GOODYEAR WRANGLER AT TIRES Complaints

THE WRANGLER AT/D2 I PURCHASED YESTERDAY AT SAMS CLUB MAY HAVE A FACTORY DEFECT. I BOUGHT A PAIR OF LT265/75/R16. IT ALREADY HAD THIS SIZE OF TIRES WHEN I BOUGHT THE VEHICLE USED 7 YEARS AGO. THE TECHNICIAN AT THE STORE SAID HE WAS NOT ALLOWED TO INSTALL THEM BECAUSE MY SUV SHOULD HAVE 265/70/16 TIRES. I HAVE NEVER HAD THIS PROBLEM BEFORE. I PURCHASED A PAIR OF 265/75/R16 AT DISCOUNT TIRES A YEAR AGO WITHOUT ANY PROBLEM. SO, I PURCHASED THIS PAIR OF TIRES AT SAMS, ANYWAY, AND HAD THEM INSTALLED THIS MORNING AT A LOCAL TIRE SHOP. THE TIRES WERE MOUNTED AND BALANCED AND I DROVE OUT OF THE SHOP AND HEADED TO WORK ON THE FREEWAY. I WAS ON THE FREEWAY FOR ONLY 2 MILES, AT 60MPH, WHEN A HEARD A HISSING NOISE AND THE SUV PULLED TO ONE SIDE. I MANAGED TO PULLED OUT OF THE FREEWAY AND ONE OF MY NEW TIRES WAS FLAT. I INSPECTED THE TIRE AND THERE WERE NO NAILS, SCREWS OR HOLES ON THE THREAD. HOWEVER, I NOTICED THAT THERE IS A LITLE DEFECT ON THE THREAD PATTERN AND WHAT APPEARS TO BE A HOLE, OR A CHUNK OF RUBBER MISSING, RIGHT NEXT TO THIS PATTERN DEFECT WHERE THE THREAD ENDS AND SIDEWALL BEGINS. THE REST OF THE TIRE LOOKS TO BE RADIALLY SYMMETRICAL AS IS THE OTHER TIRE ENTIRELY. COULD YOU PLEASE HELP ME WITH MY PROBLEM? I PURCHASED GOODYEAR TIRE PRECISELY BECAUSE ITS QUALITY REPUTATION. NOW, THE TECHNICIAN AT SAMS WHO SOLD ME THE TIRES SAYS THAT HE CANNOT HELP ME AND THE OWNER OF THE LOCAL TIRE SHOP(SAHUAYO TIRES, LYNWOOD, CA, 310-638-7077) WOULD PROBABLY DENY ANY INSTALLATION WORKMANSHIP DEFECTS. I AM TAKING THE SUV BACK TO THE TIRE SHOP TOMORROW TO SEE EXACTLY WHAT THE PROBLEM IS. I AM GOING TO ASK THEM TO DISMOUNT THE TIRE AND TAKE A CLOSER LOOK FROM THE INSIDE. BUT, IF THE TIRE IS RUINED AND IS DETERMINED TO BE BECAUSE OF THIS SUSPECTED FACTORY DEFECT, THEN I WOULD APPRECIATE VERY MUCH YOUR HELP TO RESOLVE THIS SITUATION. I AM CERTAIN THAT I DIDN'T RUN OVER ANY DEBRIS ON THE ROAD AND I SHOULD BE ENTITLE TO SOME KIND OF BASIC FACTORY WARRANTY. I HOPE TO HEAR FROM YOU SOON.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. THE CONTACT PURCHASED GOODYEAR WRANGLER AT (LT255/85R16) TIRES. WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A HISSING SOUND AND THE VEHICLE PULLED TO THE RIGHT. HE PULLED OVER AND NOTICED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE REAR TIRE WAS FLAT. THE TIRE HAS NOT YET BEEN EXAMINED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 185,000.

TL* - THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 JEEP WRANGLER SPORT. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING ACROSS THE GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE WHEN THE VEHICLE STARTED PULLING TO THE RIGHT TOWARDS THE RAIL, AND AT THE END OF THE BRIDGE THE VEHICLE THEN PULLED AGAIN TO THE RIGHT QUICKLY AND SHARPLY. THE TIRE BLEW OUT, SHE HAD NO CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND IT FLIPPED OVER 2 OR 3 TIMES AND LANDED ON THE TIRES. IT DID NOT HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE OR ANOTHER VEHICLE HIT THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE. THE WEATHER WAS NICE THAT DAY, AND THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING AT 50-60 MPH. THE TREAD QUALITY ON THE TIRE WAS GOOD. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO GET PICTURES OF THE TIRE. THE CONTACT DID NOT KNOW IF THERE WAS A POLICE REPORT BECAUSE THERE WAS NO COLLISION WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE. *AK

MY FORD EXPEDITION WAS OUTFITTED A LITTLE OVER 3 YEARS AGO WITH GOODYEAR WRANGLERS BY FORD DUE TO THE FIRESTONE TIRE FAILURE. RECENTLY, WHILE WASHING THE VEHICLE I NOTICED FAILURE IN THE SIDEWALL OF THE DRIVER'S SIDE REAR TIRE. ALL AROUND THE RIM APPROXIMATELY 1/2 TO 3/4" FROM THE RIM THERE ARE CRACKS IN THE RUBBER SIDEWALL OPENING UP AS THE EARTH DOES DURING AN EARTHQUAKE. THESE ARE APPROXIMATELY 2-3" LONG AND A LITTLE OVER 1/8" DEEP SO FAR. THIS IS HIGHLY UNUSUAL FOR THREE YEAR OLD TIRES. THESE WILL BE REMOVED BEFORE THE NEXT LONG TRIP AS I WILL NOT WAIT FOR FAILURE AND PUT MY OR MY FAMILY IN DANGER. *JB

WAS DRIVING 2006 FORD F350 4X4 ON TOLL ROAD AT APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH. WITHOUT WARNING, VEHICLE PULLED SHARPLY AND WITHIN SECONDS THERE WAS A LOUD EXPLOSION. GOODYEAR WRANGLER AR OEM TIRE PASSENGER SIDE FRONT HAD BLOWN. TIRE SIDEWALL COMPLETELY SPLIT AND SHREDDED. FORTUNATELY, I WAS IN THE RIGHT LANE AND ABLE TO GUIDE TRUCK TO THE SHOULDER. HAD I BEEN TOWING A TRAILER, TRAVELING AT A HIGHER SPEED, OR IN THE LEFT LANE, THE OUTCOME COULD HAVE BEEN DEADLY. NOW, I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE INTEGRITY OF THE 3 REMAINING WRANGLER AT TIRES. *NM

I HAVE A 2004 F150 4X4 REG. CAB 4X4 PICK UP TRUCK. IT HAS GOODYEAR WRANGLER TIRES ON IT. LT275/65 18C WRANGLER AT/S. THEY KEEP CUPPING. I AM NOW ON MY 5TH SET OF TIRES. FORD WANTS TO AND DID AT ONE TIME PUT ON P275/65 18 ON THE TRUCK. I WAS AGAINST THIS DROPPING TO A P METRIC TIRE. THEY NOW REINSTALLED THE LIGHT TRUCK TIRES AGAIN AT MY REQUEST. FORD STATED THAT THEY KNOW THEY HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THESE TIRES. MY BIGGEST CONCERN IS THAT THEY ARE DROPPING TO A P METRIC FROM A LIGHT TRUCK. THE CUPPING IS ALSO A SAFETY CONCERN WITH NOT GETTING GOOD CONTACT WITH THE ROAD. I WILL GIVE YOU THE FIST DATE THIS HAPPENED. THE FIRST TIME I ONLY HAD 181 MILES ON MY TRUCK. *NM

PROBLEM NO. 1: MY 2004 JEEP WRANGLER UNLIMITED HAS HAD A STEERING AND WHEEL VIBRATION PROBLEM SINCE I PURCHASED IT BRAND NEW IT IN JULY 2004 FROM PARRISH JEEP IN FAIRFAX, VA. THE PROBLEM CONTINUES TO GET WORST. THE WHEELS AND STEERING VIBRATE ABRUPTLY BETWEEN 45 - 60 MILES MPH. I HAVE TO HOLD THE STEERING WHEEL WITH 2 HANDS TO ATTEMPT TO SAFELY DRIVE MY JEEP. AS OF AUGUST 2004, I HAVE TAKEN IT TO 2 VIRGINIA JEEP DEALERSHIPS FOR THE VIBRATION PROBLEM ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, IN WHICH THE PROBLEM WAS WITNESSED AND NOTED. ALTHOUGH THE PROBLEM WAS WITNESSED BY THE JEEP DEALERSHIP, I WAS TOLD I HAD TO PROVIDE PROOF OF MY VEHICLE SERVICES, WHICH I DID. PARRISH JEEP HAS COPIES OF ALL OF THEM. AFTER CONTACTING JEEP CUSTOMER SERVICE, WHICH JUST TOLD ME TO CONTINUE TO CALL THE DEALERSHIP, I WAS FINALLY TOLD IN DECEMBER 2005 BY THE DEALERSHIP THAT I HAD TO BRING MY JEEP IN TO THE DEALERSHIP AGAIN FOR A JEEP ENGINEER TO TEST DRIVE AND DIAGNOSE. THE SERVICE MANAGER INFORMED ME THAT HE BELIEVED THE TIRES TO BE FAULTY, BUT NOW THEY WERE CONCERNED ABOUT THE MILEAGE ON MY JEEP. I REMINDED HIM THAT THE RECEIPTS SHOW THAT I HAVE COMPLAINED OF THIS PROBLEM WHEN I INITIALLY BROUGHT THE VEHICLE NEW IN 2004. SO, NOW I HAVE BEEN WAITING OVER ONE MONTH FOR A CALL TO HAVE THE JEEP ENGINEER REVIEW THE PROBLEM. THIS IS MY 3RD JEEP THAT I HAVE OWNED, IN ADDITION TO THE 2 THAT MY FAMILY MEMBERS HAVE OWNED BECAUSE OF MY RECOMMENDATION, AND I HAVE NEVER HAD THIS PROBLEM BEFORE. THIS MAY BE MY AND MY FAMILY MEMBERS' LAST TIME TO BUY JEEP PRODUCTS DUE TO SAFETY AND LACK OF CUSTOMER SERVICE. PROBLEM NO. 2: THE TRANSMISSION JERKS AS I COME TO A STOP. THIS JERKING HAPPENS AFTER I HAVE DRIVEN THE VEHICLE AND IT HAS WARMED UP. THIS PROBLEM WAS NOTED AS OF THE SUMMER 2005. I HAVE TAKEN IT IN TO THE SAME 2 VA DEALERSHIPS, BUT THE PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN RESOLVED. THE COMPUTER WAS CHECKED AND I WAS TOLD THAT ALL UPDATES HAD BEEN MADE. HOWEVER, THE JERKING IS STILL PERSISTED.*AK

DT: THE CONTACT BOUGHT GOODYEAR WRANGLER TIRES IN 2003. HE HAD TO TAKE THEM BACK BECAUSE OF A BLISTER ON THE OUTSIDE WALLS. HE RETURNED THEM IN 2004 , AND THEY GAVE HIM THE SAME EXACT TIRES THAT HE HAD TO PAY FOR. ALSO, THEY BLISTERED ON THE OUTSIDE WALLS. HE NOTICED THIS ON 8-28-05. THE DEALER WANTED TO PRORATE THE TIRES AND GIVE HIM THE DIFFERENCE. THE TIRES WERE PRORATED IN 2004. ON PAPER WORK IT STATED THERE WAS A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT IN THE TIRES. *AK

DT: ON JULY 11, 2005 THE CONSUMER'S REAR TIRE BLEW OUT. A PART OF THE SIDEWALL AND A PART OF THE TIRE TREAD COME OFF, ABOUT 2 INCHES LONG ON THE SIDE AND ABOUT 1 INCH IN THE TREAD. THE TREAD PEELED BACK FROM THE TIRE WHILE THE CONSUMER WAS DRIVING 15-25 MPH. THE TIRE ONLY HAD ONLY 2,286 MILES ON IT. *NM

2002 4X4 EXPLORER LIMITED WITH V8. AT 7390 MILES (3/12/03, INVOICE # W40836) TWO ISSUES; THE TRANSMISSION NEVER SHIFTED PROPERLY AND IT STARTED LEAKING FLUID EVERYWHERE. TWO WEEKS LATER THE DEALER ADMITTED THEY DIDN''T KNOW THE CAUSE AND REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION WITH A NEW ONE. ENGINE SEVERELY OVERHEATED (INVOICE 3W47852). AT 20K MILES THE TRUCK WILL ONCE IN A WHILE STOP (AS IF I HIT SOMETHING) AS I START TO BACK OUT OF THE GARAGE - PROBLEM DISCOVERED AT 31K BRAKE JOB - REAR SHOES ON PARKING BRAKE BROKE LOOSE ON DRIVERS SIDE (BOTH) AND ONLY ONE ON PASSENGER SIDE. LOOSE SHOE ON PASS. SIDE WOULD WEDGE WITH GOOD ONE AND LOCK UP WHEELS WHEN MOVING SLOW. LOT'S OF ARGUMENTS AND FORD FINALLY REPLACED SHOES (4/25/05 INVOICE # 99323). AT 26K (11/05, NO INVOICE) ONE TIRE WENT FLAT AND UPON INSPECTION BY A TIRE SHOP, THAT TIRE AND A SECOND TIRE HAD TREAD SEPARATION - RUNNING GOODYEAR''S. FORD QUICKLY REPLACED BOTH TIRES WITHOUT ANY QUESTIONS. AT 29K, MY FAMILY AND I MOVED FROM MI TO GA. EACH TIME I STOPPED FOR GAS THE EXPLORER SOUNDED LIKE THE FRONT END WAS GRINDING METAL TO METAL ON THE GEARS. THE 4X4 WAS IN AUTO FOR THE TRIP AND ONCE I GOT BACK ON THE HIGHWAY ABOVE 20 MPH THE NOISE WENT AWAY. HOWEVER, IT CONTINUED TO SHIFT POORLY AND IT STARTED TO SURGE (SHAKE) OR THUMP LIKE SOMETHING WAS CATCHING IN THE DRIVE TRAIN EVERY TIME I WOULD LET OFF THE GAS PEDAL AND ALLOWED THE TRUCK TO DECELERATE WITHOUT BRAKING. EVEN AFTER NEW BRAKES AND ROTORS, THE PROBLEM GOT WORSE AND WORSE - NOW AT 34K, (5/30/05, INVOICE # W50821) THE TRUCK IS IN THE DEALERSHIP FOR THE 3RD TIME ON THIS ISSUE. THE FIRST TIME, THEY REPLACED THE "MODULE-TRANSFER SH" WHICH DID PRETTY MUCH ELIMINATE THE SHIFTING ISSUE. THEY ALSO REPLACE THE "DRIVE SHAFT FLANGE PER SSM 16824" WHATEVER THAT MEANS. BUT A MAJOR PROBLEM IN THE DRIVE TRAIN STILL EXISTS AND IT STILL UNRESOLVED. HERE'S MY POINT, FORD HAS A MAJOR DRIVE TRAIN PROBLEM WITH THE REDESIGNED 2002 EXPLORER.