Defects/ Damage in Tires Used at FCA Ram Stellantis Mexico Assemby Plant

[Goose55]

Below, please see one of the old, cheap chinese Nexen stock front stock tires I replaced in Febr on my 2019 Ram 3500 Cummins Diesel. I took one of them to the dealership to show the uneven outer wear caused by their squirrelly factory toe in front alignment.

Last week I took the tire to the landfill and while dumping it saw this large chunk of the tire's casing missing, next to the inner bead, and all that was done was sticking some kind of adhesive caulking around the void, and calling it good.

It's unlikely that the tire was mounted to the wheel where these Nexen tires are made in China. I'm assuming the tires were shipped to the Ram HD Assembly point in Mexico, and the tire was mounted there. In the pic you can see that this defect was on the inside portion because of the browning, and thus out of sight and out of mind. Not good!!

These tires were rotated at least a couple times at LHM Avondale, AZ and no one ever said a word to me. The defect was plain for anyone to see because in the pic you can see next to the void the portion that rested inside the wheel was not exposed to the elements and is much darker/ black. That damage was therefore plainly visible. The Cummins diesel is a very heavy engine, so there is much greater stress on the front tires.

I'm no tire expert but this doesn't look very safe. I had this tire rotated at the Dealership at least twice, and no one ever said anything :-/ My understanding is that sidewall repairs are illegal. How was this overlooked?

 

[Ratman6161]

Are you sure it wasn't damaged after the fact somehow? I would have thought that a shop doing a tire rotation would notice such a thing and tell you. They would even have an incentive to tell you so they could sell you new tires???

 

[Goose55]

Are you sure it wasn't damaged after the fact somehow? I would have thought that a shop doing a tire rotation would notice such a thing and tell you. They would even have an incentive to tell you so they could sell you new tires???

Did you read my entire post and examine the photo? If it was damaged after the fact then how did that adhesive/ caulk get there?

 

[Ratman6161]

If it was damaged after the fact then how did that adhesive/ caulk get there?

Dont know. Just speculating. Ive actually never seen anything like that before.

 

[2020PW]

The factory alignment specs are a known issue with the HD’s. Been that way for years.

How’s the rim look? Looks like a curb or the bead breaker did it.

If I was to suspect that it was running like that, those are some good tires to hold air and never notice the issue. If it was an existing issue I would expect more dirt and brake dust, looks fresh.

Sidewalk damage can occur no matter the brand.

 

[Goose55]

The factory alignment specs are a known issue with the HD’s. Been that way for years.

How’s the rim look? Looks like a curb or the bead breaker did it.

If I was to suspect that it was running like that, those are some good tires to hold air and never notice the issue. If it was an existing issue I would expect more dirt and brake dust, looks fresh.

Sidewalk damage can occur no matter the brand.

I have to repeat myself with you, too. If it was damaged by me how did that adhesive/ caulk get there? Look closely. You can see it.

 

[2020PW]

I have to repeat myself with you, too. If it was damaged by me how did that adhesive/ caulk get there? Look closely. You can see it.

Submit a complaint with NHTSA if you’re concerned. That doesn’t look like caulk.

 

[Goose55]

Submit a complaint with NHTSA if you’re concerned. That doesn’t look like caulk.

That is how I received the tire from Discount Tire--the only time the tire was ever dismounted--when it was replaced with Bridgestones in February at 15,000 miles.

 

[OH_Varmntr]

Submit a complaint with NHTSA if you’re concerned. That doesn’t look like caulk.

Exactly. I've repaired so many tires over the years and have seen all kinds of sidewall damage from objects impaling the sidewalls to curb damage. That's what rubber looks like when it tears. The fact that it isn't browned like the rest of the tire is indicative of recent damage.

A Discount Tire tech did that when breaking the tire off of the rim.

 

[Goose55]

Exactly. I've repaired so many tires over the years and have seen all kinds of sidewall damage from objects impaling the sidewalls to curb damage. That's what rubber looks like when it tears. The fact that it isn't browned like the rest of the tire is indicative of recent damage.

A Discount Tire tech did that when breaking the tire of the rim.

May be true.

 

[OH_Varmntr]

May be true.

Oh, I'd bet on it. Not a doubt in my mind.

 

[18CrewDually]

That occurred when the shop removed it from the wheel. Theres no sign of adhesive. That's what torn rubber looks like. Throw it out and go on with life.

 

[Goose55]

That occurred when the shop removed it from the wheel. Theres no sign of adhesive. That's what torn rubber looks like. Throw it out and go on with life.

Go on with life? How do you mean?

 

[Timsdually]

I thought you replaced your front tires with Bridgestone's?
What are you doing with the old Nexen's?

 

[Goose55]

I thought you replaced your front tires with Bridgestone's?
What are you doing with the old Nexen's?

Read my opening post

 

[Docwagon1776]

I have to repeat myself with you, too. If it was damaged by me how did that adhesive/ caulk get there? Look closely. You can see it.

That's neither adhesive nor caulk. It's vulcanized rubber inside the tire carcass. Note how there's no signs of oxidization, meaning it's freshly exposed to air? Had the tire been exposed to the atmosphere since new, it would be faded.

WTF would someone put adhesive in it in that manner? And apparently clean it out and hit it with tire shine? C'mon.

 

[chri5k]

Seems like a mighty big leap to say that damage happened 4 years ago at the FCA plant. Not seeing any facts in the original post to prove it happened at the time of vehicle manufacture. In fact, the post indicates other besides FCA have handled / worked on the tires in the last four years. As others have mentioned, the damage looks fairly recent due to the lack of dirt or oxidation in the damaged area.

 

[Scottly]

My understanding is that sidewall repairs are illegal.

While tire manufacturers don't recommend using tire repair methods on sidewalls, I'm pretty sure that there aren't any laws preventing it. I wouldn't do it...But no one is going to jail for taking that risk.

 

[Scottly]

Below, please see one of the old, cheap chinese Nexen stock front stock tires

As opposed to the cheap, square-when-new, Good-for-a-years made in America? Nexen is a Korean company that's been making tires as long as Bridgestone and generally are as good as many other tires on the market. Car companies are getting tired of the union demands to use USA-produced tires that generate so many consumer complaints...I buy new trucks every two years and I have NEVER gotten an OEM Good-for-a-year tire that didn't create a steering pull or vibration at driving speeds, no matter how much fancy roadforce balancing you did. I'd take my chances any day on Chinese tires over the current crop of Good-for-a-years.

 

[OH_Varmntr]

Go on with life? How do you mean?

Well, by the nature of your posts, you generally seem like the type of person who jumps to conclusions based on subjective information and loses sleep over it rather than approaching a subject with an open mind looking to learn.

Your responses to a few members' posts display your unwillingness to ask questions that will actually provide insight to your issue. Instead, you dismiss them as idiots who have no reading comprehension.