CONTITRAC AW TIRES Complaints

1. FORD FIRESTONE TIRE RECALL: 12/2/02 ALL TIRES REPLACED AS PER RECALL REQUIREMENTS. MILEAGE: 15750. 2. FRIDAY, 4/21/2006: DURING A ROAD TRIP THIS PAST WEEKEND, MY RIGHT FRONT TIRE SHREDDED. I HEARD THUDDING NOISES, PULLED OFF THE I-75, CHECKED AROUND MY 2001 FORD EXPEDITION, WAS UNABLE TO SEE ANYTHING WRONG. HOWEVER A FEW MILES LATER, I REALIZED SOMETHING WAS SERIOUSLY WRONG AND PULLED OFF OF THE FREEWAY. I CALLED 911 SOMETIME BETWEEN 3 AND 3:15 PM 4/21/06 FOR ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE. TIM THE TOWMAN TOWED MY VEHICLE OFF THE FREEWAY TO A NEARBY GAS STATION. THERE HE OBSERVED THAT THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE HAD SHREDDED. THE SHREDDING PROCESS CAUSED DAMAGE AS FOLLOWS: A) RIGHT FRONT BUMPER NOW DANGLES BECAUSE SCREWS SHEARED OFF APPARENTLY; B) TIRE CASING NEEDS TO BE RESECURED, SINCE IT WAS FLAPPING. C) THERE MAY BE ADDITIONAL DAMAGE TO THE UNDERCARRIAGE AS WELL AS CABLES. EST. MILEAGE: 47600. 3. TIM THE TOWMAN REPLACED THE SHREDDED TIRE WITH MY FULL-SIZE SPARE. HE USED TWINE TO TEMPORARILY SUPPORT THE RF BUMPER. HE TEMPORARILY SECURED THE TIRE CASING. THE FOLLOWING MONDAY, I CALLED FORD CUSTOMER NO-SERVICE. THEY SAID THAT A LOCAL DEALERSHIP WOULD NEED TO CORROBORATE MY STORY BEFORE THEY COULD DETERMINE WHETHER FORD WAS LIABLE TO REPLACE THE SHREDDED TIRE (AND POSSIBLY REPLACE ALL OF THE OTHERS, AS WELL), AND TO PAY FOR THE REPAIRS NEEDED ON THE FRONT BUMPER AND CASING. THE TALLAHASSEE FORD DEALERSHIP HAS A POOR REPUTATION, SO I WAS PERMITTED TO TAKE MY EXPEDITION TO THE LINCOLN-MERCURY DEALERSHIP. AFTER HEARING MY STORY AND EXAMINING MY VEHICLE, THE SERVICE MANAGER SAID THAT FORD OFFERED NO WARRANTY ON THE REPLACEMENT TIRES. EVEN IF THEY HAD REPLACED DEFECTIVE TIRES WITH DEFECTIVE TIRES, THEY DID NOT STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCT. HE OFFERED TO GIVE ME A DISCOUNT ON MICHELIN TIRES (FOUR) TO REPLACE THE CONTINENTAL TIRES. HE SAID THERE WAS LITTLE TREAD LEFT ON THE REMAINING TIRES. THESE TIRES HAVE SLIGHTLY OVER 30,000 MILES ON THEM. *NM

2004 FORD F150 HAS TIRE NIBBLE BETWEEN 50 AND 57 MPH AND VIBRATION AT 45 MPH. SEVERAL TRIPS TO THE FORD DEALERSHIP DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. THEY REPLACED 3 RIMS AND 3 TIRES (CONTRACK). STILL DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. I PLACED THE SPARE TIRE ON PASSENGER FRONT DUE TO A FLAT AND IT REDUCED THE NIBBLE AND VIBRATION BY HALF. I PURCHASED 4 NEW 20 INCH COOPER TIRES AND 4 NEW RIMS AND VIBRATION IS 95% GONE AND SLIGHT NIBBLE AFTER 10,000 MILES. I WILL HAVE TIRES REBALANCED AND ALIGNMENT CHECKED AND PLAN THE HAVE REAR LOWERED BY 2 INCHES. A FRIEND HAD THE REAR LOWERED BY 2 INCHES ON HIS 2004 F150 AND HELPED WITH STABILITY AND VIBRATION. *NM

BOUGHT 05 CROSSFIRE, DOES NOT HAVE "Z" RATED TIRES. CHECKED ALL CROSSFIRES ON LOT - NONE EQUIPPED WITH CORRECT TIRES! *NM

ON 3 SEPARATE OCCASIONS IN PAST 2 YEARS I HAVE EXPERIENCED TIRE BLOW OUTS ON A TOTAL OF 4 TIRES ON MY 2003 BMW 330XI. ALL WERE CAUSED BY DRIVING ON HIGHWAYS AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS AND STRIKING EITHER A POTHOLE OR A RAISED MANHOLE COVER. MOST RECENT OCCURRENCE ALSO CRACKED THE ALLOY WHEEL WHICH HAD TO BE REPLACED. BMW SAYS THIS IS TO BE EXPECTED AND THE "WHEELS ARE NOT DESIGNED FOR HITTING POTHOLES". SINCE WHEN ARE CARS ONLY DESIGNED FOR OPERATING UNDER PERFECT CONDITIONS? TOTAL REPAIR EXPENSE HAS BEEN NEARLY $2000. THIS RESULTS FROM WHAT I BELIEVE IS A DESIGN FLAW WHEREBY VERY LOW ASPECT RATIO TIRES ARE STANDARD ON CAR AND DO NOT OFFER SUFFICIENT IMPACT RESISTANCE LEADING TO EXPLOSIVE FAILURE OF TIRE AND WHEEL ASSEMBLIES. THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY FLAW AND SHOULD RESULT IN A RECALL AND CONSUMER REIMBURSEMENT. OWNERS CANNOT VOLUNTARILY SIMPLY FIT DIFFERENT SAFER TIRES OFFERING MORE PROTECTION AS THE CARS TRANSMISSION, TRACTION CONTROL, AND ABS WOULD BE ADVERSELY AFFECTED, PER BMW. *JB

LAST NIGHT WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY, THE TREADS ON OUR TIRE CAME COMPLETELY OFF. THIS CAUSED OUR VEHICLE TO SWERVE BADLY INTO THE LANE NEXT TO US. FORTUNATELY THERE WERE NO CARS IN THAT LANE AT THE TIME. THIS COULD OF BEEN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT IF A VEHICLE WAS IN THAT LANE AT THE TIME. SO WE PULLED OVER AND CALLED FOR ASSISTANCE. *JB

THE CAR NEVER SEEMS TO HOLD AN ALIGNMENT. IT GIVES THE FEELING THAT IT WANTS TO DRIFT OVER THE ROAD (BEYOND THE GEOMETRY OF THE ROAD.) AND SOMETIMES SUSPENSION SHUDDERS OVER TRANSITION JOINTS IN ROADS. *JB

PURCHASED A 2001 FORD EXPEDITION FROM MAROONE FORD IN MARGATE ON 11/05/2004. THE TIRES THAT CAME WITH THIS VEHICLE WERE THE CONTITRAC AW ID # 02T012000. ON 04/02/05 WHILE TRAVELING ON I-95 AT THE SPEED OF 55 MPH MY LEFT REAR TIRE BLEW OUT. I WAS ABLE TO GET THE TRUCK UNDER CONTROL WITHOUT HITTING ANY OTHER CARS AND I WAS NOT INJURED. I HAD THAT TIRED REPLACED THE SAME DAY AND THOUGHT IT MUST HAVE BEEN SOMETHING ON I-95 THAT CAUSED THE TIRE TO BLOW OUT. ON 05/21/05 WHILE TRAVELING EAST ON COMMERCIAL BLVD IN FORT LAUDERDALE FLORIDA AT A SPEAD OF 30 MHP THE RIGHT REAR TIRE BLEW OUT, I DROVE THE TRUCK INTO TIRE KINGDOM AND HAD THAT TIRE REPLACED AS WELL. THIS MORNING WHILE PARKING AT WORK I NOTICED THREAD SEPARATION LUMPS HAD DEVELOPED ON THE TWO REMAINING TIRES, AT THIS POINT I REALIZED SOMETHING HAD TO BE WRONG WITH THE TIRES, AND THROUGH THE INTERNET I FOUND OUT THERE WAS A RECALL ON THESE TIRES. I CONTATED THE DEALERSHIP WHO SOLD ME THE TRUCK INMEDIATELY AND WAS TOLD THEY COULD NOT DO ANYTHING TO CORRECT THE PROBLEMP BECAUSE TO THEIR KNOWLEDGE THERE IS NO RECALL IN EFFECT FOR THESE TIRES AND THAT THE MANUFACTURER WOULD HAVE TO BE THE ONE TO REPLACE THEM, BUT THAT IF I COULD NOT WAIT TO THEN TAKE THE TRUCK TO THE NEAREST TIRE KINGDOM TO HAVE THE TIRES REPLACED AND THAT THEY WOULD PRO RATE THE COST OF THE TIRES. I HAD BOTH TIRES REPLACED THIS AFTERNOON, AGAIN AT MY OWN EXPENSE. IN THE PAST TWO MONTHS I HAVE REPLACED ALL FOUR TIRES ON THIS VEHICLE, AND THE DEALERSHIP HAS NOT BEEN OF ANY ASSITANCE, THEY SOLD ME A TIRE WARRANTY PRODUCT THAT DOES NOT COVER THESE TYPE OF INCIDENTS,THE PRODUCT WAS MISREPRESENTED TO ME AND I INTEND TO FILE A SEPARATE COMPLAINT WITH THE FLA INSURANCE COMMISSIONERS OFFICE REGARDING THAT MATTER. I CONTACTED A NACA REPRESENTATIVE TODAY AND WAS ADVISED TO CONTACT FORD AND TO CONTACT YOUR OFFICE AND FILE A COMPLAINT ANY ASSISTANCE YOU CAN PROVIDE IN OBTAINING REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE COST OF THESE TIRES IS GREATLY APPRECIATED.

DT: CONSUMER BOUGHT THIS NEW VEHICLE IN JULY OF 2004, IN FEBURARY 2005 HIT A SLIGHT BUMP AND EXPERIENCED A FLAT TIRE. SINCE THEN , HAD 3 MORE FLATS TIRES FROM VERY MINOR RIDGES IN THE ROAD. SPOKE WITH THE MANUFACTURER WHO OFFERED TO REPLACE ONE TIRE WITH ORG TYPE TIRES, SPOKEN WITH MANUFACTURER AGAIN, AND THEY OFFERED TO REPLACE 2 TIRES WITH CONTIPRO CONTACT TIRES, AS LONG AS HE BOUGHT 2 TIRES AT RETAIL.*AK

CONSUMER STATED THAT AFTER TAKING A TRIP VEHICLE VIBRATED AT HIGH SPEED. IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT ALL FOUR TIRES HAD CRACKS. THESE TIRES WERE PLACED ON THE VEHICLE AFTER THE FIRESTONE RECALL. THE DEALER STATED THAT THEY COULD NOT REPLACE THE TIRES.*AK

I HAD A TIRE SEPARATION WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH. PLEASE SEE TIRE RECALL CAMPAIGN NUMBER BELOW. TIRE RECALL CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 02T012000 I HAVE 5 OF THESE TIRE ON MY 2000 EXPEDITION. ACCORDING TO FORD CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP, MY VIN WAS NOT A PART OF A RECALL. THE TIRES, HOWEVER WERE. DOT NUMBERS WERE VERIFIED WITH CONTINENTAL. THERE WERE 596610 UNITS AFFECTED, YET FORD ONLY IS SHOWING APPROXIMATELY 500 VEHICLES WITH ONLY 300 ACTUALY QUALIFYING. THIS SEEMS LIKE A GAME TO ME AS THES FIVE TIRE WERE ORIGINALLY ON MY VEHICLE. *LA