2016 Forest River Flagstaff Recalls & Complaints

Incident: October 17, 2016 · Filed: March 6, 2017

I PURCHASED A 2016 FLAGSTAFF V-LITE WRLIKS30 IN OCT, 2015. IT CAME WITH 5 CASTLE ROCK ST225/75R15 LOAD RANGE D TIRES--4 INSTALLED ON TWO AXLES AND ONE SPARE. THE TIRES CAME INFLATED WITH NITROGEN; I REGULARLY CHECKED AND REFILLED THEM WITH NITROGEN AT CRAWFORD TIRE IN OCOEE, FL. WHILE DRIVING WESTBOUND ON INTERSTATE 10 ON OCT 17, 2016 WITH THE TRAILER LIGHTLY LOADED AND AT A SPEED OF 62 MPH, THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE ON THE TRAILER SUFFERED CATASTROPHIC TREAD SEPARATION. I WAS ABLE TO CONTROL THE TRAILER AND COME TO A SAFE STOP, BUT THE TRAILER WAS DAMAGED (REPAIRS TOTALED APPROXIMATELY $800). THE TIRE WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY FROM LIONS HEAD SPECIALTY TIRE AND WHEEL, 827 E. LINCOLN AVENUE, GOSHEN, IN 46528 AND I MADE A CLAIM. THEY SENT ME A NEW TIRE IDENTICAL TO THE ORIGINALS, $30 FOR MOUNTING, AND PAID FOR DAMAGE REPAIRS. ON FEB 3, 2017, I RETRIEVED THE TRAILER FROM GIANT OUTDOOR RECREATION AFTER THE REPAIRS WERE MADE AND DROVE IT APPROXIMATELY 15 MILES TO ANOTHER SERVICE FACILITY. ON FEB 9, I WAS INFORMED BY THAT FACILITY'S MANAGER THAT A TREAD SEPARATION HAD OCCURRED ON THE RIGHT REAR TIRE. THE TIRE, THOUGH STILL INFLATED, SHOWED SEVERE WARPING AND DISTORTION OF THE TREAD AND AT LEAST ONE STEEL THREAD PENETRATING THE SIDEWALL. THIS CERTAINLY HAPPENED ON THE 15 MILE DRIVE TO THE FACILITY BECAUSE THE TIRES WERE INSPECTED AT GIANT RECREATION WORLD. I SPOKE WITH JAKE CARTER AT FLAGSTAFF CUSTOMER SERVICE. HE OFFERED ME A NEW, IDENTICAL TIRE OR $75. I TOLD HIM THAT WITH TWO OF FOUR TIRES HAVING CATASTROPHICALLY FAILED, I COULD NO LONGER CONTINUE TO DRIVE ON THIS TYPE OF TIRE. HE TOLD ME THEY WERE FINE TIRES WITH A FAILURE RATE LESS THAN 2%, I HAD JUST HAD "BAD LUCK," AND DENIED MY REQUEST FOR ALTERNATIVE TIRES. THESE TIRES ARE CLEARLY A SAFETY HAZARD. FLAGSTAFF AND LIONS HEAD SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO REPLACE ALL OF THEM WITH TIRES THAT ARE PROVEN SAFE!