FUTURA TIRES Complaints

I WAS RETURNING HOME FROM PHOENIX. I WAS TRANSITIONING FROM THE 101 FREEWAY,TO THE 60 EASTBOUND. ALMOST WHERE THE CONCRETE BARRIERS COME TO A POINT AND END, MY LEFT FRONT TIRE CUT LOOSE OF IT'S TREAD. I BRIEFLY SAW THAT IT WENT TOWARDS, AND IN BETWEEN THE CONCRETE BARRIERS. THE TIRE DID NOT GO FLAT. WHEN THE TREAD LEFT, IT TORE UP THE INNER FENDER PLASTIC, BENT THE QUARTER PANEL RIGHT BEHIND THE WHEEL WELL, DESTROYED THE FOOTSTEP BOLTED ON UNDERNEATH THE DRIVERS DOOR. THE VEHICLE IS A 1989 F350 4-DOOR LONGBED 4-WHEEL DRIVE TRUCK. THIS EPISODE IS NOT THE FIRST. THE FIRST HAPPENED IN 2003. THE SECOND TIME HAPPENED TO MY 20 YR OLD SON WHILE ON HIS WAY TO SCHOOL. THAT ONE WAS THE LEFT REAR. IT RIPPED OUT BOTH SUPPORTS THAT THE BED HAS IN FRONT AND IN THE REAR OF THE WHEEL WELL. IT SMASHED THE REAR FUEL TANK FILLER TUBE, PULLED IN THE OUTSIDE DOOR TO THE "GAS" CAP,MANGLED THE PORTION OF THE BED THAT IS BEHIND THE WHEEL WELL, INSIDE AND OUT. I WAS IN IRAQ WHEN THAT HAPPENED. THEY SAID THAT I HAD THE WRONG TIRE PRESSURE ON BOTH ACCOUNTS, 1ST AND 2ND TREAD SEPARATIONS. WITH A TRUCK THAT BIG,I DON'T LET MY TIRES GET NEGLECTED FROM HAVING THE PRESSURE CHECKED ON A REGULAR BASIS,AND ADJUSTED ACCORDINGLY. I HAD MY WIFE TELL THEM THAT WAS A BUNCH OF BULL!#*^,AND I WANTED SOMETHING DONE. THEY TOLD MY WIFE THAT I HAD PEPBOYS PUT THE WRONG KIND OF TIRE ON MY TRUCK. THAT IS WHEN I FIRST STARTED TRYING TO FIND SOMETHING OUT ALONG THE LINES OF A LAWSUIT. THEY HAD PLENTY OF LAWSUITS GOING ON CONCERNING TIRES, BUT NONE WERE OF THE TIRE I HAD. I AM NOW LOOKING INTO BUYING ANOTHER BED FOR MY TRUCK BECAUSE OF WHAT COOPERS TIRES HAVE DONE TO IT. I ALSO HAVE TO PURCHASE A NEW STEP TO MOUNT UNDER THE DRIVERS DOOR. THE TIRES I HAD ON MY TRUCK WERE DAKOTA FUTURA RVT,33X12.50R16.5LT. I HAVE WENT AND PURSUED ESTIMATES ON GETTING MY TRUCK FIXED. I AM LOOKING AT ABOUT 3500.00. I NOW HAVE A DIFFERENT BRAND (MANUFACTURER) MADE TIRE S NOW. *NM

DT: CONSUMER BOUGHT TIRES FROM A LOCAL DEALER ON JUNE 15, 2005. WHILE DRIVING ON I 85 BETWEEN NEWNAN AND FAYETVILLE ONE OF THE PASSENGER REAR TIRES BLEW OUT. THE TIRE RIPPED APART, THE SIDE WALL CAME COMPLETELY OFF THE TIRE. THIS HAPPENED ON JULY 30, 2005. THEN, HE CHANGED THE TIRE IN THE RAIN AND CONTINUED ON THE TRIP. CONSUMER HAD TO BUY A NEW RIM DUE TO THE RIM ON THE TIRE BEING BENT OUT OF SHAPE. HE PULLED CAR OVER AS SOON AS BLOW OUT HAPPENED. CONTACTED THE LOCAL DEALER WHO SOLD HIM THE TIRES, AND DEALER REFUSED TO PRODUCE A COPY OF THE WARRANTY, AND TOLD HIM THAT TIRE WAS NOT COVERED BY WARRANTY BECAUSE HE DID NOT BUY AN EXTENDED WARRANTY. ALSO, DEALER REFUSED TO REPLACE TIRE. FUTURA GLS SUPER SPORT. P215/65/R15. DOT U9VFXBH1505.*AK

OVER A PERIOD OF SIX MONTHS I HAVE HAD 3 TIRES SEPARATE ON MY VEHICLE. I PURCHASED ALL OF THE TIRES (FUTURA DAKOTA LT 265/75R16) FROM PEP-BOYS ON 12/07/2002. STARTING IN JUNE OF 2004, I HAVE HAD A TOTAL OF 3 TIRES SEPARATE ON ME WHILE TRAVELING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. THE INCIDENTS WERE AUGUST 2004, SEPTEMBER 2004 AND JANUARY 2005. THESE TIRES WERE ALL ON A 1996 CHEVROLET K2500. THE TIRES WERE KEPT IN BALANCE, PROPER INFLATION AND HAVE BEEN ROTATED ON A REGULAR BASIS. WHILE PEP-BOYS HAS KEPT THEIR ROAD HAZARD WARRANTY, AND HONORED IT, THERE IS A SERIOUS CONCERN IN MY MIND ABOUT THE RELIABILITY OF THESE TIRES. TO HAVE 3 TIRES FAIL, WITH UNDER 10,000 MILES ON THEM IS OF GREAT CONCERN.*AK