GENERAL GRABBERS TIRES Complaints

1999 ROADTREK TIRES DRY ROTTED AND WERE REPLACED. *TS DURING AN INSPECTION THE VEHICLE TIRE WERE FOUND TO BE DRY ROTTED. THE TIRE WERE REPLACED WITH GENERAL GRABBER AT 2, RADIAL TIRES. AFTER THE TIRE WERE REPLACED THE CONSUMER NOTICED THAT THE VEHICLE WANDERED ON THE ROAD WHILE DRIVING. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, IT WAS NOTICED THERE WERE CHUNKS OF RUBBER MISSING FROM THE TREAD AND THE WIRES WERE EXPOSED. THIS OCCURRED ON THREE OF THE FOUR ORIGINAL TIRES AT 48,000 MILES. THE TIRES WERE CHANGED, BUT THE DEALERSHIP WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE WHAT CAUSED THIS PROBLEM. UPDATED 10/2/2006 - *NM

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE RIGHT FRONT PASSENGER SIDE TIRE BLEW OUT.. THERE WAS ALSO A SPLIT IN THE LEFT FRONT TIRE. THE TIRE(S) SIDEWALL WAS DEFECTIVE.*AK

CONSUMER COMPLAINED THAT REAR PASSENGER'S TIRE HAD TREAD SEPARATION. GENERAL, GRABBER ST, P235/70R16. THERE WAS APPROXIMATED 50,415 MILES ON THE TIRE. *NM

WHILE DRIVING AT 65 MPH AND WITHOUT ANY INDICATION, THE VEHICLE REAR TIRE BLEW OUT. CONSUMER INSPECTED VEHICLE AND NOTICED A DAMAGE TO THE FENDER. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS. GENERAL GRABER P25570R60 FORD SPORT TRACK. *LA

THE TRUCK CONTINUOUSLY PULLED TO THE RIGHT WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED. UPON PUTTING THE TRUCK ON A LIFT, THE MECHANIC NOTICED THAT THE FRONT TIRE HAD SPLIT AND THE STEEL BELT WAS HANGING OUT. THE CAUSE OF THE TIRE SPLITTING HAD NOT BEEN DETERMINED. *PH *SC *JB

THESE TIRES (GENERAL GRABBER TR, SIZE 235/85R16) CAME AS ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT ON A 2000 FORD F250 SUPER DUTY. THIS TRUCK IS USED MAINLY ON PAVED ROADS; OCCASIONALLY ON GRAVEL ROADS. THE WORST "OFF ROAD" DUTY THIS TRUCK EVER SEES IS A RARE TRIP ONTO DIRT OR GRASS. I AM CAREFUL ABOUT KEEPING WHEELS BALANCED AND TIRES PROPERLY INFLATED AND ROTATED. IN THE SPRING OF 2003, WITH ABOUT 20,000 MILES ON THE TIRES, I DISCOVERED A GRAPEFRUIT SIZED BULGE IN THE INSIDE SIDEWALL OF ONE OF THEM. A FIELD REPRESENTATIVE FROM GENERAL TIRE PROCLAIMED THAT THIS BULGE WAS DUE TO A "ROAD HAZZARD." [MY FIRST SIDEWALL BULGE IN 37 YEARS OF DRIVING, BUT I GUESS IT CAN HAPPEN. HOWEVER, DON'T LET THE LOW MILAGE ON THE TRUCK FOOL YOU. ALTHOUGH I DRIVE LESS NOW THAN I USED TO, WITH OTHER VEHICLES I STILL AVERAGE OVER 35,000 MILES PER YEAR. I HAVE OWNED A LOT OF TIRES.] I WAS NOW SUSPICIOUS OF THESE TIRES, SO IN AUGUST 2003 (AT 22,000 MILES) BEFORE A 2,000 MILE TRIPT WHICH I HAD TO MAKE WITH THE TRUCK, I CAREFULLY INSPECTED THE TIRES AND DOUBLE CHECKED THE INFLATION. UPON MY RETURN HOME I DISCOVERED A LEMON SIZED BULGE IN THE OUTSIDE SIDEWALL OF ANOTHER ONE OF THIS SET. I THEN IMMEDIATLY REPLACED THE TIRES ON THE TRUCK WITH ANOTHER BRAND. UPON INSPECTION OF THE REMOVED TIRES, I DISCOVERED THAT A THIRD TIRE HAD A WALNUT SIZED BULGE IN A SIDEWALL. SO, IN 24,000 MILES, THREE OF THE ORIGINAL FOUR TIRES DEVELOPED SIDEWALL BULGES. INTERESTINGLY, ALL OF THE BULGES WERE BETWEEN THE BEAD AND THE WIDEST PART OF THE SIDEWALL, NOT BETWEEN THE WIDEST PART OF THE SIDEWALL AND THE TREAD - WHERE YOU WOULD WOULD EXPECT A TIRE TO BE MORE LIKELY TO ENCOUNTER A "ROAD HAZZARD." IN MY OPINION, THE BIGGEST "ROAD HAZZARD" I'VE ENCOUNTERED IN THIS TRUCK ARE THESE TIRES. I AM NOT INTERESTED IN ANY "COMPENSATION" FROM THIS COMPANY. I JUST WANT TO WARN OTHER CONSUMERS AND NHTSA TO WATCH THESE TIRES. JUDGING FROM THE OTHER COMPLAINTS ABOUT GENERAL GRABBERS, SIDEWALL FAILURES ARE A HIGH PERCENTAGE PROBLEM.

THE CONSUMER HAS MADE FIVE ATTEMPTS IN REFERENCE TO THE VOLUNTARY RECALL PROGRAM REIMBURSEMENT. MR SCC *NLM

NO PARTS AVAILABLE. RECALL ON CONTINENTAL GRABBER TIRE. SIZE#275/60R17 PLEASE PROVIDE THE DOT#. LEADERSHIP FORD 214-361-8100 PLEASE PROVIDE THE ADDRESS OF THE DEALER. TS

CONSUMER STATES THAT THERE WAS A VOLUNTARY RECALL FOR TIRES TO BE REPLACED. CONSUMER STATES ITS BEEN SIX WEEKS AND TIRES AREN'T AVAILABLE. MR