1995 Honda Civic

I PURCHASED 4 NEW NANKANG EX-500 TIRES FOR MY 1995 HONDA CIVIC EX IN OCTOBER 2005. THEY SEEMED TO BE IN NEAR PERFECT CONDITION UP UNTIL THE INCIDENT. NO BALDING OR WEARING WAS VISIBLE. ON 2-12-06 WHILE TRAVELING ON THE FREEWAY AT APPROX. 75 MPH, THE SIDEWALL ON THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE COMPLETELY SEPARATED FROM THE TIRE WITHOUT WARNING AND VERY ABRUPTLY, FORCING ME INTO THE LANE TO MY RIGHT AND NARROWLY MISSING A COLLISION WITH A VEHICLE IN THAT LANE. I WAS ABLE TO GET OVER TO THE SHOULDER TO CHANGE THE TIRE FOR A SPARE. I OBVIOUSLY HAD TO REPLACE THE TIRE, AND IN ADDITION, I WILL NEED TO ADJUST MY ALIGNMENT AS IT WAS SERIOUSLY COMPROMISED AS A RESULT OF THIS INCIDENT. *NM

THIS IS A NOTICE I SENT FIRESTONE CONSUMER AFFAIRS ON 9 OCT 2003 "IN APRIL 2002, I PURCHASED 4 BRIDGESTONE INSIGNIA TIRES FOR MY DAUGHTER'S CAR FROM THE RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE (AFB) SERVICE STATION IN UNIVERSAL CITY, TEXAS. DURING THE PAST 18 MONTHS, I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE 3 TIRES DUE TO DEFECTS. ONE TIRE FAILED WHILE SHE WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK. THE SECOND TIRE HAD TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE IS WAS "OUT OF ROUND". THE TIRE I JUST REPLACED HAD A BULGE ON THE OUTER SIDEWALL. IF MY DAUGHTER FAILED TO NOTICE THIS WHILE SHE WAS CHECKING THE TIRES, SHE COULD HAVE HAD ANOTHER BLOW OUT! I ORIGINALLY PURCHASED YOUR TIRES BECAUSE I THOUGHT I WAS BUYING A QUALITY PRODUCT. BASED UPON MY EXPERIENCE, THIS IS CERTAINLY NOT THE CASE. IN ADDITION TO THE SAFETY CONCERN, I HAVE HAD TO PAY FOR NEW TIRES (PRO-RATED COST), MOUNTING, BALANCING AND ROAD HAZARD. I WOULD THINK THAT AFTER THE DEATHS ASSOCIATED WITH THE FIRESTONE TIRE FAILURES, YOUR COMPANY WOULD PAY MORE ATTENTION TO MANUFACTURING A SAFE AND QUALITY PRODUCT THAT CUSTOMERS CAN RELY ON. I GUESS THIS IS OF NO CONCERN TO YOU. BE ASSURED, I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER ONE OF YOU PRODUCTS, AND I WILL MAKE SURE THAT ALL THE MY FRIENDS AND THE ARMY, AIR FORCE EXCHANGE SERVICE (AAFES), WHO SOLD AND INSTALLED THE TIRES, ARE AWARE OF MY EXPERIENCE. I CAN TELL YOU THAT AAFES SELLS ALLOT OF TIRES. I WILL ALSO NOTIFY THE NTSB SO THEY HAVE A RECORD OF THIS COMPLAINT...."" *LA

PURCHASED 4 TIRES FROM GOODYEAR CALLED THE "CUB" IN MARCH. AT THE BEGINNING OF SEPT., THE TIRES ARE 6 MTHS OLD. INCIDENT #1: BEGINNING OF SEPTEMBER; TIRE#1 TREAD SPLIT APART. INCIDENT #2: TIRE #2 TREAD SPLITS APART. PER GOODYEAR'S REPLACEMENT POLICY, IF THE TIRE IS LESS THAN 25% WORN OR ONE YEAR OLD (WHICHEVER COMES FIRST) THE TIRE WILL BE REPLACED FREE OF CHARGE. BOTH TIRES WERE SIX MONTHS OLD WHEN THE TREAD SPLIT. THE SECOND TIRE SPLIT A FEW DAYS AFTER THE FIRST. THE FIRST TIRE WAS REPLACED, GOODYEAR CHARGING FOR BALANCING ONLY. WHEN WE TOOK THE SECOND TIRE IN, WE WERE TOLD THAT THESE TIRED HAD BEEN "DISCONTINUED" AND WOULD NO LONGER BE REPLACED FREE OF CHARGE. THEY WOULD, HOWEVER, BE HAPPY TO "UPGRADE" THE TIRES FOR AN ADDITIONAL CHARGE. WE WERE HANDLED DECEPTIVELY WITH THESE TIRES. WHAT WE WANT IS TO KNOW THAT WE WILL NOT BE PART OF THE STATISTICS OF FATALITIES WITH FAULTY TIRES SUCH AS WITH THE PREVIOUS GOODYEAR INCIDENTS. WE COMMUTE TO AND FROM SAN MARCOS OCASSIONALLY, AND WANT TO REST ASSURED THAT WE WILL SEE OUR LOVED ONES AT THE END OF THE DAY. WHAT WE ARE REQUESTING IS NOT UNREASONABLE. WE WOULD LIKE TIRES THAT ARE RELIABLE AND SAFE. WE PAID FOR THESE TIRES AND INSTALLATION IN MARCH OF 2003 AND EXPECT PRODUCTS AND SERVICES TO BE RENDERED AS PAID FOR. UPON CONTACTING CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE, ONLY IDENTIFYING HERSELF AS "MARY" BY HER CHOICE, SAID THAT IF WE WANTED TIRES THEY WOULD HAVE TO PRORATE THEM. NOTHING ELSE COULD BE DONE. TWO TIRES REMAIN ON OUR VEHICLE. IN EXPLAINING THE SITUATION, CONCERNED WITH OUR SAFETY, ASKING WHAT COULD BE DONE IN THE EVENT THAT WE HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM (WITH TREADS SPLITTING) OR WITH AN ACCIDENT WITH THE REMAINING TIRES, WHAT COULD BE DONE? "MARY" REPLIED, "FILE A CLAIM WITH YOUR CAR INSURANCE" WE WOULD LIKE TO GET THE TIRES REPLACED OR HAVE OUR MONEY REFUNDED SO THAT WE CAN SEEK AND FIND "SAFE" TIRES FOR OUR VEHICLE. PLEASE CONTACT ME FOR MORE INFORMATION.

WHEN DRIVING, FELT LIKE CAR WAS GOING OVER SPEEDBUMPS. BOTH GAS PEDAL AND STERRING WHEEL WERE SHAKING...HAD A FRIEND DRIVE IT AND HE THOUGHT IT WAS THE TIRES. GOT OUT TO TAKE A LOOK AND SAW ABOUT A 6INCH TEAR WHERE THE TREAD HAD COME APART FROM THE TIRE...CHECKED OTHER TIRES- SEEMS TO JSUT BEGUN ON FRONT RIGHT TIRE AS WELL...FIRESTONE NEEDS TO GET THIER STUFF TOGETHER BECAUSE THESE TIRES ARE YET TO BE RECALLED AND ARE OBVIOUSLY DEFECTIVE. *AK (DOT NUMBER: EM9PDAB347 TIRESIZE: P175/65R14)