1990 Honda Accord

TL - THE CONTACT OWNS A 1990 HONDA ACCORD. THE PASSENGER FRONT TIRE WENT TOTALY FLAT ON THE HIGHWAY. THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED. THE TIRE SHOP HAD TO REPLACE THE TIRE BECAUSE THE SIDEWALL HAD BEEN DAMAGED. ALL OF THE VALVE STEMS ON THE VEHICLE WERE DAMAGED AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. SHE ALSO HAD A PROBLEM WITH THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE TIRE LOOSING AIR, THAT TIRE WAS OKAY. THE CONTACT DID NOT HAVE ANY INFORMATION ON THE VALVE STEMS. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 153,000. KG UPDATED 10/03/08 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED THE TIRE HAD SUDDENDLY DEFLATED. THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD IT WAS DUE TO A CUT VALVE STEM. THE SESCOND TIME THE INCIDENT HAPPENED, THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE SUDDENLY DEFLATED. THE CONSUMER WAS THEN TOLD THE TIRE HAD TO BE REPLACEDDUE TO SIDEWALL DAMAGE. THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD ALL 4 VALVE STEMS WERE REPLACED. UPDATED 10/06/08. *JB

ALL 4 TIRES BECAME DEFECTS AFTER 10,000 MILES. IT HAPPENED ONE AT A TIME AND I HAVE ASKED THEM TO MAKE SURE THE OTHERS WERE OK. 2 OF T HEM (FRONT) HAD BULGES IN THEM, THE 2 IN THE BACK HAD TREAD SEPERATION AND THANKFULLY I FELT IT BEFORE IT BLEW UP. THEY CHARGED ME OVER $30 TO CHANGE EACH ONE EVEN THOUGH IT WAS UNDER WARRANTY FOR 30,000 MILES. AS FOR THE LAST AND MOST RECENT ONE JUST A WEEK AGO, I TOOK IT TO A DIFFERENT DEALER AND (FIRESTONE AS WELL) AND HE TOLD ME HE NEVER SOLD THAT TIRE BEFORE AND GAVE ME A DIFFERENT ONE FOR ONLY $15. I HAVE CALLED FIRESTONE AND THEY SIMPLY DIDN'T CARE AND THEY TOLD ME IT'S NORMAL TO CHARGE THAT MUCH TO CHANGE A TIRE. THOSE TIRES WERE SELLING AS 4 FOR $99 SO I'M SURE OTHERS BOUGHT THEM AND HAD SIMILAR PROBLEMS AS WELL. I HAVE BEEN AWAITING TO SEE IF THEY GET RECALLED BUT THEY NEVER DID. SO PLEASE HELP ME BECAUSE 3 OF THE TIRES REPLACED WERE REPLACED WITH THE SAME EXACT BRAND AND TYPE AND SIZE. I STILL FEEL THE FEAR OF SOMETHING HAPPENING WHILE I'M GOING AT HIGH SPEED ON THE HIGHWAY. SO FAR WHAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE 4 FOR $99 PLUS INSTALLATION WHICH WAS OVER $150, HAD COST ME OVER $100 MORE FOR A TOTAL OF MORE THAN $250 AND THAT IS WHILE THEY WERE STILL UNDER WARRANTY. THANKS FOR TRYING TO HELP. *AK( DOT NUMBER: ??? TIRE SIZE: 185/70 R14 )

TWO REPLACEMENT FALKEN TIRES WERE PURCHASED AT WILLOWBROOK-NTB#7291[HOUSTON,TX] ON JULY 7, 1998 AND PLACED ON THE REAR WHEELS. THE ODOMETER READING WAS 143,000 MILES. THE FIRST OF THE TWO BLOW-OUTS OCCURRED ON MAY 17, 2000 TRAVELING AT 70MPH. AS THE BLOW-OUT PROCEEDED, THE VEHICLE SHOOK VIOLENTLY AND WAS DIFFICULT TO CONTROL. THE TIRE SHOWED NO SIGNS OF A CUT OR PUNCTURE; BUT RATHER HAD COME APART, LEAVING LAYERS AND STRIPS OF THE RUBBER WITH FRAYED STEEL WIRES STICKING OUT. A TIRE "ADJUSTMENT" WAS RELUCTANTLY GIVEN[I HAD PURCHASED ROAD HAZARD PROTECTION ON BOTH OF THE TIRES.] BY THE NEAREST NTB DEALER WHO MEASURED THE TREAD [WHICH SHOWED NO ABNORMAL WEAR SIGNS] TO DETERMINE THE ADJUSTMENT. I TOLD HIM I BELIEVED IT TO BE A DEFECTIVE TIRE, SINCE IT WAS DIFFERENT FROM ANY "BLOW-OUT" I HAD EVER EXPERIENCED. THE SECOND "BLOW-OUT" OCCURRED ON JULY 3, 2000 WHILE TRAVELING AT 60MPH. AGAIN THE CAR SHOOK VIOLENTLY BUT THIS TIME I RECOGNIZED WHAT WAS HAPPENING AND HAD A SOMEWHAT EASIER TIME BRINGING THE CAR TO A CONTROLLED STOP. THE ODOMETER READING WAS 181,143 MILES. THE SECOND TIRE HAD THE SAME APPEARANCE AS THE FIRST, BUT MORE OF IT REMAINED INTACT BECAUSE I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER AND ROLL TO A STOP MORE QUICKLY. ON BOTH DAYS THE TEMPERATURES WERE BETWEEN 98 AND 101*F. THE FIRST TIRE HAD 35,291 MILES OF WEAR AND THE SECOND HAD 38,143 MILES OF WEAR ACCORDING TO MY CALCULATIONS. I TOLD THE NTB SALES TECHNICIAN THAT I WAS POSITIVE THAT BOTH TIRES WERE DEFECTIVE AND SOMEONE WAS GOING TO BE KILLED IF THEY REMAINED IN USE. I ASKED HIM HOW TO REPORT MY SUSPICIONS. HE OFFERED NOTHING OF HELP BUT ARGUED THAT THE TIRES WERE NOT DEFECTIVE. *AK( DOT NUMBER: V4CBF04347 TIRE SIZE: 195/60HR15 )