1981 Dodge B250

I HAD 3 TIRE FAILURE IN A SHORT TIME JULY 28 THROUGH AUG 15, 1999. THE TIRES WERE PURCHASED FROM PEP BOYS. CORNELL IS A HOUSE BRAND. THE FIRST TWO TIRES TO FAIL WERE ALMOST BRAND NEW FRONT TIRES. ONE CAME APART (THE THREAD PEELED OFF) WITH ABOUT 1,500 MILES ON IT MAX. WHEN I GOT HONE 2,000 MILES LATER I GOT IT REPLACED AT PEP BOYS MELBOURNE, FL BUT I HAD TO PAY. ON THE WAY HOME FROM PEP BOYS THE VAN HANDLED BADLY AND I THOUGHT THE NEW TIRE HAD A PROBLEM. IT TURNED OUT THE OTHER FRONT TIRE WAS ABOUT TO LOSE IT'S TREAD AND THEY MADE ME PAY FOR A REPLACEMENT OF THAT TIRE (THIS ONE HAD ABOUT 3,500 MILES ON IT). A FEW WEEKS LATER I NOTICED ONE OF THE REAR TIRES WAS BEGINNING TO HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM (IT HAD A LOSE PART ON THE THREAD). I REPLACED THIS TIRE WITH MY SPARE AND LEFT IT AS A SPARE. THE THIRD FAILED TIRE HAD SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 10,000 AND 15,000 MILES ON IT. THE THIRD TIRE WAS ABOUT A YEAR OR SO OLD WHILE THE FIRST TWO TIRES WERE ONLY A COUPLE OF MONTHS OLD. PEP BOYS HAS REFUSED (I'VE WRITTEN AND E-MAILED THEIR CORPORATE HQ SEVERAL TIMES) TO DO ANYTHING FOR ME ABOUT THE BAD TIRES (THEY JUST IGNORED ALL CONTACTS). I INQUIRED OF THE, THE NAME OF THE MANUAFCTURER BUT THEY HAVE IGNORED THOSE REQUESTS ALSO. THE DEFECTIVE 850'S WERE REPLACED BY CORNELL 900'S. THE PLACE THAT DID THE REPLACEMENT TOLD ME THEY NO LONGER SOLD THE 850'S. WITH ALL OF THESE PROBLEMS I SUSPECT THEY KNEW ABOUT THE TIRES BEING DEFECTIVE AND QUITELY STOPPED SELLING THEM WITHOUT CONTACTING THOSE OF US WHO HAD THESE DANGERIOUS TIRES. THE REASON THE TWO FRONT TIRES WERE NEW WAS BECAUSE THEY WERE REPLACEMENTS FOR A PAIR OF ABOUT 10,000 MILE OLD CORNELL 850'S THAT HAD BEGUN TO DISTORT (INDENTATIONS AND BULDGES IN THE SIDE WALLS, ESPECIALLY ON THE INSIDE BLACK WALL). IN THAT CASE I ONLY PAID AN ADJUSTMENT BASED UPON THE USAGE. I AM UNSURE IF THE TWO TYPES OF FAILURES ARE RELATED. WHAT I DO KNOW IS IT WAS VERY FORTUNIATE THAT WHEN THE FIRST TIRE CAME APART AT 70 MPH ON I 10 THAT I DIDN'T GET INTO AN ACC