CONTINENTAL CONTITRAC TR TIRES Complaints

DRIVING DOWN INTERSTATE GOING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH WHEN WE FELT A STRONG VIBRATION COMING FROM THE REAR OF THE AUTOMOBILE, AS MY HUSBAND LET OFF THE GAS THE BACK PASSENGER TIRE LOST ALL PRESSURE AND THE SUV BEGAN TO SWERVE, MY HUSBAND BEING VERY EXPERIENCED ALLOWED THE CAR TO SLOW TO ABOUT 40 MPH BEFORE HITTING THE BRAKES KEEPING CONTROL OF THE CAR. VEHICLE WAS 08 EXPEDITION WITH APPROX. 1000 MILES ON IT, WE HAD OWNED IT FOR LESS THAN A MONTH. WE CHANGED THE TIRE, WHICH HAD A HOLE ALL THE WAY THROUGH WHICH CAUSED IMMEDIATE DISPERSION OF AIR FROM TIRE. THE HOLE WAS A PERFECT CIRCLE, ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE TIRE AS IF IT HAD BEEN PLUGGED. WE TOOK THE TIRE BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP, THEY ACCUSED US OF HITTING SOMETHING. THERE WAS NO OBJECT INSIDE THE TIRE THAT HAD BEEN FULLY PENETRATED, AND AS I STATED BEFORE THE HOLE WAS A PERFECT CIRCLE. *TR

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

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

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

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

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

DRIVING ALONG HIGHWAY 50, OUTSIDE SACRAMENTO AT ABOUT 65MPH IN THE EARLY EVENING ON 9/21/08 WHEN I HEARD A LOUD POPPING SOUND AND THE BACK END OF THE TRUCK BEGAN TO SWING OUT OF CONTROL. I MANAGED TO REMAIN IN CONTROL AND GET TO THE EDGE OF THE FREEWAY. WHEN I LOOKED AT THE TIRE, THE TREAD FROM THE BACK DRIVER'S SIDE TIRE WAS TOTALLY GONE, BUT THE TIRE WAS STILL INFLATED. THE TREAD HAD CAUSED QUITE A BIT OF DAMAGE TO MY BACK PANEL AND BUMPER ASSEMBLY. *TR

MY FORD EXPEDITION HAS 32K MILES ON IT THE TIRES HAVE APPROXIMATELY 3/8" OR MORE THAN HALF OF THEIR TREAD LIFE LEFT. THE PASSENGERS SIDE REAR HAS A LARGE CRACK ABOUT 1" FROM THE RIM. THE REMAINING TIRES ARE ALL DRY ROTTEN NEAR THE TREAD. I FEEL THESE TIRES ARE UNSAFE AND WANT TO REPLACE THEM IMMEDIATELY. *TR

BOUGHT BRAND NEW CHEVY TRAILBLAZER FROM GM AND NOTICED MIDDLE TREAD WEAR ON ALL 4 TIRES AROUND 13K, TOOK VEHICLE IN AT 25K SINCE TREAD WAS BELOW 2/32 WHILE OUTER TREAD FINE AT 5/32 ON ALL 4 TIRES. EVEN HAD TIRES ROTATED BY DEALER WHEN WEAR NOTICED AROUND 13K. GM WOULD NOT COVER TIRES AND WAS NOT NOTIFIED TO CONTACT TIRE MANUF. CONTACTED TIRE MANUF (CONTINENTAL) AND THEY STATED THEY WOULD NOT COVER ANYTHING SINCE I HAD DIFFERENT TIRES PUT ON BY THE DEALERSHIP NOW. HAVE DOCUMENTATION FROM ONSTAR SHOWING PROPER INFLATION EVERY MONTH THAT VEHICLE HAS BEEN OWNED. NO ONE WILL COVER COST OR TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR BAD TIRES. *TR