2001 Buick Regal Tires & Wheels Problems

SINCE TWO OF THE FOUR TIRES HAVE NOW FAILED I WILL SUBMIT TWO COMPLAINTS, ONE FOR EACH TIRE. GOODYEAR VIVA 2 TIRES BOUGHT FROM WALMART ON MAY 31, 2011. P225/60R16 97S DOT MDX0 H6HP 1911 TIRES FOR MY 2001 BUICK REGAL. AFTER ALMOST A YEAR I NOTICED THE CAR WAS NOT RIDING SMOOTHLY SO I TOOK IT IN TO GET THE TIRES BALANCED. THE TIRE MAN SHOWED ME THAT THERE WAS A TREAD ISSUE ON A TIRE, SO ON MAY 9, 2012 I BOUGHT A REPLACEMENT VIVA 2 TIRE. THE FAILED TIRE HAD LESS THAN A YEAR AND 17,601 MILES ON IT. RECENTLY WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY ANOTHER OF THE INITIAL VIVA 2 TIRES BLEW OUT (SAME DOT CODE). THIS TIRE WAS ABOUT 26 MONTHS OLD WITH 31,440 MILES ON IT. *TR

I AM AN AUTO MECHANIC AND LATER AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEER AND I ALWAYS KEEP MY TIRES PROPERLY INFLATED WITH ROUTINE BALANCING, ROTATION AND ALIGNMENTS. IN OVER 30 YEARS OF DRIVING I HAD NEVER HAD A TIRE ISSUE BEYOND THE OCCASIONAL FLAT UNTIL I BOUGHT A SET OF GOODYEAR VIVA 2 TIRES FROM WALMART ON MAY 31, 2011. P225/60R16 97S DOT MDX0 H6HP 1911 TIRES FOR MY 2001 BUICK REGAL. AFTER ALMOST A YEAR I NOTICED THE CAR WAS NOT RIDING SMOOTHLY SO I TOOK IT IN TO GET THE TIRES BALANCED. THE TIRE MAN SHOWED ME THAT THERE WAS A TREAD ISSUE ON A TIRE, SO ON MAY 9, 2012 I BOUGHT A REPLACEMENT VIVA 2 TIRE. THE FAILED TIRE HAD LESS THAN A YEAR AND 17,601 MILES ON IT. RECENTLY WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY ANOTHER OF THE INITIAL VIVA 2 TIRES BLEW OUT (SAME DOT CODE). THIS TIRE WAS ABOUT 26 MONTHS OLD WITH 31,440 MILES ON IT. I STILL HAVE THIS TIRE IF YOU WANT TO INSPECT IT. *TR

I HAVE HAD ISSUES WITH LOW AIR PRESSURE IN THE FRONT RIGHT TIRE OF MY 2001 BUICK REGAL. THERE HAS ALSO BEEN SIGNIFICANT CORROSION ON ALL OF THE CHROME COATED ALUMINUM RIMS SINCE MY PURCHASE. I HAVE TRIED TO RESOLVE THIS ISSUE UNDER WARRANTY DURING THE FIRST YEAR OF OWNERSHIP WITH MY DEALERSHIP, GM CUSTOMER SERVICE, AND VARIOUS TIRE MANUFACTURERS. ALL PARTIES INVOLVED WILL NOT TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THESE PROBLEMS CITING REASONS HAVING TO DO WITH MOTHER NATURE, AND/OR BLAMING EACH OTHER TO AVOID THE ISSUE. I RECENTLY HAD A FRONT TIRE CHANGE WHERE THE EMPLOYEE WORKING ON IT INFORMED ME OF A "CRACKED OR "FRACTURED" WHEEL. AFTER CONTACTING GM CUSTOMER SERVICE AND BEING SENT TO THE DEALERSHIP AGAIN, I WAS TOLD THAT THE CRACK MUST HAVE COME FROM EITHER CORROSION, OR HITTING A POTHOLE. I DISAGREED WITH THEIR ASSESSMENT AND DEMANDED A NEW RIM FREE OF CHARGE. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THAT I HAVE EVER EXPERIENCED A CRACK IN A RIM. IT IS MY POSITION THAT THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE, AND COULD POSSIBLY CAUSE A "DEATH IN THE FIELD". I WILL BE REPLACING THE RIM AT MY COST, YET I NEED THIS ISSUE RESOLVED BEFORE THE OTHER THREE RIMS ON MY CAR POSSIBLY CRACK. ALSO, I NEED TO FIND OUT HOW "COMMON" CRACKED RIMS ARE ON THIS MODEL VEHICLE, AND WHY THEY WERE NEVER RECALLED. *JB

TL*- THE CONTACT CALLED TO INFORM NHTSA THAT HE RECEIVE A RECALL LETTER FROM PEP BOYS ON HIS TIRES, THE COOPER FUTURA 2000 RADIAL LTE, SIZE 225/60/R16. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE TOOK HIS VEHICLE TO PEP BOYS TO HAVE THEM REPLACE THE TIRE BECAUSE THIS IS A PEP BOY RECALL, AND THEY DECLINE TO DO SO. PEP BOYS STATED THEY WERE UNAWARE OF THE RECALL.

THE TIRES ON THE CAR HAVE FAILED. I HAVE DONE THE ALL OF THE SCHEDULED ROTATIONS AND ALINGMENTS. THE TIRES "GOODYEAR EAGLE LS (225/60R16) ON MY 2001 BUICK REGAL ARE PUTTING MY LIFE AT RISK WHEN I DRIVE EVERYDAY FOR WORK. I CONTACTED BUICK AND THEY STILL ARE MAKING A DETERMINATION TO REPLACE THESE FAILED TIRES, AT 23,900 MILES. I BELIEVE THAT GM SHOULD OF TESTED THESE TIRES BEFORE THEY HAD MADE THE DECISION TO PUT THEM ON A QUITE PRICY CAR. GOODYEAR I BELIEVE IS AT FAULT FOR PRODUCING SUCH A TIRE THAT IS A COMPLETE FAILURE. I HOPE THAT SOMETHING IS DONE ABOUT THIS PROBLEM.*AK

WHILE DRIVING RENTAL CAR FROM ALAMO RENTAL, VEHICLE EXPERIENCED A FLAT TIRE, AN INSPECTION OF THE OTHER 3 TIRES WAS DONE AND NOTED THAT THEY WERE IN VERY POOR CONDITION, TIRES WERE WORN AND WEAR INDICATORS WERE SHOWING, TIRES WERE 3 FIRESTONES AND 1 GENERAL AMERIA, NO OTHER SPECIFIC TIRE INFORMATION GIVEN.

WHILE VEHICLE WAS BEING WASHED, CONSUMER DISCOVERED A BULDGE IN THE SIDEWALL AND A LIGHTENING TYPE JAGGED SEPARATION IN TIRE, CONSUMER WAS INFORMED BY MECHANIC THAT THE BULDGE AND CRACK WAS THE RESULT OF A PLY SEPARATION.(CONTINENTIAL TIRES)*JB