2024 Audi Q5

I was traveling on the expressway and suddenly my vehicle veered to the right. I immediately looked down to see if there was a lane-keeping assist indicator on and there wasn't. I wasn't exactly sure what was happening as no indicator lights were on. I then noticed the vehicle wasn't keeping the speed and it began slowing down. People began honking at me and a gentleman rolled down his window and yelled, "tire". At this point I looked at my driver's side mirror and notice something flapping from the tire rear tire area. Then I heard a loud noise as if there was a heavy duty truck coming up beside me and immediately pulled over on the side of the interstate. I immediately called for help and waited for assistance before exiting my vehicle. The rear driver's side tire was seperated from the rim and damaged the lining in the wheel well. The tire is a Continental Cross Contact. LX Sport 235/55 R 19. The vehicle is 2024 Audi Q5 with the original tires at the time of purchase. The vehicle has 20,785 miles as I am writing this.

The component that failed was the tire/wheel system on a rental vehicle from Enterprise. While driving on a dry highway in New Mexico, a tire pressure warning light appeared. Because we were in a remote area, we stopped at the nearest gas station and added air to the tire. After adding air, the warning light temporarily turned off, so I believed the issue was low tire pressure. However, while continuing to drive, the warning light came back on. We were traveling through an isolated area where towns and service stations were very far apart, and I was attempting to safely make it to the next available gas station or service area. While driving at highway speed, I suddenly heard a loud “boom boom boom” noise. Immediately afterward, I saw the tire detach from the vehicle and roll in front of me before going off to the side of the roadway. I quickly attempted to safely pull the vehicle over. The sudden tire separation created a serious safety hazard for myself, my passengers, and other drivers on the highway. There was a risk of losing control of the vehicle, rollover, collision, or secondary accidents caused by debris or the detached tire. Other vehicles had to maneuver around us after the incident. The problem was not caused by weather conditions, debris impact, or unsafe driving. The failure happened during normal highway driving in dry conditions. The tire itself was not recovered after the incident. An Enterprise representative later asked where the tire was, but due to the sudden nature of the event and the remote location, we were unable to retrieve it. To my knowledge, the vehicle has not yet been formally inspected by the manufacturer or an independent repair facility. However, the vehicle should be inspected for possible tire defects, maintenance failures, wheel assembly problems, or improper installation. The incident was reported to Enterprise, and I contacted customer service multiple times regarding the safety issue and resulting damages and expenses.

Purchased 2024 brand new Audi Q5 with Kumho tires - KL33  235\55R19 from manufacturer Dec 2023. Have the car serviced at the Audi dealership per service recommendation. Tires were inspected and deemed roadworthy Jan 2025. By [XXX] (15 months post new purchase of vehicle) rear tire shredded on highway due to a known detreading issue with the Kumho tires. Causing pulling of vehicle into the central lane on highway. No accident or fatalities. Had emergency replacement of the affected tire and evaluation of the other three tires. It is noted during inspection of the three tires were also worn down atypically for the mileage (19,600). The rear tire on the driver side was also noted to not pass inspection due to early defective wear. All tires replaced, no accountability from dealership.  According to the manufacturer warranty these tires would have all been replaced if bought personally (within 5 years of purchase, or under 60,000) , due to the fact the tires came with the vehicle there is no recourse per Audi dealership. Upon further investigation of Kuhmo tires there appears to be a known component regarding detreading of the tires especially with highway road speeds that has caused fatal accidents. Unable to reach Kuhmo tires to discuss accountability regarding gap in warranty coverage  and defective tires. Per Audi employee this is a known issue with Audi and the tire company where they would rather pay off damages than correct the problem due to profit loss. My safety and others on the road were put in peril due to placing unsafe tires with known detreading issues on new cars, without any place for recourse when the said defective tires fail. Lack of consideration from Kuhmo tire company and Audi has placed a large population of car owners at risk, as Audi unable to get Continental tires knowingly and willingly opted for cheaper tires with known issues. Looking for accountability from these corporations. Will continue to reach out to Kuhmo for recourse.  INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION