2000 Chevrolet Malibu Tires Problems

You had a negative experience at a tire shop that mounted your two new tires on opposite corners (front driver and rear passenger) instead of following standard safety practice for front-wheel drive vehicles, which typically requires new tires on the front axle with lower-tread tires moved to the rear. The shop claimed they couldn't rotate or touch tires with low tread depth. You believe this practice violates safety regulations and want the business reviewed.

WE HAD PURCHASED UNIROYAL TIRES IN OCTOBER 2002 FROM FARM AND FLEET IN LA CROSSE. AS OF AUGUST 4, 2005, ALL THE TIRES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED DUE TO THE TIRES CRACKING AND PEELING. WE TOOK THE CAR TO SEARS WHERE THEY TOLD US THEY WOULD NOT LET US DRIVE THE CAR DUE THE SEVERITY OF THE PEELING OF THE TIRES. DRIVING OUR CAR WITH THE TIRES IN THE POOR CONDITION COULD CAUSE AND ACCIDENT AND INJURY. I STARTED HAVING A PANIC ATTACK AFTER HEARING THIS NEWS. WE WERE TOLD THAT THIS IS NOT NORMAL FOR TIRES TO SHRED, CRACK, AND PEEL AT ONLY 40,000 MILES. I CALLED FARM AND FLEET WHERE WE BOUGHT THE TIRES AND HE TOLD ME "TOO BAD" AND HUNG UP ON ME. I CALLED UNIROYAL AND SHE SAID IT IS NOT THEIR PROBLEM IF OUR TIRES CRACKED, THAT'S WHAT TIRES DO. THESE TIRES THAT CRACKED, PEELED, AND SHREDDED HAVE A 75,000 MILES WARRANTY, NOONE WILL HONOR THIS WARRANTY AND WE HAD TO SPEND OVER $400 BUYING NEW TIRES. *NM

MY 2000 CHEVROLET MALIBU HAD 37,500 MILES ON IT WHEN I NOTICED THAT THE FIRESTONE AFFINITY P21560R15 TIRES WERE CRACKING. THE DEEP GROOVES BETWEEN THE TREADS HAD CRACKS AND THE SHOULDER OF THE TIRE HAD A WEB OF CRACKS. THERE WAS STILL A LOT OF TREAD LEFT ON THE TIRES. I HAVE NEVER SEEN THIS OCCUR ON ANY TIRES I HAVE OWNED IN MY 40 YEARS OF DRIVING. ONE LOCAL TIRE STORE ADVISED ME THAT THIS PROBLEM IS COMMON IN AFFINITY TIRES BECAUSE FIRESTONE DOESN'T PUT ENOUGH MOISTURE INTO THE COMPOUND THEREBY SHORTENING THE LIFE OF THE TIRE.*AK

FRONT TIRES WEAR AND LOSE AIR PRESSURE PREMATURELY. *AK

WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH REAR RIGHT TIRE HAD BLOWN. MANAGED TO PULL VEHICLE TO THE SIDE OF ROAD, STOPPED, AND CHECKED TIRES OUT. NOTICED RIGHT REAR TIRE HAD SEPARATED IN THREE DIFFERENT PIECES. CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER. HAD NOT BEEN TO DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIRS. SIZE 215/60R15.

SIDEWALL BLOWN IN 3 SPOTS WHILE ENTERING DRIVEWAY. DT

FIRESTONE AFFINITY TIRES P215/60R15 ARE CRACKING IN BETWEEN TREAD. *YH

AT 9000 MILES CENTER TREADS OF ALL TIRES WERE SHOWING ABNORMAL WEAR. SPOKE TO GM DIRECTLY, THEY SENT ME TO DEALER. I WAS TOLD THAT IS THE WAY THE AFFINITY TIRES WEAR AND THEY SHOULD BE GOOD FOR ANOTHER 30,000 MILES. I ASKED THEM TO PUT THAT IN WRITING FOR ME, OF COURSE THEY REFUSED. AT THE PRESENT 13000 MILES, THE TREAD WEAR IS SPREADING. IF GM AND CHEVROLET BOTH KNEW THAT THESE TIRES WORE THIS WAY, THEY COULD HAVE AT LEAST GIVEN THE OPTION OF UPGRADING TO BETTER TIRES. I DO NOT FEEL SAFE WITH THESE TIRES, ESPECIALY WITH THE WEATHER CONDITIONS IN THE ARE THAT I LIVE.. I BELIEVE THAT I WAS TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF BY A MAJOR CORPORATION TO THE FULLEST.. SHAME ON CHEVROLET. *AK (DOT NUMBER: 027487)

ON FOUR ORGINAL EQUIPMENT FIRESTONE, INFINITY TIRES SIZE P215/60R15 WITH FOURTY THOUSAND MILES TREADS WERE BEGINNING TO CRACK. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED AND HAS REPLACED ALL FOUR OF THE DEFECTIVE TIRES. *AK *TT

WHILE DRIVING, FIRESTONE AFFINITY TIRE BLEWOUT, VEHICLE JUMPED A LANE AND LANDED IN ANOTHER LANE, CONSUMER WAS INJURED IN ACCIDENT, FIRESTONE TIRE SIZE P205/60R15 93T, CLAIM 31-3083-344. *SLC

RIGHT FRONT TIRE BLEWOUT WHILE DRIVING, CONSUMER LOST CONTROL AND HIT FIREPLUG, FIRESTONE AFFINITY, P215/60R15, CLAIM 35-W577-593. *SLC

WHILE DRIVING, TIRE EXPERIENCED TREAD SEPARATION, FIRESTONE AFFINITY, P215/60, CLAIM 49-3233-848. *SLC

WHILE DRIVING, FIRESTONE AFFINITY TIRE BLEWOUT, VEHICLE JUMPED A LANE AND LANDED IN ANOTHER LANE, CONSUMER WAS INJURED IN ACCIDENT, FIRESTONE TIRE SIZE P205/60R15 93T, CLAIM 31-3083-344. *SLC

RIGHT FRONT TIRE BLEWOUT WHILE DRIVING, CONSUMER LOST CONTROL AND HIT FIREPLUG, FIRESTONE AFFINITY, P215/60R15, CLAIM 35-W577-593. *SLC

WHILE DRIVING, TIRE EXPERIENCED TREAD SEPARATION, FIRESTONE AFFINITY, P215/60, CLAIM 49-3233-848. *SLC

CRACKING BETWEEN TREAD. *AK (TIRESIZE: P21560R15)

WHILE DRIVING, CONSUMER EXPERIENCED DIFFICULTY HANDLING THE VEHICLE, WHEN SHE PULLED OVER SHE SAW THAT THE FIRESTONE AFFINITY TIRES SIDEWALL HAD COME AWAY FROM THE REST OF THE TIRE, FIRESTONE HAS REFUSED TO REPLACE THE OTHER TIRES, REIMBURSE HER FOR THE REPLACEMENT TIRE, OR REIMBURSE HER FOR THE TOWING CHARGE, THE TIRE SIZE IS P215-60R15. (ATTORNEY FOR CLIENT) *SLC

WHILE DRIVING, CONSUMER EXPERIENCED DIFFICULTY HANDLING THE VEHICLE, WHEN SHE PULLED OVER SHE SAW THAT THE FIRESTONE AFFINITY TIRES SIDEWALL HAD COME AWAY FROM THE REST OF THE TIRE, FIRESTONE HAS REFUSED TO REPLACE THE OTHER TIRES, REIMBURSE HER FOR THE REPLACEMENT TIRE, OR REIMBURSE HER FOR THE TOWING CHARGE, THE TIRE SIZE IS P215-60R15. (ATTORNEY FOR CLIENT) *SLC

TIRES CRACKED INBETWEEN TREAD. *AK (TIRESIZE: P215/60R15)

CRACKING BETWEEN TIRE TREAD. *AK (TIRESIZE: P21560R15)( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P21560R15 )

ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT, 19,000 MILES; BACK RIGHT TIRE WAS FLAT, THERE WAS SOME CRACKS AROUND TIRE. CONTACTED MANUFACTURER. *AK CONSUMER STATES AS SHE WAS DRIVING SHE NOTICED THAT VEHICLE WAS PULLING AND MAKING A VERY LOUD NOISE, CONSUMER GOT OUT OF THE VEHICLE AND NOTICED THAT THE TIRE WAS FLAT, AND HAD BEEN DETERMINED THAT THAT TREAD CONTAINED CRACKS.*JB

FIRESTONE, AFFINITY, TIRE SIZE P21560R15, ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT ON CHEVROLET, MALIBU, 2000 WITH 9600 MILES. WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH TREAD SEPARATED, AND WHOLE SIDEWALL TIRE BLEWOUT ON PASSENGER REAR, CAUSING REAR OF VEHICLE TO JUMPS TOWARDS DRIVER'S SIDE, RESULTING IN DAMAGE ON RIGHT HAND SIDE OF VEHICLE.*AK

TWO TIRES CONTINUE TO LOSE AIR. NLM

I WAS TODAY ALERTED BY THE AUTO MECHANIC SERVICING MY CAR THAT MY TIRES -ESPECIALLY THE TWO FRONT TIRES - WERE SHOWING SIGNS OF TREAD SEPARATION. IN LIGHT OF THE FACT THAT THEY ARE FIRESTONE TIRES WITH LESS THAN 12000 MILES ON THEM, AND CONSIDERING THAT THE DAMAGE I SEE IS IN THE EXACT LOCATION WHERE OTHER FIRESTONE TIRES HAVE EXPERIENCED TREAD SEPARATION, I FELT I NEEDED TO REPORT THIS TO NHTSA AND TO MY CHEVROLET DEALER. THESE TIRES HAVE BEEN ROTATED TWICE SINCE I PURCHASED THIS NEW VEHICLE LESS THAN A YEAR AGO, AND THE PROPER TIRE PRESSURE HAS BEEN MAINTAINED. BALANCE AND ALIGNMENT HAVE BEEN CHECKED AT EACH SCHEDULED SERVICE. THE UNUSUAL WEAR ON THE TIRES IS EASILY VISIBLE, AS ARE THE LONG CRACKS WHERE THE TREAD MEETS THE REST OF THE TIREWALL. THESE ARE THE ORIGINAL TIRES WHICH CAME WITH THE VEHICLE. THE CAR IS HOUSED IN A GARAGE OVERNIGHT AND IS MINIMALLY EXPOSED TO THE ELEMENTS. I HAVE NOT MADE ANY LONG ROAD TRIPS IN THIS CAR, NOR HAVE I HAD ANY PUNCTURES, FLAT TIRES OR ANY OTHER DAMAGE TO MY TIRES OR RIMS. PLEASE LET ME KNOW HOW I SHOULD PROCEED WITH THIS. THANK YOU.*AK (TIRESIZE: P215/60R15)( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P215/60R15 )

PE00-020; WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE COULD VIBRATE. TOOK VEHICLE FOR INSPECTION, AND FOUND OUT THAT TWO FRONT TIRES WERE HAVING A TREAD SEPARATION, AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. P215/60 R15, 1993 CHEVROLET MALIBU, 2000. *AK