1999 GMC Suburban

TIRE TREAD SEPARATED WHILE AT 65 MPH. STEERING ERRATIC WITH MAJOR VEHICLE VIBRATION. THESE OEM FIRESTONE TIRES WERE NOT BALANCED WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS RECEIVED FROM THE FACTORY. THE DEALER'S SHOP TRIED TO BALANCE ALL FOUR TIRES AND SENT THE VEHICLE OUT FOR BALANCING AT A LOCAL TIRE DEALER WITH MARINAL SUCESS. VERY CAREFULLY PLACED, LARGE WHEEL BALANCE WEIGHTS WERE REQUIRED TO MEET MINIMUM ACCEPTANCE. MORE THAN 8/32THS TREAD REMAINED ON THE TIRE WITH AN EVEN TREAD WEAR PATTERN.*AK (DOT NUMBER: V611 B1A TIRESIZE: LT24575R16)

TREAD SEPARATED FROM THE TIRE AND DAMAGED THE VEHICALE. I HAVE PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE TIRE AND THE TREAD. I ALSO HAVE ONE OF THE ORGINAL TIRES LEFT ON THE SPARE RIM. GM WILL NOT REPAIR THE DAMAGE BECAUSE THEY SAID THEY NEED THE OLD TIRE. I WAS 3000 MILES FROM HOME AND HAD TO PURCHASE NEW TIRES TO GET HOME I HAD TO KEEP A GOOD TIRE FOR THE SPARE NOT THE BLOWN TIRE.*AK

WHILE VEHICLE WAS BEING INSPECTED FOR AN ALIGNMENT, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE LEFT FRONT FIRESTONE (2457516 STEEL TEX RDL R4S 11 BW E)HAD SEPARATED, WHICH WAS REPLACED, HOWEVER ON THE SECOND OCCASION WHILE AT FIRESTONE, THE OTHER THREE TIRES WERE FOUND TO HAVE SEPARATED AS WELL, CONSUMER IS REQUESTING REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE TIRES PURCHASED.*JB

WHILE ENGAGED IN A TURNING MANEUVER, THE POWER STEERING SUDDENLY APPLIES MAXIMUM ASSISTANCE, STARTLING THE DRIVER AND CAUSING THE STEERING WHEEL TO MOVE SUDDENLY. THIS MOVEMENT IN TURN CUASES THE FRONT WHEELS TO TURN SUDDENLY WHILE IN A TURING MANEUVER. IF THE DRIVER IS NOT EXTREMELY ATTENTIVE, THIS PROBLEM CAN EASLIY CAUSE A LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. AS I UNDERSTAND FROM LOCAL REPAIR SHOPS AND A LOCAL CHEVROLET DEALER, THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH CHEVROLET AND GMC TRUCKS AND SUBURBANS.

THE LAMPHOLDER ASSEMBLY HAS PRINTED-WIRING SHEET TO ROUTE CURRENT TO BULB SOCKETS. DURING MANUFACTURE, THIS CIRCUIT LAYER IS MOUNTED TO THE STRUCTURE OF THE LAMP HOLDER ASSEMBLY WITH A PLASTIC RIVETING PROCESS. A (PLASTIC AND THUS NON-CONDUCTING) RIVET PASSES *THROUGH* A CONDUCTOR COMMON TO THE BRAKE AND TURN LAMPS, NEARLY SEVERING THE CONDUCTOR. EVENTUALLY THE SMALL THREAD OF REMAINING CONDUCTOR FAILS ENTIRELY, RESULTING IN A LACK OF SAFETY SIGNALLING THAT CAN NOT BE REPAIRED BY BULB REPLACEMENT. ** EVENTUALLY, ALL ASSEMBLIES WITH THIS DEFECT WILL FAIL, AS THE CURRENT REQUIRED TO LIGHT THE BRAKE AND TURN LAMPS FAR EXCEEDS THE CAPACITY OF THE HAIR-THIN THREAD OF COPPER THAT SURVIVES THE HOLE PUNCHED FOR THE RIVET ** THIS APPEARS TO BE A DESIGN DEFECT. THE FAILURE POINT IS ALSO ONE OF THE TEST POINT AREAS ON THE ASSEMBLY. THERE APPEARS TO BE NO ENGINEERING REASON WHY THE RIVET MUST BE IN THIS LOCATION, AND I SUSPECT THAT A CAD ERROR CAUSED A RIVET LOCATION AND A TEST POINT LOCATION TO BE ERRONEOUSLY COMBINED. THE SURFACE INSULATION MATERIAL IS NOT PRESENT AT THE TEST POINTS TO ALLOW TESTING EITHER BY AUTOMATED EQUIPMENT OR SERVICE TECHNICIANS. THE ASSEMBLY DESIGN HAD TO COORDINATE THREE FUNCTIONAL LAYERS -- THE TEST-POINT HOLES, THE PRINTED WIRING LAYER, AND THE RIVET-STUDS WHICH PASS THROUGH FROM THE PLASTIC STRUCTURE OF THE ASSEMBLY. I BELIEVE THAT A CAD ERROR CAUSED A RIVET STUD (AND ITS ASSOCIATED THRU-HOLE) TO BE ERRONEOUSLY CO-LOCATED WITH A TEST POINT. THIS ONE-LINE-AT-A-TIME TEXT ENTRY FIELD IS LUDICROUS. YOU ASK FOR A DETAILED DESCRIPTION, AND THEN MAKE IT NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO DO SO.