1989 Chevrolet S10

I HAD A TIE FAILURE ON A GOODRICH P225/70-R14 M&S TIRE. THE SIDEWALL SPLIT ON THE TIRE WITHOUT WARNING. THE TIRE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO EXAMINED IT AND SAID THAT THE SIDEWALL FAILURE WAS DUE TO SOME SORT OF MANUFACTURING DEFECT. WHEN THE OTHER TIRES WERE EXAMINED, ONE OF THEM WAS FOUND TO HAVE A SIDEWALL CRACK THAT HAD NOT YET GOTTEN ALL THE WAY THRU THE SIDEWALL. THE TIRE THAT FAILED DID SO AT LOW SPEED SO THERE WAS NO WRECK, BUT A SIDEWALL FAILURE AT ROAD SPEED COULD HAVE LED TO A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. *JB

1989 S-10 BLAZER PURCHASED "NEW" IN FEBRUARY 1989 SUPPLIED WITH FIRESTONE "ATX" TIRES. WITHIN TWO YEARS THE "ORIGINAL TIRES BEGAN TO DEVELOP MAJOR CRACKS IN THE TREAD AREA. THEY WERE REPLACED BY FIRESTONE "AT NO/CHARGE" IN 1992 WITH ANOTHER SET OF "ATX" TIRES. THE REPLACEMENT SET ALSO BEGAN TO DEVELOP MAJOR CRACKING IN THE TREAD AREA WITHIN THE NEXT TWO TO THREE YEARS. IN 1995 THE REPLACEMENT TIRES WERE REPLACED WITH ANOTHER SET OF "ATX" TIRES. HOWEVER, AT THAT TIME THEY (FIRESTONE) PRO-RATED THE TIRE AT ABOUT 50% TREADWEAR AND I HAD TO PAY ABOUT $160. AGAIN, FOR THE THIRD TIME, THE REPLACEMENT "ATX" TIRES BEGAN TO DEVELOP MAJOR CRACKS IN THE TREAD AREA. LAST MONTH (JULY 2000) I HAD THE TIRES REPLACED AGAIN FOR THE SAME CRACKING PROBLEM. THEY WERE AGAIN PRO-RATED WITH ABOUT 45% TEARD WEAR. THE REPLACEMENT TIRES COST ME $220 AND THIS TIME WERE FIRESTONE "WILDERNESS". ON AUGUST 10, 2000 I HAD THE FIRESTONE "WILDERNESS" TIRES REMOVED AND PURCHASED A SET OF "GOODYEAR WRANGLERS". I RETURNED THE FIRESTONE "WILDERNESS" TIRES ON AUGUST 12, 2000 FOR A REFUND OF MY $220. IT IS MY FEELING THAT FIRESTONE SHOULD REFUND THE $160 THAT I SPENT IN 1995 AND ALSO THE $445 THAT I JUST SPENT FOR THE REPLACEMENT "GOODYEAR WRANGLER" TIRES. THAT'S A TOTAL REFUND OF $605. PLEASE NOTE: I HAVE THE ORIGINAL COPIES OF ALL TIRE INVOICES. THANK YOU! SINCERELY FRANK A CANNA 08/12/00( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P225 75 15 )