GOODYEAR RSA TIRES Complaints

ALL FOUR TIRES EXPERIENCED TREAD SEPARATION. THE CONSUMER IS CONCERNED THAT MAY CAUSE A SEVERE BLOWOUT WHILE DRIVING. *AK *NLM SERVICE MANAGER NOTED HE HAS SEEN OTHER FAILURES LIKE THESE AND THERE MAY BE A TREND. *PH

GOODYEAR AND PONTIAC HAVE HAD ISSUES WITH TIRES THAT WERE INSTALLED ON THE GRAND AM GT SINCE 1999. THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE RAIN GROVE THAT CUASES THE TIRES TO SLOWLY BECOME DEFECTIVE BY CAUSING A RUBBING SITUATION. NO RECALL ISSUED AND WILL ONLY REPLACE TWO FRONT TIRES SINCE THE ISSUE STARTS THERE. WILL ONLY REPLACE OTHER TWO DEFECTIVE TIRES IF THEY GET ROTATED AND THIS HAPPENS UNDER WARRANTY.*AK

I HAVE A 2003 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA GLS 1.8T SPORT EQUIPPED WITH GOODYEAR RSA TIRES, SIZE 245/45 R17 H91. THE TIRES HAD ONLY 16,000 MILES ON THEM. AT HIGHWAY SPEED THE DRIVERS SIDE TIRE BLEW OUT. FURTHER INSPECTION OF THE TIRE SHOWED THAT IT FAILED AT THE SIDE WALL. THERE WAS A TEAR IN THE SIDEWALL ALMOST THRU 40 PERCENT OF THE TIRE. I MANAGED TO MAKE IT OVER 3 LANES OF TRAFFIC AND NARROWLY OVERTED A COLLISSION. FUTHERMORE GOODYEAR DECLINED TO HONOR MY WARRANTY CLAIM. I THINK THAT GOODYEAR RSA MODEL TIRES SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED. THESE ARE SUPPOSED TO BE HIGH PERFORMANCE TIRES AND ONE FAILED AT THE SIDEWALL WITH ONLY 16,000 MILES ON IT AND AT ONLY 60 MILES PER HOUR. *AK

ISSUE CONCERNS TSB 02-03-10-003. THE VEHICLE IS 2002 PONTIAC GRAND AM GT WITH ALUMINUM ALLOY WHEELS AND 16 INCH EAGLE RSA TIRES. THE VEHICLE HAS 41,000 MILES AND IS NOT UNDER WARRANTY. PRIOR TO OCT. 3 2003 - A SCRUNCHING AND GRINDING NOISE IN THE FRONT PART OF THE VEHICLE THAT SOUNDS LIKE A WHEEL BEARING OR BRAKE ASSEMBLY WENT BAD. DECIDED THAT THE PROBLEM WAS BAD ENOUGH TO TAKE TO LOCAL DEALERSHIP. THE DEALERSHIP DETERMINED THAT CAUSE WAS COMBINATION OF THE STOCK ALUMINUM WHEEL AND THE STOCK GOODYEAR RSA TIRE DESCRIBED IN TSB 02-03-10-003 AND THAT THEY WERE UNABLE TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM WITHOUT REPLACING THE TIRES. THE DECISION WAS IF I WANTED THE PROBLEM FIXED, I HAVE TO PAY FOR 4 NEW TIRES. I BROUGHT 3 ISSUES TO THE ATTENTION OF THE DEALER: 1. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE ANY OTHER MECHANICAL FAILURES OF A SIMILAR SOUND WILL NOT BE HEARD OVER THE CURRENT SOUND AND THEREFORE BE LEFT UNCHECKED UNTIL A TIME WHEN THE PART COULD FAIL CATASTROPHICALLY. 2. IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE FOR THE REASON THAT UNDER PRESSURE OR HEAT DEVIATING FROM THE NORM AS A RESULT OF THE TIRE AND RIM RUBBING IN SUCH A WAY TO CAUSE THE SOUND. 3. IT WOULD BE VERY DIFFICULT TO RESELL A VEHICLE THAT WAS UNSAFE. FOR THESE THREE REASONS I REQUESTED THAT THE DEALERSHIP PAY FOR THE REPAIRS. THEY SAID THAT THEY DID NOT HAVE THE POWER TO MAKE THAT DECISION AND THAT I SHOULD CONTACT THE MANUFACTURER. OCT. 3 2003 I CONTACTED PONTIAC CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE AND SPOKE TO MERRILL HAMMOND CONCERNING THE PROBLEM. SHE SAID THAT PONTIACS POSITION IS THAT THE CAR IS OPERATING WITHIN NORMAL AND ACCEPTABLE PARAMETERS AND DID NOT HAVE TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR SINCE IT WAS NOT A SAFETY RECALL. TOLD THAT IF I HAD BROUGHT THE CAR IN UNDER WARRANTY, NEW TIRES WOULD HAVE BEEN PUT ON THE CAR BY THE MANUFACTURER. SHE SUGGESTED I CONTACT THE NHTSA IF I WAS UNHAPPY WITH THE SAFETY ISSUES CONCERNING TSB. I FEEL THE CAR IS UNSAFE AND THAT A RECALL SHOULD BE ISSUED FOR THE TIRE COMBINATION STATED IN THE TSB. *LA

GOODYEAR EAGLE RSA 225/45 17R TIRES THAT CAME WITH THE CAR WHEN WE BOUGHT IT NEW. COMPLETELY WORN OUT IN 18,000 MILES. INSIDE SIDEWALLS WERE CRACKED AND HAD BULGES. (BREAKDOWN OF CORDS) TALKED TO VW ABOUT THIS AND THEY SAID IT WASN'T COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. THEY TOLD US TO TAKE IT IT TO A TIRE STORE BECAUSE IT WASN'T THEIR PROBLEM. WENT TO AMERICA'S TIRE STORE (LIVERMORE, CA) AND THEY WERE GOOD ENOUGH TO CALL GOODYEAR ON THE DEFECT. THEY PRO-RATED THE TIRES (I THINK WE GOT $25 OUT OF IT) AND RECOMMENDED CONTINENTAL CONTITOURING CONTACT 225/45 17R. THESE TIRES ARE WARRANTED FROM CONTI FOR 55,000 MILES! THE PRICE WAS THE SAME AS THE GOODYEARS. OUTSTANDING TIRES! DON'T BUY YOUR VW NEW WITH GOODYEARS! GET THE MICHILENS IF YOU CAN.*AK

RICHARD GUNN WROTE TO GOODYEAR; I HAVE A 2002 VW JETTA THAT CAME STOCK WITH GOODYEAR EAGLE RSA TIRES,225/45R17 91H. AT 13,000 MILES ONE OF THE TIRES WENT FLAT BUT DID NOT APPEAR TO HAVE ANY NAILS OR HOLES IN IT WHEN I REMOVED IT, ALTHOUGH THESIDEWALL WAS SPLIT. I TOOK THE TIRE INTO THE CLEM TIRE COMPANY 7907 HIGHWAY 72, MADISON, AL 35758 , 256-837-9151. ONE TIRE WAS PUT ON ORDER AS THESE TIRES ARE AN UNUSUAL SIZE FOR THIS CAR. THE FOLLOWING DAY A SECOND TIRE WENT FLAT. AGAIN THERE WAS NO NAIL OR EXPLAINABLE CAUSE. A SECOND TIRE WAS ORDERED. WHEN THE TIRES CAME IN I WENT DOWN TO HAVE THEM INSTALLED. I ASKED THE SHOP TO LOOK AT THE FRONT TWO TIRES TO SEE THAT THEY WERE OK AS I HAD NOW BECOME SUSPICIOUS OF THESE TIRES. THE SHOP FOUND THE FRONT TWO TIRES WERE SPLIT OUT ON THE INSIDE SIDEWALLS AS WELL. THE SHOP CONTACTED GOODYEAR WHO WAS GOOD ENOUGH TO REPLACE ALL FOUR TIRES FREE AND ASKED TO SEND THE TIRES BACK FOR EVALUATION. THE TIRES THAT ARE BEING RETURNED ARE THE SAME AS WHAT WAS JUST PUT ON MY CAR AND FRANKLY I AM NOT ALL THAT WARM AND FUZZY THAT THEY ARE SAFE TO DRIVE ON. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE FAILURE ANALYSIS REPORT ON THE RETURNED TIRES, COMPLETE WITH CONCLUSION AS TO THE FAILURE MECHANISM. ALSO I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT THE CORRECTIVE ACTION IS TO VERIFY THAT THIS TIRE OR LOT HAS BEEN ISOLATED SO THAT OTHERS MIGHT NOT BE INJURED DUE TO DEFECTS IN THIS TIRE. I SUPPOSE I WAS FORTUNATE THAT I WAS NOT TRAVELING AT HIGH SPEED WHEN MY TIRES FAILED BUT OTHERS MIGHT NOT BE AS FORTUNATE. ADDITIONALLY I THINK THAT VOLKSWAGEN SHOULD BE INFORMED SO THAT THEY CAN MAKE THE CALL ON WHETHER TO NOTIFY THEIR CUSTOMERS OF THIS POTENTIAL ISSUE. I HAVE A COPY OF THE RECEIPT THAT HAS ALL OF THE DETAILS ON IT IF YOU WOULD LIKE ME TO FAX IT TO YOU A CAN DO SO.*AK

CONSUMER CALLED COMPALINING ABOUT HAVING SEVERAL PROBLEMS WITH THE TIRES SIZE # P225/50R16 MODEL EAGLR RSA.CONSUMER IS ALSO STATED THAT THE MAKE A REALY BAD NOYSE .MANUFACTURE WAS CONTACTED AND STATED THAT THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT THE PROBLEM IS. MR

BOTH LEFT RIMS BENT, NO TIRE DAMAGE. SMALL POTHOLE AT 10TH&WEST PEACHTREE IN ATLANTA ON FAR SIDE OF INTERSDECTION. PULLING SLOWLY AWAY FROM RED LIGHT. IMPACT DID NOT FEEL SEVERE. BENDING IS MINOR. NO AIR LEAKAGE. SLIGHT VIBRATION FROM LOSS OF BALANCE. NO CHANGE IN ALIGNMENT.*AK

TIRE T301887-GCW-74M8MS - TIRE BLOWOUT AT 65 MPH. *AK (DOT NUMBER: MKMF BEWR TIRESIZE: P185/60R15)

SO FAR THREE TIMES THE FRONT TIRES HAVE JUST COME OFF THE RIM, OUTSIDE WALL COLLAPES IN. *AK (TIRESIZE: 215/17R70)( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 215/17R70 )