CONTINENTAL CONTITRAC TIRES Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD EXPEDITION. THE VEHICLE HAS CONTINENTAL CONTITRAC TR TIRES, SIZE P265/70 R17. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD NOISE COMING FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. FROM THE DRIVER'S SIDE REARVIEW MIRROR, HE NOTICED A LARGE PORTION OF THE REAR DRIVER'S SIDE TIRE SEPARATING. THE CONTACT PULLED THE VEHICLE OFF THE ROAD AND NOTICED THE TREAD OF THE TIRE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROADWAY. ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE ARRIVED AND REPLACED THE TIRE. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER OF THE TIRES AND IS WAITING ON SOME PAPERWORK. HE BELIEVES THAT A RECALL SHOULD BE ISSUED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 126,000. UPDATED 07/28/09 *BF UPDATED 07/30/09.*JB

DRIVING WHEN MY REAR DRIVER SIDE TIRE EXPLODED SEPARATED CAUSING MY ASCENDER ISUZU 2005 TO SERVE AND ALMOST LOSE CONTROL AND CAUSE OVER $ 5,000 IN DAMAGE. *TR

COMPLETE TREAD SEPARATION AROUND ENTIRE SIDEWALL ON LEFT (DRIVER) REAR CONTINENTAL CONITRAC TR LT275/70R18 125/122S TIRE WHILE DRIVING AT 55MPH ON PAVEMENT. THE VEHICLE WAS A FORD F-350 SUPER DUTY PICKUP CARRYING NO LOAD. ALL TIRES ON THE TRUCK ARE FACTORY ORIGINAL WITH 14,600 MILES AND EVEN TREAD WEAR. THERE APPEARED TO BE NO CHECKING OR OTHER DAMAGE TO THE TIRE PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT. ALL TIRES WERE INFLATED AT RECOMMENDED LEVELS. THE TIRE IS AVAILABLE FOR PHYSICAL INSPECTION. I ALSO HAVE PHOTOS OF THE TIRE DAMAGE. NO DAMAGE OCCURRED TO THE VEHICLE WHEN STOPPING AFTER THE INCIDENT. *TR

THE STOCK TIRES PROVIDED WITH THE 2008 FORD ESCAPE MODELS HAVE DEFECTIVE VALVE STEMS. THE CRACKED RUBBER CAN EITHER CAUSE A BLOW OUT OR SLOW LEAK. ON MY ESCAPE, 3 OUT OF 4 VALVE STEMS WERE DEFECTIVE AND SHOWING MULTIPLE CRACKS. THIS IS ON A "COURTESY RECALL?". THE DEALERSHIP I HAD MY VEHICLE SERVICED AT RECOMMENDED REPLACEMENT. SINCE THE NHTSA HAS NOT PROACTIVELY RECALLED THESE TIRES, KNOWING FULL WELL THERE WERE MILLIONS OF DEFECTIVE VALVE STEMS SENT FROM CHINA, THE ONLY WAY I WAS INFORMED THERE WAS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE WITH MY VEHICLE WAS BY HAVING ANOTHER MECHANICAL PROBLEM. PLEASE OFFICIALLY RECALL THESE BEFORE PEOPLE START DYING TO BLOWOUTS. *TR

TRUCK TENDS TO SHIMMY UNCONTROLLABLY AFTER HITTING BUMP 55 TO 70 MPH, WHEN THE TRUCK HAD 2500 MILES SHOCKS WERE REPLACED HELPED PROBLEM UNTIL 15,000 MILES RETURNED TO FORD. TSB FOR PROBLEM WAS TO INSTALL SHIMMY DAMPER ON LR OF TRUCK. NOT INSTALLED DUE TO CAMPER TIE DOWNS. PROBLEM CONTINUED TO GET WORSE, UNDRIVEABLE ABOVE 55 MPH AT 27,000 MILES. PROBLEM DOES NOT OCCUR WHEN HEAVILY LOADED ( CABOVER CAMPER) TIRE PRESSURE NOT A FACTOR LOADING IS. I ADDRESS THE PROBLEM AND THE SHIMMY WAS RELATED TO ONE PARTICULAR TIRE BEING MOUNTED ON THE FRONT. FURTHER INVESTIGATION REVEALED A BELT SEPARATION IN THE TIRE. ALL THE TIRES HAD SOME DEGREE OF BELT SEPARATION. REPLACED TIRES PROBLEM CURED SOMEWHAT. THE TRUCK STILL EXHIBITS THE TENDENCY TO SHIMMY ESPECIALLY WHEN LIGHTLY LOADED NO MATTER WHAT THE TIRE PRESSURE IS. I AM A ASE CERTIFIED MASTER TECH AND HAVE CURED 2 OTHER VEHICLES. ALL THREE VEHICLES STILL EXHIBIT THE SHIMMY TENDENCY BUT SELF DAMPEN WITH GOOD TIRES. ALL THREE VEHICLES HAD CONTINENTAL 275/70 18 TIRES OEM. THE SHIMMY TENDENCY SEEMS TO BE ENHANCED WITH THE CONTINENTAL TIRES FITTED AND GET WORSE WITH WEAR. THERE SEEMS TO BE A RESONANCE IN TRUCK FRONT SUSPENSION THAT GETS SYNCHRONIZED AS THE TIRES WEAR AND OR GET A BELT THAT IS NOT QUITE TRUE. THE VEHICLES WERE ALL 05 & NEWER F250 OR 350 4X4 SRW WITH THE 275/70 18 TIRES. ALL THREE VEHICLES HAVE BEEN MADE BETTER BY REPLACING THE CONTINENTALS WITH MICHELIN LTX AT 2 TIRES. THEY ALL STILL HAVE IDENTICAL CHARACTERISTICS AS FOLLOWS, TENDENCY TO SHIMMY BUT SELF DAMPEN WITH THE MICHELINS FITTED. ARE SENSITIVE TO FRONT AXLE LOAD, MORE WEIGHT ON THE AXLE LESS TENDENCY TO EXHIBIT THE TENDENCY TO SHIMMY, TIRE PRESSURE DOES NOT SEEM TO BE A FACTOR CONTRARY TO FORDS CAMPAIGN 09L02. I AM CONCERNED THIS CAMPAIGN ADVOCATES OVER INFLATING TIRES WITH LIGHT LOADS AS CURE FOR A VEHICLE OR TIRE DEFECT THAT NEEDS FURTHER INVESTIGATION. HAVE MORE OF A TENDENCY TO SHIMMY AS THE TIRES WEAR. *TR

TIRES CONTINUALLY GET LOUDER AS MORE MILES ARE PUT ON THEM. IT IS A WHINING NOISE AND YOU CAN HARDLY TALK NORMAL OR LISTEN TO THE RADIO WITHOUT TURNING THE VOLUME LOUD. STARTED COMPLAINING TO THE DEALERSHIP WITH ABOUT 12,000 MILES ON THE TIRES. THEY CURRENTLY HAVE ABOUT 20,000 MILES ON THEM. *TR

TREAD SPLIT OPEN ON INSIDE. NO INDICATION OF BEING CAUSED BY AN OUTSIDE FORCE. CONTITENTAL CONTITRAC TR P24565R17 LOAD INDEX & SPEED SYMBOL -105S DOT TIRE IDENT - A38T BL6 TREAD - 520 TRACT - A TEMP - B TIRE PLY COMP - 4PLIES, 2 POLYMERS, 2 STEEL SIDEWLL, 2PLY POLYESTER. *TR

THE OUTER SIDE OF THE SIDE WALL BLEW COMPLETELY OUT. NO TIRE DAMAGE. SIDE WALL BLEW OUT ALL THE WAY AROUND THE TIRE. *TR

ON AUGUST 2, 2008 WE HAD RAPID AIR LOSS IN OUR LEFT REAR TIRE. I GOT IT TO A TIRE PLACE AND THE VALVE WAS BROKEN. THEY SAID THEY NEVER SEEN A VALVE BREAK ON A NEW VEHICLE. A 2007 FORD EXPEDITION. I WAS LUCKY FOR THE AIR PRESSURE WARNING SYSTEM. I WAS ON THE FREEWAY. AFTER SEEING ALL THE TALK ABOUT VALVE PROBLEMS I AM NOW WORRIED ABOUT MY OTHER TIRES. *TR

2007 FORD EXPEDITION, FROM AUGUST 2008 TO OCTOBER 2008, ON FOUR DIFFERENT OCCASIONS EACH A DIFFERENT TIRE, LOW TIRE PRESSURE INDICATOR CAME ON. SPARE TIRE WAS PUT ON, FLAT TIRE TAKEN TO FORD DEALER, VALVE STEM REPLACED. *TR