Bad tire blows Mainers’ road trip

Miriam Baker and Lisa Price of Tenants Harbor were two women out for a good time. Both recently retired and decided it was time to fulfill a lifelong dream – to party down at the Mardi Gras in New Orleans. So on one bright day they loaded up the Subaru and set out to do their version of “Thelma and Louise” (without the guns and car crashes).

They had plenty of time, so they poked along seeing sights along the way. Everything was going swell until somewhere outside Tupelo, Miss., (birthplace of Elvis). The travelers were following what appeared to be a junkyard truck, when something flipped off the truck and into their path. Unable to avoid the article, Miriam gritted her teeth and winced as whatever it was slammed against the underside of her car with a “thump.” Steering immediately became difficult and she pulled over to find a huge gash in one of the tires.

Luckily, the women were within shouting distance of a gas station that sported a large flashing sign “Will’s Wheels.”

Miriam and Lisa were soon waiting patiently in the gas station as Will replaced the tire. A short while later, they were back on the road $105 lighter.

About 45 miles outside New Orleans, however, the recently replaced tire blew. Upon inspection, the next garage told the women the tire was defective in manufacture. It had a “bubble” on the lining and had suffered tread separation. They continued their journey with the bad tire strapped to their roof as evidence. They had a bill of sale, but no warranty information.

After thoroughly enjoying the Mardi Gras, the pair backtracked to Will’s Wheels, but the shop was closed for the day even though it was only 2 p.m. on a weekday.

They headed home to Maine and, as soon as they were unpacked, sought a local dealer of the “Yuni” tire brand. No one around here had ever heard of it. So they wrote Will about the bad tire. No response. When they eventually reached Will by phone he said the tire wasn’t his responsibility. Lisa joined COMBAT so we could help her with her case.

So COMBAT wrote Will requesting manufacturer warranty information, saying we couldn’t find a listing for Yuni tires anywhere. A month passed, Will had not responded. So we wrote again, telling him that if he didn’t reply with a $105 refund or at least warranty information, we would be forced to contact the Mississippi attorney general, state police (inspection), and Department of Motor Vehicles.

Within 10 days, a check arrived for $105. The moral? If you’re going to buy tires, don’t forget to check for a warranty.

Consumer Forum is a collaboration of the Bangor Daily News and Northeast COMBAT-Maine Center for the Public Interest, Maine’s membership-funded nonprofit consumer organization. For help and information write: Consumer Forum, Bangor Daily News, PO Box 1329, Bangor 04402-1329.