PEP BOYS DEFINITY DAKOTA H/T TIRES Complaints

PEP BOYS DEFINITY DAKOTA H/T SIZE LT245/75/R16 LOAD RATING E TIRE MANUFACTURED IN THE 38TH WEEK OF 2009 EXPERIENCED COMPLETE 360 DEGREE SEPARATION OF THE TREAD AT 65MPH RESULTING IN SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO THE BODY AND TAILPIPE OF THE VEHICLE. THE TIRE CONTINUED TO HOLD PRESSURE AFTER TREAD SEPARATION BUT STEEL BELTS WERE VISIBLE. *TR

PEPBOYS/DEFINITY DAKOTA H/TP255/65R16, I PURCHASED 4 OF THESE TIRES THROUGH A MEINEKE CAR CARE CENTERON 7/10/10 LOCATED AT 49TH & SPRUCE STREETS IN PHILADELPHIA, PA. WITHIN THE FIRST TWO WEEKS THE TIRES WERE ON MY DODGE DAKOTA, THE TIRES WERE SPIN BALANCED 4 TIMES AT VARIOUS LOCATIONS DUE TO EXCESSIVE VEHICLE SHAKING IN THE SEAT AND IN THE STEERING WHEEL. ON 7/26/10, I NOTICED THAT ON THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE 3 SIDE BELTS APPEARED BROKEN AS THERE WERE INDENTATIONS ON THE SIDE WALLS THAT I HAD NOT OBSERVED PREVIOUSLY. UPON CLOSER INSPECTION, IT WAS OBSERVED THAT TWO OUT OF THE FOUR NEW TIRES HAD BROKEN BELTS. I CALL PEPBOYS CUSTOMER SERVICE NUMBER LISTED ON THEIR WEBSITE AND WAS ADVISED TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO A PEPBOYS FOR INSPECTION. I TOOK THE TRUCK TO PEPBOYS LOCATED AT 41ST & MARKET IN PHILADELPHIA AND WHEN THE SERVICE ATTENDANT INSPECTED THE TIRES, HE REPORTED THAT THREE OF THE FOUR TIRES HAD BROKEN BELTS. SUCH SIGNIFICANT TIRE FAILURE, LACK OF VEHICLE CONTROL IS BELIEVED BY ME TO BE A HAZARD. THIS TRUCK HAS SCARED THE CRAP OUT OF ME EVER SINCE THE TIRES WERE PUT ON THE TRUCK. THE LACK OF VEHICLE CONTROL HAS BEEN TO THE POINT THAT THE TRUCK HAS ACTED LIKE IT IS GOING OFF THE ROAD WHEN GOING AROUND CORNERS. THESE TIRES ARE DANGEROUS. *TR

I WAS DRIVING WEST ON THE #10 FRY NEAR PALM SPRINGS CA (65-70 MPH) WHEN THE FRONT LEFT TIRE BEGAN TO THUMB AND COME APART. APRX. 80% OF THE TIRE TREAD/BELT SEPARATED FROM THE DEFINITY DAKOTA TIRE. THE REMAINING TIRE NEVER WENT FLAT. AFTER PULLING TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD I CALLED AAA AND THEY REMOVED THE TIRE AND REPLACED IT WITH MY SPARE. THE AAA TOW TRUCK DRIVER SAID THE TIRE CLEARLY FAILED DUE TO A DEFECT. THREE DAYS LATER THE CAR ( CHEVY. TRAILBLAZER) WAS TAKEN TO A REPAIR SHOP, DUE TO THE FLAPPING TREAD CAUSING FL BODY,HEADLIGHT, F BUMPER, L RUNNING BOARD AND FL WHEEL WELL DAMAGE. SEIDNER'S REPAIR SHOP REMOVED THE DEFECTED TIRE, IT WAS DISCARDED IN ERROR AND THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO RETRIEVE IT. THE ORIG SET OF TIRES WERE PURCHASED AT PEP BOYS 5/21/06, WHEN I RETURNED LAST WEEK (5/22/10) TO THE STORE WHERE I PURCHASED THE SET THEY TOLD ME PER THERE CORP. OFFICE CURRENT RECALLS DID NOT COVER MY SIZE. ALSO (5/25/10) THE PEP BOYS CORP. OFFICE HAD A CALL IN TO COPPER TIRE HDQ FOR A COMPLETE LIST OF DEFINITY DAKOTA SIZE RECALLS AND TO REPORT THIS COMPLAINT. AS OF 5/29/10 COPPER HAS NOT RETURNED THERE CALL, OR A CALL TO ME. *TR