2002 Mitsubishi Eclipse: tire blowout or tread separation

Filed Apr 25, 2008 · Tires · VA · crash · 1 injury

2002 mitsubishi eclipse had a tire blow out. Consumer states that the vehicle then struck another vehicle and then hit the median wall before coming to a rest on the opposite side of the road. *kb examination of the tire revealed two holes in the sidewall which caused the blowout. The consumer suffered a laceration to her knee. (ohio traffic crash report # 10-0220-91

Filed Mar 17, 2006 · Wheels · 45,593 miles · CT

I just purchased a 2002 eclipse from a small dealer. Before I had purchased the car, they put 2 brand new tires on the front. The night I picked up the car, I had to travel on a few highways to get home. As I was getting back on the highway, I traveled over a rough spot in the road, but I only felt the left side going over it. A little while went by and as I was driving on the highway, I noticed that the steering wheel was pulling to one side. I knew something wasn't right because I specifically remembered how straight the steering was when I picked up the car 25 min earlier. The wheel started vibrating and I slowed up, and looked for a service area , when I pulled off I looked at the drivers side tire and saw it was flat.... Then I went to check the other front and it was flat too!!!these were definitely brand new. I could understand the left tire going flat because I went down in the dip, but not the passenger side.. How could 2 brand new tires go flat at the same time?? I didn't know what to do so I called 911, a police man came out and he had a tow truck come out and fill up the tires. I then followed him to their garage. The tires held the air, but I was not convinced they would hold. So the dealer towed the car back to their shop the next morning and thoroughly checked it over. They drove 50 miles on the highway. The tires were fine... They didn't know what caused the flat tires. And still don't! So after reading the other mitsubishi reports with similar incidents and even blowouts I'm convinced that this car has defective rims and that they must bend causing them to deflate the tires. To prevent this from happening again, I am purchasing after market rims to be sure I am safe! The rims are stock rims made by mitsubishi! Doesn't mitsubishi care about safety??? Someone needs to research these reports, recall these rims or replace them before someone gets killed!!!!

Filed Feb 14, 2006 · Tires · PA

While driving on the highway the car started to shimmy violently and all four tired went flat. Road service reinflated the tires and when driving off the highway a blowout occurred. The other tires showed large bubbles in the sidewalls. The type was uniroyal tiger paw 215/r55 16. This could have been catastrophic.

Filed Oct 27, 2004 · Wheels · 15,000 miles · KS

While driving on normal condition at city speed front right tire blewout. Six months previous to this incident, dealership indicated to the consumer the rim was bent but would not cause the tire to blowout. Subsequently, on two different occasions two more rims bent. Each rim will cost $300.00 at consumer's expense. *ak the dealer refused to replace any of the rims at their expense.

Filed Sep 4, 2002 · Tires, Wheels · NY

Eclipse gt, left rear tire blewout from rim and rim bent. Consumer feels that these rims should not bend from a blowout.*ak