Simple flat tire turned into a lot more

Last month, I purchased 4 brand new tires with a warranty for each for my 18 yr old daughter's car, got an alignment, oil change, etc. She was leaving for college and wanted her to be safe.

Last night one of the tires blew out. She wasn't going fast (thank goodness she wasn't on the interstate) was able to get the car off of the road but couldn't get the jack under the car to change the tire. Her car sits low to the ground naturally, it is a Mustang.

So, her dad and I drive up to her college and work for two hours to get the car jacked up. We finally had a bright idea to jack it up from the center to raise the entire front end enough to get another jack under where it had to be to change the tire.

We couldn't get the blasted tire off of the bolts. It would not come off. We pounded it with a rubber mallet and finally got it off. It struck me strange but I let it go. We later found out why.

Today I took it to Walmart (where I purchased the tires and before you blast me for using Wally World, my reasoning was there is one every 50 miles in the US so it would be easy for her to get them replaced where she is) and they replaced the front tire that blew and found a screw in another one and replaced it too. NO charge. Good. They also tell me the tire that blew was a manufacturer defect and it happens in 1 in 10 cars. Now seriously, if this had happened to her on the interstate at 70 mph or more she would've had a wreck and could have hurt herself or someone else. That angered me. 1 in 10. WHy is that allowed??????????? That is a 10% chance every time you get a tire it is going to blow out. Not good odds really. I felt horrible. She had just came off of the interstate. I thank GOD she is safe.

Well here is where it gets bad.

They page me to come, and I instantly knew they found something else wrong. I was right. She has a busted tie rod end. UGH. They tell me where I can go to get it fixed and I took it the mechanic they suggested. HE said he can fix it but that the other side is cracked. WHAT????? this is also why the tire did not come off easily...it had been wobbling on the bolts and was out of whack from moving sideways.

I asked what caused it and he said the car is 7 years old. Wear and Tear, you can't lube them any more.
He showed me how he could move the tire easily sideways which means it is busted. I pay the dude and now am waiting to pick it up.

I thank GOD she is safe. This could have turned out so much worse.

Maybe I have been on ATS too long, I dont know, but I honestly think the tire blow out was meant to be to find the busted tie rod end. We would have never known. We do not drive her car. We are old. She is an 18 yr old girl and apparently oblivious to subtle changes in her steering / handling. LOL The mechanic said if the tie rod broke completely while she was driving she would have lost control and probably wrecked.

So, here are my issues...1 in 10 tires according to walmart are defective and they cant check prior. Apparently they just "blow out". Secondly, if hers didnt blow out how it did, we would have never found the tie rod.

I do not believe in coincidences. One happened so the other could be found. I am thankful all it cost me was my money. I am thankful my girl is safe. I am thankful it turned out ok. But now I am paranoid about the new tires they just put on and the other two new ones. We have 4 new tires on that car. 1 in 10 chance they are bad. The math is not good for another to be defective.

reply to post by k21968

Sounds like a job for Ralph Nader.

I knew there was something he was useful for, consumer advocacy.

If you were to take this to the CFPB, you would quickly (or very slowly) discover what bureaucracies are good for...

Nothing



Sorry to hear about the trouble but, delighted that she is safe!

I'm guessing your daughter's angel is due a thank you



It may have been a pain in the behind for you, but much better than what could have happened

I thinks an ATS dance is in order



Sorry I can't stay serious for very long

But truly happy all turned out well for you all

Cody

reply to post by k21968


You can drive around with a busted tie rod and not know it...horrible part is that it's a cheap part but it's the labor that kills you...I have a 2008 Dodge Charger and just had to replace a tie rod...she may have bumped one too many curbs but tires do have defects...impossible for any product made not to have some bad apples in the lot....when it rains it pours....

reply to post by k21968


I am very glad your daughter is safe. Your story to me is a very good reminder...no matter what we may buy...always investigate and try to find out if the product may be faulty.

Yes...I think you are right...the chain of events regarding your daughters car...happened to expose the problems and be able to fix them. One thing...led to the other...and as a result your daughter is safe.

More and more I am taking a second, third and fourth look at anything I purchase; just because a manufacturer says on a label and in a commercial that their product is safe and of high quality; well folks...(it ain't necessarily so)... I have to ask myself...where is the proof?

k21968
They also tell me the tire that blew was a manufacturer defect and it happens in 1 in 10 cars. Now seriously, if this had happened to her on the interstate at 70 mph or more she would've had a wreck and could have hurt herself or someone else. That angered me. 1 in 10. WHy is that allowed??????????? That is a 10% chance every time you get a tire it is going to blow out.

You sure about that? 1 in 10? I don't think so. Indeed, you've got a Wal-Mart employee who is spouting gibberish. The only real question here is why you believe it. If this were true you would see a constant line of cars on the Interstate all with blown tires.

Secondly, just because you get a tire blow out does NOT mean an automatic accident. You're speculating about something that a) did not happen and b) is fairly easy to recover from. To wit:



And BTW, tie rods don't "just break." That car has had some abuse at some point in its life.

I asked what caused it and he said the car is 7 years old. Wear and Tear, you can't lube them any more.

That's what got me.
7 years old isn't very old, and to give a lube is not a problem on older vehicles. Its done all the time.

I don't trust very many mechanics. Many of them tend to think that women don't know anything about vehicles. I've had a few mechanics try to lie to me.

Schuyler is right, about everything he said in his post. I've had 2 blowouts in 40 years of driving, the blowout in the front could have been bad if there was more traffic, the back tire blowout happened very safely.

I've driven with bent tie rods before, so yeah, they dont break easy.

you get what you pay for. buying cheap tyres from walmart is probably not a great idea.
and tie rod ends dont break or crack, they wear out.

take your car to a garage, not a supermarket.

Sorry to hear about your luck but 1 in 10 is probably a lie, lie, lie. You should be able to find the truth online. With those numbers there would be a recall.

A 7 year old car should not be having tie rod problems unless someone has been seriously abusing it. It is a mustang and your daughter is young so occams razor may applie.

At least you have a good attitude about it and like you said it cost money and not much else.

Try to find a good honest mechanic and have the cars checked over once a year. Finding one is harder than finding good doctors sometimes but well worth looking though.

Its true about walmart tires they are flipping horrible.

I've bought 7 now from them for my car just because they are $30 a tire from them. One lost all the air completely and said the warranty would not work because I didn't buy roadside insurance. Is that even legal? I had the tire for a week and it failed.

I've replaced my tie rods very easy fix if you have a tool. My guess is that somebody in the mustang hit something very hard. Also you would have heard it clunking when you move your steering wheel and feeling it in the tire as you turn.

The tire wouldn't have popped with a tie rod gone. You would have seen where it wore it down it in my case you would have gotten a bubble.

My guess is walmart broke them trying to take them off for you. They use those air guns to take the bolts off often stripping or breaking them.

Have we really enetered the era of 7 year old cars being accepted as being dangerous in such a way?

I mean, I drove a 1980 toyota for years. that was in the early 2000's. It blew a water pump. No problems at all with the rest of it. None.

But back in the olden days when those people who now reside in old folks homes, were young strapping lads and ladettes, and they made and fixed things to last, I guess they didn't think a vehicle that was likely to be a mode of transport for a family or so, that was intended to last a long time, should have such faults that are acceptable after 7 years. They had ethics.

Do not accept this.

For the future. If not anything else. So many things have just become the norm because of apathy.

The cyborgs are taking over. and we must fight them with every last red blood cell left in our body and every hand not coupled with a gadget. Lest the googles take over our minds completely.

schuyler

k21968
They also tell me the tire that blew was a manufacturer defect and it happens in 1 in 10 cars. Now seriously, if this had happened to her on the interstate at 70 mph or more she would've had a wreck and could have hurt herself or someone else. That angered me. 1 in 10. WHy is that allowed??????????? That is a 10% chance every time you get a tire it is going to blow out.

You sure about that? 1 in 10? I don't think so. Indeed, you've got a Wal-Mart employee who is spouting gibberish. The only real question here is why you believe it. If this were true you would see a constant line of cars on the Interstate all with blown tires.

Secondly, just because you get a tire blow out does NOT mean an automatic accident. You're speculating about something that a) did not happen and b) is fairly easy to recover from. To wit:

And BTW, tie rods don't "just break." That car has had some abuse at some point in its life.

'


A busted tie rod end will certainly almost always cause an accident. The tire wobbles uncontrollably and you lose control of the car. She is not an experienced driver..she is 18. You and I could probably have avoided an accident at 75 mph on the interstate for a blow out, her odds are not as good being inexperienced. That is my reasoning.

The 1 in 10 factoid came from walmart. Why would they say that if it wasn't true. They fix tires. The tire manager says 1 in 10 are defective. I am sure 1 in 10 do not blow. Hers blew.

Either way I thank God she is safe.

Grimpachi
Sorry to hear about your luck but 1 in 10 is probably a lie, lie, lie. You should be able to find the truth online. With those numbers there would be a recall.

A 7 year old car should not be having tie rod problems unless someone has been seriously abusing it. It is a mustang and your daughter is young so occams razor may applie.

At least you have a good attitude about it and like you said it cost money and not much else.

Try to find a good honest mechanic and have the cars checked over once a year. Finding one is harder than finding good doctors sometimes but well worth looking though.

She has curbed it numerous times. It sits way low to the ground. I have curbed it. i hate driving it for that reason. LOL

The mechanic that fixed it (not walmart they dont repair tie rods) told me curbing it could cause it to crack, and hers are sealed so they cannot be lubed. Her car is a 2007. It has 93k miles on it.

It has had one front end collision and numerous fender benders. LOL (mailbox, trash can, etc) when she first got her license.

So abuse, if you want to call it that is probably the culprit. I prefer to call it inexperience.

I didnt buy her the car. She is the only grandchild. Her grandfather bought it for her 16th birthday right before he died from pulmonary fibrosis as a gift to her.

It was 4 yrs old when she got it with 30k miles on it! She has racked up the mileage driving to work, school functions, college, her grandparents house (my parents are still alive and live 5 hrs away and she visits them as much as she can).

So its been a great car really.

Tires like breaks are your life and don't penny pinch when buying them...ever!
I always buy new tires from the same garage I have been to for years and never had one bit of bother with them. Is your daughter not worth the extra money to buy her decent tires, not two a penny ones that you bought? One blew and the other had a screw in it? I had a slow puncture in one of mine and it was a nail but the tire had been on for over a year. A supermarket selling tires is a big mistake in my book.

TheLotLizard
Its true about walmart tires they are flipping horrible.

I've bought 7 now from them for my car just because they are $30 a tire from them. One lost all the air completely and said the warranty would not work because I didn't buy roadside insurance. Is that even legal? I had the tire for a week and it failed.

I've replaced my tie rods very easy fix if you have a tool. My guess is that somebody in the mustang hit something very hard. Also you would have heard it clunking when you move your steering wheel and feeling it in the tire as you turn.

The tire wouldn't have popped with a tie rod gone. You would have seen where it wore it down it in my case you would have gotten a bubble.

My guess is walmart broke them trying to take them off for you. They use those air guns to take the bolts off often stripping or breaking them.

These were not cheap tires. LOL They were $100 a piece. I did buy the warranty though and they replaced them free. It is like $10 a tire and well worth it.

I just picked up her car and the mechanic explained this to me in greater detail.

Apparently the "boot" was not sealed. It is a rubber thingy (lol) and if it gets a pin hole it allows dirt, water, etc to get in there and those things will cause the grease to fail which essentially will cause the part to fail. Hers is sealed. You cannot lube it. It is the way it is made. You replace it if the closed system is compromised.

So, it is a possibility that she has ran over a curb or hit a pothole (her car sits very low to the ground) and could have damaged the "boot" or the front end collision she had this spring could have done it as well.

Bottom line, it is fixed and I am very thankful.

The tie rod breaking at a high rate of speed (she has 40 miles of interstate between her home and college) would have not been a good thing. It could have caused an accident. Yes, I am speculating, but I am a mom. The worst case scenario is always forefront in my mind and the thing I want to prevent when it comes to my child.

If it were me, it would be no big deal. My heart and soul drives this car. So anything that could compromise her safety is a huge deal to me.

So if I came off as paranoid or exaggerating, I did not mean to. The mom in me was in mama bear mode.

scotsdavy1
Tires like breaks are your life and don't penny pinch when buying them...ever!
I always buy new tires from the same garage I have been to for years and never had one bit of bother with them. Is your daughter not worth the extra money to buy her decent tires, not two a penny ones that you bought? One blew and the other had a screw in it? I had a slow puncture in one of mine and it was a nail but the tire had been on for over a year. A supermarket selling tires is a big mistake in my book.

Well I appreciate your opinion. Actually the garage at our walmart is owned and ran by Valvoline and not walmart. I live in a military community famous for ripping soldiers and their families off. I tend to avoid the places on the "strip". I already stated I went to walmart's tire place so my daughter could get the warranty work done if needed when she was at college.

I did not skimp on the cost either. THese were not the cheapest tires they have. They cost me over $100 each and are good tires. Name brand tires. They are Bridgestone brand. They had cooper tires for her car that were $45 a piece. I opted for the better ones.

HOW DARE you say my child is not worth the money to me. I am appalled at that suggestion. Anyone that reads my threads knows that child is the reason for my being.

Just because I bought her tires at Walmart does not make me a bad mom. I am doing the best I can.

We are a military family who have not lived in the same town for our whole lives. I would love to have a relationship with a mechanic or shop that I could trust.

Walk a mile in my shoes before you judge me next time. Thanks!

reply to post by k21968


My apologies if you feel that way, was not my intention. The tires you say are a good brand but for them to say one in ten are defective is rubbish. I have been driving for forty years from anything to motorbikes to big rigs and anything in between and never ever have I heard that story from anyone.
I never skimp on my tires and you paid good money for yours and expect them to be working 100% and not the way they did do.
To buy them and get a blow out and a screw in the other then something goes wrong with the car tells me something is not right in the them and also the way they were fitted.
Get the car checked out completely as safety is a priority in a car.
Again, I am sorry if I upset you in any way as I didn't mean it that way at all. You should get the defective tires checked by an independant person who can find out why they were defective.

scotsdavy1
reply to post by k21968

 

My apologies if you feel that way, was not my intention. The tires you say are a good brand but for them to say one in ten are defective is rubbish. I have been driving for forty years from anything to motorbikes to big rigs and anything in between and never ever have I heard that story from anyone.
I never skimp on my tires and you paid good money for yours and expect them to be working 100% and not the way they did do.
To buy them and get a blow out and a screw in the other then something goes wrong with the car tells me something is not right in the them and also the way they were fitted.
Get the car checked out completely as safety is a priority in a car.
Again, I am sorry if I upset you in any way as I didn't mean it that way at all. You should get the defective tires checked by an independant person who can find out why they were defective.

The mechanic (not walmart) checked her car. Other than the tie rods and tires it is good to go. I had the oil changed again, and fluids topped off and safety check. Brakes are good. Her dad just replaced those too.

My daughter also said they are doing construction where she parks at her college. Apparently there is screws, nails, etc all over the place. I think this was a result of that. The tie rod ends, we may never know what caused it. I did talk to her about hitting speed bumps and curbs and pot holes and how it can tear up her car, especially since it sits so low to the ground and for her to be more careful.

She just turned 18. She is still learning. I am still teaching. LOL

Well, were all 18 at one time and was like everyone else, speeding and thinking I knew everything as well. Just a shame that happened when it did as it must have been a nightmare for yourselves and as you said it is hard to find a good mechanic these days without them ripping you off as well.
A thing I do as well if I have to replace a tire I always do them in pairs instead of just the one at a time.
Used to be re moulds were all the rage but new ones are 100 times safer.
Don't know about the States, but her in the UK we have what is called an MOT test once a year that checks if a car is roadworthy and if not, it is taken of the road to be repaired or else scrapped. A car without one is an offence and you are not covered with insurance either. Cops can tell just by inputting your reg number whether it has one.
My car just recently passed although I had to get a new handbrake cable and one of the brakes needed replacing.
Apologies again and I can understand why you were upset, didn't mean it that way.