE CAR DEALERSHIP UNINTERESTED IN MY DILEMMA.( DOT NUMBER: W2KO W66 TIRE SIZE: P22560R16 )

I AM NOT SURE IF I HIT THE CENTER ISLAND AND BOTH TIRES BLEW OR BOTH TIRES BLEW AND I HIT THE CENTER ISLAND. IF I HIT THE CENTER ISLAND AND BOTH TIRES BLEW, THEN THERE IS A PROBLEM SINCE THIS IS AN OFF-THE-ROAD VEHICLE AND THE TIRES SHOULD NOT HAVE SUSTAINED ANY DAMAGE. IF THE TIRES BLEW, AND THEN I HIT THE ISLAND, THEN WE HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM AS THE OTHER FIRESTONE TIRES. EITHER WAY IS NOT GOOD. I LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE TEMPORARILY, BUT WAS ABLE TO BRING IT TO A STOP WITHOUT SUSTAINING ANY BODY DAMAGE. ONLY THE WHEELS WERE DESTROYED ALONG WITH BOTH LEFT SIDE TIRES. I NOTIFIED MY INSURANCE COMPANY, STATE FARM, OF MY SUSPICIONS OF FIRESTONE TIRES AND ALSO THE DEALER. BUT, THIS SIZE WAS NOT INCLUDED ON THE RECALL. I BELIEVE THAT THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG. STATE FARM HAS TAKEN PICTURES OF THE TIRES THROUGH THE BODY SHOP. *AK( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P22560697H )