- Report: #370773
Complaint Review: Sears Automotive - Tallahassee Florida
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Sears Automotive
1500 Apalachee Pkwy Tallahassee, 32301 Florida, U.S.A.
Phone:
850-671-6228?
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Sears Automotive Tires are sub-standard and caused a blow out on the interstate Tallahassee Florida
My wife and I bought a new set of tires from the Sears Automotive in Tallahassee, Florida and it was a big mistake. The tires were ok for a while but we noticed that they started causing the car to shake. We took our car in for regular checkups and such and the tires were supposedly rotated when we took it in.
This all changed when the tires were about 2.5 years old and one of them would run flat constantly. We took it in and they replaced the stem valve. No problem. The car shook more and more. Then the front tire blew out. We took the car in and they said that it was a "Manufacture's defect and that the tire was not under warranty" because they don't have those tires any longer. We had to replace the tire. Great. They did not check the other tires at all because on our way down to Lakeland for Labor Day we had the rear tire lose it's tread as though it was a recap. It exploded while we were in the middle lane and I was able to get us safely to the side of the road. We had to be towed for about $120 to Lake City and another $450 to have all the tires replaced. Why? When the guys put the car on the rack he said "Well it is not unusual to have tires look like this when they get as old as these are." We told him they were less than 3 years old and his jaw dropped. You could see where the remaining tires, excluding the "new" one that we had previously bought, were separating.
Sears not only did not replace the "Manufacture defect" tires, the did not even check. The alignment we had them do was not correct, the tires could have killed my whole family since we were all in the car at the same time.
We have spent years trying to get the car serviced correctly. Often having to take the car back the next day to get the alignment redone, tires balanced again, battery replaced again, etc. After spending the money in Lake City for a new set of tires and alignment, the car rode like new. It was like night and day. Sears could never do this.
We have all the documentation and are going to pursue this with the BBB. I hope they get sued to the stone age.
Imajica
Tallahassee, Florida
U.S.A.
This all changed when the tires were about 2.5 years old and one of them would run flat constantly. We took it in and they replaced the stem valve. No problem. The car shook more and more. Then the front tire blew out. We took the car in and they said that it was a "Manufacture's defect and that the tire was not under warranty" because they don't have those tires any longer. We had to replace the tire. Great. They did not check the other tires at all because on our way down to Lakeland for Labor Day we had the rear tire lose it's tread as though it was a recap. It exploded while we were in the middle lane and I was able to get us safely to the side of the road. We had to be towed for about $120 to Lake City and another $450 to have all the tires replaced. Why? When the guys put the car on the rack he said "Well it is not unusual to have tires look like this when they get as old as these are." We told him they were less than 3 years old and his jaw dropped. You could see where the remaining tires, excluding the "new" one that we had previously bought, were separating.
Sears not only did not replace the "Manufacture defect" tires, the did not even check. The alignment we had them do was not correct, the tires could have killed my whole family since we were all in the car at the same time.
We have spent years trying to get the car serviced correctly. Often having to take the car back the next day to get the alignment redone, tires balanced again, battery replaced again, etc. After spending the money in Lake City for a new set of tires and alignment, the car rode like new. It was like night and day. Sears could never do this.
We have all the documentation and are going to pursue this with the BBB. I hope they get sued to the stone age.
Imajica
Tallahassee, Florida
U.S.A.
2 Updates & Rebuttals
Steve
Bradenton,Florida,
U.S.A.
Sears just sells the tires, they do not make them. And..
#2Consumer Suggestion
Wed, September 10, 2008
You left out alot of important information here on the tires. What was the brand, size, and model of the tire? What type of vehicle were they installed on? What I'm getting at is that the tires you bought may not have been adequate for your particular application, and most tire failures are due to underinflation, or overload. According to AAA, tires lose 2psi per month on the average. But cheap tires, and or tires that are overloaded or used mostly at highway speeds can easily lose 5psi or mor per month. If you are carrying extra passengers and/or luggage, etc. you want to check your tire pressure before each trip and make sure it is at the max pressure , when checked cold. This is VERY important, although usually neglected. An underinflated tire generates more heat from the extra friction and will blow out, as you found out. You stated that the tires were "ok for awhile" which indicates they had no problems at time of install, and obviously Sears did the job right. If they had not, you would have been back right away, right? And you CHOSE to be towed for $120, right? Do you not have a spare tire? Or, don't you know how to change a tire? Your story does not add up as you ran the tires ok for nearly 2.5 years. I don't see the "rip off" here.
The Consumerist
Tempe,Arizona,
U.S.A.
MFG
#3UPDATE Employee
Wed, September 10, 2008
Go after the manufacture in this case, they usually warranty their tires given that they are properly maintained. (Hopefully you still have the tires as evidence) I'm not an Automotive expert but the weather in Florida is usually humid/hot, your driving (Miles per year) could also be a factor. Inspect any work they may have done and if something isn't right have them fix it again right away if not and they go to put notes in their computer ask to see the notes they are putting in to insure proper documentation of incidents and a copy of everything. Also for automotive repairs if one place don't fix it right the first time go elsewhere.
