2004 Pontiac Vibe Tires & Wheels Problems

p 185/75r15 (?) copy of email sent to Kost Tires Pa, BBB, State Attorney General's office: Sirs, Please forward to your corporate office. Two months ago, I replaced my entire front end (hubs, bearings, lower ball joints and outer ties rod ends) because the excessive noise these tires generated sounded a lot like bad bearings. The bearings themselves turned out to be fine. This tire blew out on me at 65-70 mph yesterday and almost killed me - the other front tire was almost just as bad. This manufacturer's quality control department should be notified asap, or steps should be taken to recall any of this brand that you've sold in order to limit your company's liability in case of an accidental death as a result of inadequate or insufficient safety standards. Again, this is after 4K miles on a "Kendra" tire rated for 60K - manufactured in Malaysia, Thailand or Vietnam (?). Thank you, [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

ON JUNE 4, 2011 MY WIFE WAS DRIVING A 2004 PONTIAC VIBE ON RT. 83 FROM PENNSYLVANIA INTO MARYLAND WHERE APPROXIMATELY 1/2 MILE FROM THE PARKTON, MD EXIT, THE CAR BEGAN TO SHAKE VIOLENTLY IN THE RIGHT LANE OF THE HIGHWAY. THE DRIVER FRONT TIRE POPPED LOOSE AS IT SEVERED ITSELF FROM THE SIDEWALL AND LITERALLY ROLLED DOWN THE BREAKDOWN LANE AS THE CAR WAS PULLING TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. I HAVE PICTURES OF THE TIRE. NO DEBRIS WAS IN THE ROADWAY AND NO OBJECTS WERE STRUCK DURING THIS EVENT. THE APPROXIMATE SPEED OF THE VEHICLE WAS 65-70 MPH. THE PROBLEM IS THAT THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME. IN LATE NOVEMBER 2010, MY WIFE WAS DRIVING THE SAME VEHICLE IN REHOBOTH BEACH, DE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH ON RT. 1. THE REAR DRIVER SIDE TIRE SUDDENLY BURST AND SEPARATED AT THE SIDEWALL. THE TIRES HAVE BEEN REPLACED. THE LATEST TIRE WAS REPLACED BY SEARS AUTO CENTER IN YORK, PA WHERE THE OLD TIRE IS BEING SHIPPED BACK TO GOODYEAR (IN RESPONSE TO ROADSIDE WARRANTY). THE TIRE SIDEWALL RUBBER COMPOUND APPEARED VERY HARD AND BRITTLE. THE GOODYEAR TRIPLE TREAD TIRES WERE PURCHASED IN 2008 AND HAD APPROXIMATELY 30,000 MILES ON THEM. 2 OUT OF 4 TIRES HAD THIS UNEXPLAINED SIDEWALL BLOW OUT, ANOTHER TIRE WAS REPLACED EARLIER BECAUSE OF A NAIL PUNCTURE. WE DECIDED TO REPLACE ALL TIRES WITH ANOTHER MODEL AND GET RID OF OUR TRIPLE TREADS. WE BELIEVE THE TIRES TO BE UNSAFE AND ARE CONCERNED THAT OTHERS MAY BE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEMS. THESE ARE HIGH END TIRES THAT ARE SUPPOSED LAST 80,000 MILES WITH SUPERIOR TRACTION. *TR

REPEATED EXCESSIVE TIRE WEAR AND VIBRATION/NOISE - 2004 PONTIAC VIBE AWD. TIRES HAVE BEEN REPLACED TWO TIMES WITHOUT CORRECTING PROBLEM. *TR

2004 PONTIAC VIBE TIRE BLEW OUT. *TS AS A RESULT THE VEHICLE RAN INTO A DITCH. THE CONSUMER SUSTAINED NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE SUSTAIN MINOR BUMPER AND EXHAUST DAMAGE. *NM

WE TOOK OUR 2004 PONTIAC VIBE ALL WHEEL DRIVE IN TO DISCOUNT TIRE TO BUY FOUR NEW TIRES. DISCOUNT TIRE CALLED US LATER TO INFORM US THAT 4 LUGS SNAPPED OFF WHILE TORQUEING THE LUGS TO 80 FTLBS.. THEY CHECK CHECKED THEIR TORQUE STICK AND USED TWO OTHER STICK WHICH CONTINUED TO SNAP OFF THE LUGS. THEY SENT THE CAR OVER TO MIDAS TO HAVE REPAIRED AND DAYS LATER WHEN WE WENT TO PICK IT UP I HAD THEM CHECK ALL THE LUGS AGAIN, AND AGAIN AT 80 FTLBS. ONE MORE LUG SNAPPED. SO AGAIN WE WAITED FOR A NEW LUG TO ARRIVE. A TOTAL OF 5 LUGS SNAPPED OF THE BACK END OF THE CAR WELL BEFORE 80 FTLBS. OF TORQUE WAS APPLIED. I WORK AT A STEEL PLANT AND HAD OUR LAB CHECK A BROKEN LUG AND THEIR RESULTS WERE THAT THE LUGS WERE TO BRITTLE THAT THERE WAS NO LONGATION OF THE BOLT BEFORE IT BROKE. DISCOUNT TIRE DID AN OUTSTANDING JOB IN TAKING CARE OF THEIR CUSTOMER, I AM CONCERNED WITH HOW MANY MORE LUGS OUT ON THE ROADS ARE TO BRITTLE AND MAY SNAP. *NM

2004 PONTIAC VIBE UNEVEN TIRE WEAR ON THE BACK TIRES "CUPPING". DEALER WAS NOT WILLING, OR UNABLE TO TELL ME THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. HAVE FOLLOWED MY OWNERS MANUAL, TIRE ROTATIONS. HAVE VISITED ANOTHER DEALER, AND WAS TOLD THEY HAVE SEEN MY PROBLEM, BUT DO NOT KNOW CAUSE. I NEED TO REPLACE THE TIRE, WITH 25000 MILES ON THEM. *JB

DEFECTIVE TIRES. *JB

EXTREME TIRE WEAR ON 2004 PONTIAC VIBE GT WITH CONTINENTAL TIRES. TIRES TO WEAR MARKERS AT 19,000 MILES. WEAR CONSISTENT ON ALL (4) TIRES. MANUFACTURER RECOMMENDATIONS OF ROTATION, INFLATION FOLLOWED, AND PERFORMED BY GM DEALER. DEFECT REPORTED AT 19,500 MILES TO LOCAL DEALER. PONTIAC HAS REFUSED TO ACT ON ACKNOWLEDGE THIS PROBLEM. I WAS ABLE TO SUBSTITUTE TIRES TO WINTER-ONLY DUE TO WEATHER. CONCERN IS THAT THERE ARE OTHERS OUT THERE WITHOUT ALTERNATIVE TIRES, AND THAT WORN TIRES COULD CAUSE PROPERTY/LIFE INJURY IN CRASH. *NM